Swarovski Enchanting Crystal Teardrop Pendant
Project TypeMake a Project
Bead TypeCrystal
Time to CompleteIn an evening
Bead Technique UsedChainmail/Wirework
Bead Project TypeNecklace
Materials List
- 24 inches – 2 mm curb chain
- 15 inches - 18 gauge wire
- 1 – Toggle clasp - Tierracast 94-6067 12
- 2 - 4mm Jump Rings
- Non-stick work surface
- Alcohol wipes
- Release Balm or oil
- Exact-o Knife
- Heavy Duty Flush Cutters
- Wire Jig
- Looping Pliers
Instructions
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Using wire jig bend 18 gauge wire into a triangle form slightly larger than the Fancy Stone stone art. 4706. (Tip: I lay stone on the jig and with dry erase marker draw an outline of the shape so I have a pattern to follow.) Take looping plier and crimp wire at the corners of the triangle. This helps clean up the wire shape. You can also use bail making pliers to help make the triangle shape follow more like the stone shape.
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Trim wire allowing enough excess wire to make a loop on the open end of the triangle. With looping pliers, make a loop on the excess wire.
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Take curb chain and with heavy duty flush cutters cut in half. Link chain onto the wire triangle form. Let the open end of wire (with the loop) point down allowing the chain to rest on the other two points of the triangle.
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Mix Ceralun clay, Black per instructions. On a non-stick surface, lightly coated with oil or balm, roll out 1/4 inch thick snake of clay large enough to cover triangle shape.
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Place Ceralun clay snake around the wire form. Embed wire, including the chain on corners of triangle form, completely into the snake and using your fingers even out the shape and roundness of clay around the wire form. The center of the triangle form should be open.
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Take Fancy Stone art. 4706 Crystal 001and push into the open center of the triangle form. There should be enough clay that the stone is able to be embedded into the clay on the outside edge of the stone.
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Add round stone accents to the clay triangle shape. Using tweezers or a wax stick, pick up and place stones to emulate pattern (Used Chatons art 1088 pp24 Cry Iridescent green and Chatons art 1088 pp18 Crystal 001) until the design is finished. (Tip: when adding stones push into clay only far enough to hold the stone in place. Do not push completely in until you have added all stones and no revisions to spacing need to be made.) Once you are happy with the spacing and the alignment, push all the stones in far enough to come up and embed completely the girdle of the stone.
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Using an alcohol wipe clean any residue left behind on the stone by you handling. This needs to be done now. The stone might look clean but once you wipe it up you realize how much residue was left behind. Once the clay cures there will be no way to get off any residue. (Tip: when using black clay be careful not to get any wipe fibers into the clay.) Put to the side and let cure undisturbed 24 hours.
- Using a wire jig, bend the 18 gauge wire into a 2 inch 2-inch teardrop shape (Tip: With dry erase marker, draw an outline of the shape to have a pattern to follow.)
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Trim wire allowing enough wire to make a closed loop on the top end of drop form. With looping pliers, make a loop with the excess wire.
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Follow steps 4 through 8 to develop the teardrop form with Ceralun clay and using the remainder of the Fancy Stone and Chatons to emulate pattern continue adding stones until the design is finished.
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Working with the 2 cured bead forms open one closed loop and attach the form to the loop on the other form, close loop.
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Finish necklace by attaching toggle clasp to the chain. Open jump ring and link one of the chain ends with one part of the toggle clasp, close jump ring. Repeat on the other side of chain using the other part of the toggle and the last jump ring.