Necklaces, Necklaces, Necklaces

For the recent past, I have been almost exclusively making pendants and necklaces. The most recent have involved beading, silversmithing, stone setting, lapidary, design and several other techniques. This pendant was inspired by the rock crystal cabochon that is the focal spot of the pendant. It is internally flawless. Using sheet Sterling Silver, I sawed the back of the pendant in an outline of the tear shape of the cabochon. Then adding a 4 prong head for an accent stone, I set the cabochon with fine silver bezel wire. A 6 mm faceted Citrine was added as the accent stone at the top of the cabochon.

The next two, the last finished this morning, were crafted from prismatic beads in the shop inventory. The first was made with copper goldstone beads and copper chain and findings. The second was crafted from specular hematite beads using brass plated steel wire and findings to complete the necklace.

Today, one of my friends will be coming over to the shop to begin his journey toward gems and jewelry. He is young and wants to begin learning. So today he will start learning about gems and their properties. With temperatures predicted in the 90s this weekend, I will enjoy staying inside to work in the shop at my bench.