Making your own fripperies.
May. 15th, 2010 01:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusI'm fond of beautiful jewelry with glittering gems.
I'm not so fond of the prices.
But hey. I figure if you can knit, you have the hand-eye coordination to make your own jewelry.
You can make instant earrings and pendants with the ease of Snap-Tite(r) settings. Buy a gem. Buy a Snap-Tite(r) setting. Squish it on a table. Done.
Or you can buy supplies at a bead store like Fire Mountain Gems or Shipwreck Beads and do something a bit more involved. Pick up some sterling silver or gold wire (avoid plate; use either the real thing or else gold-filled in 12k or 14k gold) and wrap a couple of briolettes (dangley, sparkly things) to earring wires.
Or you can get fancy and do internet research or buy a book or something. I don't know. That's beyond me at this point.
I've had success making my own dangle earrings. I've a pair of citrine drops on gold-filled leverbacks that please me much. It was only a couple bucks for the 12kt gold-filled leverbacks, a few bucks for the gold-filled wire, and five bucks for the pair of pre-drilled citrine briolettes. I wear them all the time.
I've done my first experiment, loved it, and am ready to try it with fancier materials.
The gems.
- First these itty-bitty garnet briolettes.
Thought I might use this or the same 12kt gold-filled earwire I used for my other pretty briolettes. (I have dead soft 12kt gold-filled wire let over.)
- Next the larger citrine briolettes.
I'd do the same as above.
- When I'm ready to try something more complex, I'll try these almandine garnet squares. (I like garnets.) Or maybe these rose quartz squares. Or maybe these cool-looking citrine cabochons. I can't decide.
For the setting I can do this little windowpane squares attached to a silver fleur de lis earwire, or perhaps a plain one.
- I've wanted some carnelian jewelry.
Perhaps set in a silver bezel.
- Then for the triangle shapes, unusual amethyst cabochons.
One possibility for a setting would be the triangle stud. Or this prong setting.
- When I have the money, an emerald heart pendant.
I'd do either the beveled gold-filled setting secure six-prong setting in 14k gold. Will need a gold chain for the little heart.
And so on....
I'm not so fond of the prices.
But hey. I figure if you can knit, you have the hand-eye coordination to make your own jewelry.
You can make instant earrings and pendants with the ease of Snap-Tite(r) settings. Buy a gem. Buy a Snap-Tite(r) setting. Squish it on a table. Done.
Or you can buy supplies at a bead store like Fire Mountain Gems or Shipwreck Beads and do something a bit more involved. Pick up some sterling silver or gold wire (avoid plate; use either the real thing or else gold-filled in 12k or 14k gold) and wrap a couple of briolettes (dangley, sparkly things) to earring wires.
Or you can get fancy and do internet research or buy a book or something. I don't know. That's beyond me at this point.
I've had success making my own dangle earrings. I've a pair of citrine drops on gold-filled leverbacks that please me much. It was only a couple bucks for the 12kt gold-filled leverbacks, a few bucks for the gold-filled wire, and five bucks for the pair of pre-drilled citrine briolettes. I wear them all the time.
I've done my first experiment, loved it, and am ready to try it with fancier materials.
The gems.
- First these itty-bitty garnet briolettes.
Thought I might use this or the same 12kt gold-filled earwire I used for my other pretty briolettes. (I have dead soft 12kt gold-filled wire let over.)
- Next the larger citrine briolettes.
I'd do the same as above.
- When I'm ready to try something more complex, I'll try these almandine garnet squares. (I like garnets.) Or maybe these rose quartz squares. Or maybe these cool-looking citrine cabochons. I can't decide.
For the setting I can do this little windowpane squares attached to a silver fleur de lis earwire, or perhaps a plain one.
- I've wanted some carnelian jewelry.
Perhaps set in a silver bezel.
- Then for the triangle shapes, unusual amethyst cabochons.
One possibility for a setting would be the triangle stud. Or this prong setting.
- When I have the money, an emerald heart pendant.
I'd do either the beveled gold-filled setting secure six-prong setting in 14k gold. Will need a gold chain for the little heart.
And so on....
