| Pearls and Peridot Time Two |
Sometimes we can make the loveliest things out of materials that may not really appeal to us at first glance. The case in point, the peach colored pearls in this necklace. My husband bought them for me at a bead show along with several other things. At first glance, I thought "oh thank you darling, but what am I going to do with these ugly pearls?" At that time, the colored pearls were a fairly new item, and I thought they were just awful, looking gaudy and fake on their temporary strand. Of course, I thanked him wholeheartedly, as he had purchased other, really great things as well. But I really wondered what I could do with these pearls.
So, the poor pearls sat in my inventory for a long time. Each time I came across them, I simply passed them over, hoping that my beloved was not aware of my ingratitude towards his gift.
Then one day I was cleaning out the bead box and layed some of the bead strands therein across the table to untangle them when the poor ugly pearls met up with a nice little strand of peridot bead chips I happenede to have on hand. The beautiful green of the peridot just brought out a warmth and charm in these pearls that I had not been aware of before. With the simple addition of an interesting seed bead accent, I saw before me a beautiful new necklace instead of the yucky colored pearls.
Here's how to make a Pearls and Peridot Double Strand Beaded necklace of your own:
You'll need the following:
1 strand or 73 individual Peach colored Freshwater Pearls
2. Now begin the pattern. Add one peridot chip, one seed bead, one pearl, one seed bead, then one peridot chip.
3. Continue until you have added 35 pearls and 36 peridot chips. The strand should begin and end with a peridot chip and 5 seed beads. Add your crimp bead to the end of the wire. Do not cut the wire from the spool yet
4. Attach this strand to your box clasp by passing the wire through the opening on the clasp, then passing it back through the crimp bead, and pulling snug but not too tight. Close crimp.
5. Turn the piece so that you can cut the wire from the spool, leaving a tail of about 4 inches, and repeat the crimping procedure described above.
6. Make the second strand by repeating the pattern in Step 2, using 38 pearls and 39 peridot chips this time. The strands need to be slightly different lengths, in order to drape properly.
7. Attach this strand to your clasp by repeating Step 4, above.
After I made this necklace and wore it for the first time, my husband said to me "well, I see you finally found something to do with those pearls you didn't like." I was a bit surprised, since I had never let on that I didn't like them. But, he told me that he had bought them on purpose, knowing I wouldn't like them. Knowing that I eventually use every bead I get hands on, he wanted to see what I ended up doing with these. It was a good lesson for me in creativity and element usage, and once I found a way to make something beautiful out of something I originally found less than attractive, I enjoyed every minute of it. I Hope you enjoy your Pearls and Peridot, too.
1 strand or 75 individual Peridot Chips
167 Off White Pealized Size 11 Seed Beads
Softflex Beading Wire, Size .014 diameter
4 Crimp Beads
Crimping Tool
Wire Cutters or Scissors
Box Style Two Strand Clasp - in either Silver or Gold
1. Leaving the wire on the spool, string 5 Pearlized seed beads.
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