JewelleryMaker Blog

Tutorial for Egyptian Link

1.    Cut a 6.5 inch length of wire (gauges 0.6mm – 1.0mm are best suited for this, however if you are making a necklace or bracelet I recommend using either 0.8mm or 1.0mm). Bend the wire in half and grasp it at the centre point with your round nose pliers approx. 2/3 along from the points of the pliers.

2.    Using your chain nose pliers, pinch the wire around the round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.    Using your chain nose pliers, grasp the wire at the base of the loop and bend the wire away from you to make a gentle bend, not a sharp angle.

4.    Using your round nose pliers, make a loop at each end of the wire, making them as small as possible so that they look like antennas.

5.    Grasp one of the loops about half way with your flat nose pliers and moving the wire and NOT the pliers, make a spiral down to where the wire bends and repeat for the other side.

6.    Make as many of these as you need for your design. Take two links and sit one behind the other like chairs. Take the one in front, turn it sideways and slot it through the loop of the link behind.

Turn it around to face front again so the loop of the link behind is resting at the bend of the link in front and push the loop down to close the link.

Continue to link them together until you have the desired length. You can manipulate the links with your fingers to ensure that they sit flat and straight.

Everything you require to get started is included in this pack.

Ink-dilute the ink 1 sachet to 500ml of de-ionised water (I make up half this amount and keep it in plastic tubs with lids).

Only ever handle your anodised aluminium wearing the gloves provided as the natural oils in your hands will affect the anodised aluminium until it has been sealed.

Decorate your aluminium with the graphics pens in your kit. You can draw or stamp to create your desired effect. Then follow by over-dying with the inks. You can submerge your piece in the dye bath or paint on and leave to dry.

You can submerge your aluminium in the dye bath for up to 20 minutes to achieve the desired depth of colour.

Wipe off excess dye with kitchen roll.

Your aluminium will now need to be sealed. It must be steamed for 45 minutes. You can do this in a food steamer.

Once steamed you will no longer need to handle with gloves.

You can cut your aluminium using the tin snips and the saw blade.

Tin snips are great for straight lines and the saw blade for straight and curvy edges (Tip-when using saw blade run a candle over the blade this will help to lubricate the blade and make it easier to cut).

All edges must be filed, first with the files in your kit, then finished off with a very fine emery paper.

If you require holes in your pieces to make into jewellery, make the spot so that you can see clearly where to align the punch with the hole-punch provided.

You will need to clean and polish your pieces using furniture polish.

Good luck and enjoy!

Are you going to Hobbycrafts at the NEC, Birmingham from the 21st-24th March?

JewelleryMaker will be back BIGGER and better this spring - bringing you even more of your favourite JM Presenters and Guest Designers!

Come along and watch LIVE demonstrations, sign up for a selection of FREE make and takes and enjoy exclusive exhibition offers and competitions you won’t want to miss.

Last in stock/end of line products including jewellery kits, bundles, gemstone strands, findings, tools and threading materials, all at SUPER DISCOUNTED prices!!!

FREE Make & Takes will include:

Wirework with Laura and Gemma

Macramé with Mark

Beading with Linda, Sheila and Cherry

Doodle Clay with Debbie

Places are limited! So come early. Spaces can be booked at 9.30am and again at 12 midday for afternoon courses.

Demonstrations: (Every hour)

Will feature a mix of specialist designers, including

Silver Clay                   Natalia

Jewel Enamel             Liz Welch

Resin                           Claire John

Polymer Clay              Debbie

Wirework                     Laura

Shrink Plastic              Linda

You can find our stands at: E22 & E28 (Hall 11).

Instructions for ‘Ship’s Wheel’ charm

1.    Cut a 40cm length of 0.6mm wire. Measure 5cm from one end, hold the wire at this point with your round nose pliers (at about a 1/3 of the way along your pliers) and bend the shorter end of the wire around the pliers. Thread on one of the closed jump rings from the JM silver/gold plated findings packs so that it sits in the bend. (Fig. 1)

2.    From the bend, measure 1.5cm along the longer wire end, hold at the same point of the pliers as before and bend the wire around the pliers (Fig. 2).

Thread the wire through the jump ring (Fig. 3).

Grip the wire as before and bend (Fig. 4).

Repeat to make 6 more loops through the jump ring and trim the wire leaving a 5cm tail.

3.    Fan the loops out evenly around the jump ring in a flower shape, bringing the two 5cm tails together making sure they are both pointing upward and are either side of the jump ring (Fig. 5).

These will be used later to make the bail.

4.    Starting at the bail wires grab the wires at the base next to the jump ring with your flat nose pliers and twist the wires together 3 – 4 times. Repeat this with all of the loops. (Fig. 6)

5.    Cut a 15cm length of 0.6mm wire and curve by running it through your fingers. Starting at the bail wires, thread the wire through all the loops (Fig. 7)

And when you reach the bail wires thread through all of the loops again. You should have the two wire ends either side of the bail wires. When you are satisfied that your threading wire is positioned correctly by pulling both of the ends gently, wrap the wire ends around the bail wires to secure, trim them with your wire cutters and gently push the ends in neatly with your chain nose pliers. (Fig. 8)

6.    Holding each loop at the top with your flat nose pliers, twist them twice (Fig. 9).

Using your round nose pliers make a wrapped loop with the bail wires (Fig. 10)

And add an open jump to finish (Fig. 11).

Hello everyone, I have had lots of requests for a tutorial the Classic Bib design. I’ve enjoyed seeing loads of you have been creating fabulous pieces and the scales are very versatile so I hope this is helpful to everyone wanting to try this design and I will put up some further ideas for you soon.

Tina x

Ingredients:

13 light gold scales

21 copper scales

22 purple scales

Silver plated copper chain, toggle clasp

7mm open jump rings

Tip:

Exchange these for other colours to make this your own taste, but I have found that 3 colours gives a nice balance.

1. Cut a 41cm length of curb chain. Find the middle of the chain and attach your first scale with a jump ring. This is middle scale of the first row, complete the first row of 7 scales following your colour scheme.

First row as seen from the front.

Tip:

I find it useful to have my pattern laid out first so it’s easier to just pick them up and work. The scales have a concave side and a convex side, for this design I have the concave on the front but you can vary the design by using them convex

2. Now turn your work over and work on the back to complete the pattern.

Tip:If you work flat on your beading mat you may find it easier to pin the chain to the mat to stop it moving around or you can pin it to a bust and work with it hanging.

Using jump rings attach each scale to its neighbour

First row of jump rings on reverse

3. Attach the next row of scales, which has one less. Attach each scale to the jump rings that have joined the previous row together.

Second row of scales attached to the first.

4. This pattern is repeated for the bib until you have all the rows complete. The final result will look like this at the back.

Cut three 18cm lengths of 0.8mm wire and bind them together at one end with a small piece of masking tape so that they sit side by side. Calculate the centre of the wires and make a mark with a permanent fine maker pen (make sure you hide this mark with the wrapping wire) about 5mm back from the centre where you will start the wire wrapping. Cut approx. 40cm of the 0.25mm wire, push it up between the first and second wire and wrap around the first wire three times. From the back, take wrapping wire up between the second and third wires and wrap around the second wire three times. From the back, take the wrapping wire up and around the 3^rd wire and wrap it around three times. Take the wrapping wire down behind the three wires and push it up between the first and second wire ready to start the next row. Repeat to complete four more rows and trim all excess wire. (fig.1)

Remove the tape and bend the wires around a ring mandrel to the desired size, so that the wire ends cross over. Repeat the wire wrapping as before to secure the ring at the shoulders. Using your fingers bend the wires from each shoulder to curve out slightly and fan out the wire ends. (fig.2)

Thread a 3-4mm bead onto each wire and form into spirals to finish.(fig.3)

Cut a 1.5m length of 0.38mm beading wire and thread a bead onto the centre with two crimp beads either side. Thread another bead onto one end of the wire and thread the wire back through the first bead and both crimp beads leaving a circle of wire. (fig.1)

Thread the beading wire from the other side and thread it through the first bead and both crimps leaving another circle of wire inside the first circle. (fig.2)

With the same wire make a third circle inside the second circle, as before, and thread the two wires in opposite directions through another bead with a crimp bead either side, leaving another circle. (fig.3)

With one wire end make two circles inside the first. (fig.4)

Thread the left hand wire back through the middle bead and the top bead to make side loops either side of the top circles. (fig.5)

Thread the right hand wire through the middle bead and crimps and the top bead and crimps to make side loops outside the previous side loops. (fig.6)

On one side of the pendant make another double circle with two beads and crimps and repeat for the other side.

To complete the necklace, attach the wire end using crimp bead to some chain and add a clasp. (fig.8)

Cut approx. 45cm of 0.8mm wire. Measure in approx. 6cm from one end and bend the wire into a zigzag pattern as shown. Each zigzag should measure approx. 2.5cm. (fig.1)

The long wire ends will be used to make the bail so starting with the first 2.5cm zigzag, place your chain nose pliers at the centre point on one side of the zigzag and pull gentle outwards creating an angle and repeat on the other side of the zigzag. You should now have the first petal shape. (fig.2)

Continue this process with the remaining four zigzags and you should see the flower shape develop. (fig.3)

Cut approx. 3m of the 0.25mm wire, fold it in half and from the folded end, hold the wires together and start twisting them. I find it easier to do about an inch and then move down the wire and twist another inch etc. Holding the twisted wire on top of the flower, wrap it twice around the bottom of one side of the first petal leaving a 5cm tail. Take the twisted wire up through the middle of the petal, over to the other side and wrap it around twice. Take the wire down through the middle of the petal, over to the other side and wrap it around twice. Continue this figure of eight process to the tip of the petal and wrap the twisted wire around the tip a few times to secure. Trim the wire and start the next petal. Repeat to make 5 wire wrapped petals. (fig.4)

To make the bail, use the same wrapping method to bind the wire ends together, wrapping the wire for approx. 3.5cm and trim the wire leaving a 5cm tail. If necessary trim both wire ends leaving approx. 1- 1.5cm unwrapped and make basic loops with your round nose pliers to finish. (fig.5)

Bend the wrapped wire ends around to the back of the flower forming the loop of the bail. Close the loop by wrapping the tail wire around all the wires at the base of the bail 3 times. Trim wire to finish. (fig.6)

Using your fingers, bend each petal upwards and bend backwards from the middle of the petal. Using you finger nail or flat nose pliers gently push down on the centre of the wire wrapping at the top end of the petal to make a nice curve in the petal. Repeat for the other four. Push the petals together so that they sit neatly with the bail hidden behind. If you want to you can dangle some chain and bead from the loops at the bottom of the bail. (fig.7)

Cut three 12cm pieces of the 0.25 and thread a 4 or 5mm bead onto the centre of each wire. Bend the wire ends around the bead until they meet and twist them together. Repeat for the other two and twist all three together to make a bunch. (fig.8)

Place the bunch at the centre of the flower and wrap the ends of the wires around the base of the flower to secure. Trim the wires to finish. Make sure all wire ends are pushed neatly against your work to prevent them catching on clothing or scratching your skin. (fig.9)

What an opportunity!

When Paula (The head of JM) asked me if I would be interested in going to India, China and Hong Kong for 8 days on behalf of JM I didn’t have to think too hard I can tell you. I’d said, “YES” before she had finished asking me the question. The opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to see, first hand where our gemstone strands come from was incredibly exciting, not to mention the chance to experience massively different cultures!

Our trip would start in Jaipur and end in Hong Kong and over the 8 days myself and Chloe (head of production on JM) would visit gems faceting facilities, copper bead and resin factories, rough stone markets, we would also see how quality control processes are carried out on strands…. basically the whole process from beginning to end! 8 days didn’t seem long enough, but it was, just! It was the most jam packed, rewarding, exciting, interesting, scary and exhausting 8 days of my life! What a trip!

A journey to Jaipur

The first adventure was getting to Jaipur! Chloe, who incidentally is petrified of flying (so am I but tried not to let on) and I took a flight to Delhi and a connecting flight to Jaipur. The connecting flight only took about 20 minutes, which made me wonder why we didn’t go by road. I later found out that during the rainy season, which was when we were there, there is not a reliable road going into Jaipur as it gets flooded. This was one of the many reasons why I believe Jaipur is such an incredible place. Even though it’s a very difficult place to get to it is regarded by many to be the hub of the gemstone world, and I was about to find 101 other reasons why Jaipur is such a magical place.

Chloe and I with Prakash and Pramod.

Firstly the people in Jaipur are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. The team in Jaipur are wonderful. Pankaj, Pramod, Prakash along with Sharmil and Biplab are a fantastic team. But it wasn’t just the JM team who were friendly, every workshop and factory we visited we were greeted by smiling faces.

Jaipur is an attack on the senses! The constant sound of car horns are alarming when you first arrive in the city but within 24 hours you are used to them. Cows, donkeys, pigs, dogs, camels and goats roam the streets and people just drive round them. The sights, sounds (and smells) of Jaipur are truly incredible… Oh and then there’s the gemstones!

We tend to get a lot of our ‘Gems of Distinction’ strands from Jaipur and we had the chance to go and see the strands being made. I expected a fairly detailed process, carried out by skilled craftsmen. What Chloe and I learnt was incredible. We stood and stared on in awe as each gemstone was cut, faceted, drilled and stranded by hand. It is a hugely skilled, time consuming process which can take around 45 minutes for each gemstone. To see the process first hand was awesome, if a little sad when I think back to a game on JM where 200 strands of high quality black Spinel can sell out in under 5 minutes!

We were lucky enough to visit a copper bead factory and a workshop where our Lac beads come from. What struck me about both places was the pride which people take in their work. The attention to detail applied to the Lac beads for instance is breathtaking. Each bead is unique and each craftsman uses their own flair to make each bead their own.

The walls of the Pink City; Jaipur.

The highlights of Jaipur for me were seeing our gemstones being faceted, visiting the copper and resin bead workshop experiencing some of the best food I’ve ever tasted and riding an elephant! 

It was one of the best professional experiences and life experiences I’ve had. Jaipur has definitely left a lasting impression on Chloe and I.  We packed so much into the few days we were there and I would love the chance to go back (hint hint Paula!)  I really hope you get a sense of what a special place Jaipur is from the footage you see on the channel over the next few weeks.  

There’s a buzz around the office at Gems Towers today… IT’S MOVING DAY!

Today we say goodbye to one of our old warehouses, and a great HELLO! to our fantastic shiny new warehouse. As you can see we have so much more room, 5x more in fact, ready to be filled with lots of sparkly products.

One of our old warehouses…

View from outside.

View from inside.

And this is our much much bigger new warehouse!

View from the outside, even the sun came out to help the move along!

And finally the view from inside, look at all the space!

Embrace the magic of Christmas at Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials Live from 8th – 11th November at the NEC, Birmingham.

Hobbycrafts is one of the UK’s largest creative shows, with over 200 exhibitors bringing the best of the creative world together. With everything from stamping, cardmaking and calligraphy to beading and jewellery making – it’s a perfect pre-Christmas one-stop show, full of inspiration and great ideas!

So come along and join the festive fun with JewelleryMaker, and take the opportunity to meet your favourite JM Presenters and a mix of our Guest Designers. Watch LIVE demonstrations, sign up for our make & take sessions, and enjoy exclusive exhibition offers, flash sales and a mix of competitions and prize draws that will make perfect Christmas gifts, or a special treat for yourself.
You can find our stands at: E32 & F14 Hall 20.

Here at JM we travel the world to secure you the very best deals on gorgeous gemstone strands.

Paula and I have just returned from the worlds biggest jewellery show at the Asia World Expo centre in Hong Kong, the following post is a little peek into what a buying trip involves…

We arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday 18th September feeling surprisingly upbeat after a long 10hour over night flight. Time for a quick refresh before sitting down with the manager of our China office to discuss the plan of action for the visit to the jewellery show and our goals for the up coming months.

Armed with our plan of attack we arrived at the jewellery show the following morning, the sheer size of the show is overwhelming enough and that’s without taking into account the other halls that specialise in other elements of the jewellery trade such as tools, packaging and loose gems. Each day, 4 days in total, was the same format. We would discuss the night before hand key items we would look for then head to the show and search!

We enjoyed meeting with a lot of our regular suppliers, it’s always nice to meet face to face with the people who we have brilliant working relationships with. Everybody we spoke to couldn’t be more helpful!

After sourcing some fantastic sparkly deals from our suppliers it was time to search for new suppliers with the aim of bringing you, our customers, new gemstone strands that you haven’t seen on screen before. 

Hong Kong was truly an amazing place to visit, the pace of life is very different to the UK everybody live in immense high-rise apartments and building work goes on constantly. Hong Kong is very much a 24-hour city, after dark the buildings come alive with colourful neon signs and decorations. You do get the sense of a real buzz through the streets. We had a good giggle at the hands free set up in a few of the taxi cabs there, it became a bit of a competition between us who could find the taxi with the most ingenious hands free system. I’m delighted to say I won with a count of eleven mobile phones with one tablet computer!

I don’t want to spoil any surprises but WOW! I can tell you then next few months are going to be particularly exciting, getting ready to tick some items off your wish lists!

Han x

Here at Jewellery Maker we run a whole host of exciting workshops aimed at giving you the very best basis in a wide range of jewellery making techniques. Run by our fabulous guest designers, who are specialists in their fields, the workshops are sure to inspire your creativity.

To book yourself on to one of our courses, or for further information, please phone our call centre on 0800 6444 655.

We look forward to seeing you!

September
Gem Art | Monday 10th September | Bee Morrison | £69.95
Intermediate Wirework | Tuesday 11th September | Laura Binding | £79.95
Silver Clay Rings | Wednesday 12th September | Natalia Coleman | £99.95
Design Master Class | Friday 14th September | Natalia Coleman | £110.00
Polymer Clay | Monday 17th September | Debbie Bulford | £64.95
Successful Sales with Retailers & Professionals | Tuesday 18th September | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Coloured Rocks Experience | Wed/Thurs 19th and 20th September | Scott/ Fee | £169.00
Copper Clay | Friday 21st September | Natalia Coleman | £71.95
Beading for Beginners | Tuesday 25th September | Cherry Green | £79.95
Men’s Jewellery | Wednesday 26th September | Tina Booth | £74.95
Successful Selling at Craft Fayres | Thursday 27th September | Angela Edwards | £110.00

October
Wirework for Beginners | Tuesday 2nd October | Louise Jakobsen | £69.95
Silver Clay Rings | Wednesday 3rd October | Natalia Coleman | £99.95
Design Master Class | Friday 5th October| Natalia Coleman | £110.00
Polymer Clay | Monday 8th October | Debbie Bulford | £64.95
How to Teach Jewellery Making | Tuesday 9th October | Natalia Coleman | £99.00
JM Business Academy | Wednesday 10th October | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Resin Workshop | Friday 12th October | Clare John | £99.95
Gem Art | Monday 15th October | Bee Morrison | £69.95
Successful Selling at Craft Fayres | Thursday 16th October | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Jewel Enamel | Wednesday 17th October | Liz Welch | £149.95
Successful Sales with Retailers & Professionals | Tuesday 18th October | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Silver Clay | Friday 19th October | Natalia Coleman | £99.00
Chain Maille | Saturday 20th October | Debbie Bulford | £74.95
Advanced Polymer Clay - Mokume Gama | Monday 22nd October | Debbie Bulford | £67.95
Beading for Beginners | Tuesday 23rd October | Cherry Green | £79.95
Coloured Rocks Experience | Wed/ Thurs 24th and 25th October | Scott/ Fee | £169.00
Intermediate Wirework | Saturday 27th October | Laura Binding | £79.95
Men’s Jewellery | Tuesday 30th October | Tina Booth | £74.95

November
Intermediate Wirework | Friday 2nd November | Laura Binding | £79.95
Polymer Clay | Monday 5th November| Debbie Bulford | £64.95
Wirework for Beginners | Tuesday 6th November | Louise Jakobsen | £69.95
Successful Selling at Craft Fayres | Wednesday 7th November | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Silver Clay Rings | Wednesday 14th November| Natalia Coleman | £99.95
Design Master Class | Friday 14th September | Natalia Coleman | £110.00
Gem Art | Monday 12th November| Bee Morrison | £69.95
Successful Sales with Retailers & Professionals | Friday 15th Novemeber | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Copper Clay | Friday 16th Novemeber | Natalia Coleman | £71.95
Advanced Polymer Clay - Mokume Gama | Monday 19th Novemeber | Debbie Bulford | £67.95
How to Teach Jewellery Making | Tuesday 20th Novemeber| Natalia Coleman | £99.00
Coloured Rocks Experience | Wed/ Thurs 21st and 22nd Novemeber | Scott/ Fee | £169.00
Chain Maille | Friday 23rd November | Debbie Bulford | £74.95
Beading for Beginners | Tuesday 27th Novemeber | Cherry Green | £79.95
Men’s Jewellery | Friday 30th November | Tina Booth | £74.95

December
Chain Maille | Saturday 1st December| Debbie Bulford | £74.95
Polymer Clay | Monday 3rd December | Debbie Bulford | £64.95
Wirework for Beginners | Tuesday 4th December | Louise Jakobsen | £69.95
Coloured Rocks Experience | Wed/ Thurs 5th and 6th December | Scott/ Fee | £169.00
Successful Selling at Craft Fayers | Friday 7th December | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Silver Clay Rings | Monday 10th December| Natalia Coleman | £99.95
Design Master Class | Tuesday 11th December | Natalia Coleman | £110.00
Successful Sales with Retailers & Professionals | Wednesday 12th December | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Resin Workshop | Thursday 13th December | Clare John | £99.95
Intermediate Wirework | Saturday 15th December | Laura Binding | £79.95
Silver Clay | Friday 14th December | Natalia Coleman | £99.00
JM Business Academy | Monday 17th December | Angela Edwards | £110.00
Beading for Beginners | Tuesday 18th December | Cherry Green | £79.95
Men’s Jewellery | Wednesday 19th December | Tina Booth | £74.95

It’s a typical British Summer; lots of rain! I hope you are all safe and well. Let’s have a go at some fresh and funky designs, if we can’t have the sunshine let’s cheer ourselves up with some summery jewellery!

Recently shown on the Retro Showcase here’s a step by step on how to create your own hand jewellery!

How To… Make Hand Jewellery

For this tutorial you will need:

• A length of gemstone chain, I have used pearl chain
• An open jump ring 7mm
• A reel of 0.6mm wire
• 15 x 6mm gemstones, I have used silver and white faceted shell pearl
• A length on silver coloured chain
• 11 x 15mm gemstones, I have used plain white shell pearl rounds.
• A length of elastic
• Clear nail varnish
• Remember you can use and gem combination you like you will just need to adjust the amounts
• Snips
• Round nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers

Firstly let’s start by looking at the design process; most hand jewellery features a ring, and central design and then a bracelet. It is nice to stick to a theme or colour scheme so for this tutorial I am going for pearls and silver.

I start by taking the length of gemstone chain; in this case I have used pearl on silver, and measured it around my finger before cutting it to a suitable length.

The take an open jump ring and thread both sides of the gemstone chain through before closing.

We now create the lengths of chain running from the finger back to the wrist. Using your snips cut several lengths of 0.6mm silver coloured copper wire each roughly 1.5” in length. It is more efficient to have every component part readied before you start assembling the design.

Take one length of wire, and 1cm from one end make a right angle over the top of your round nose pliers.

Using you round nose pliers create a loop in the wire. Remember to always create your loops at the same point on your round nose pliers as this gives a more professional finish to your design, you can even make the pliers to make it easier.

Thread on a gemstone of your choice, I have used a 6mm faceted white shell pearl round.

You now need to form a loop at the other end of the wire, do this by position your round nose pliers at the top of the gem and bending the wire away from you ensuring it is aligned with the lower loop.

As before create a loop, snipping down the wire as necessary. Keep all your off cuts as these can be used to form other links. This measurement creates two links from each wire.

Continue this process until you have five gems threaded on wire, the required amount will vary depending on gem size and hand size.

Now using your flat nose plier’s open the loops away from you like a door, slip on the next gemstone and you can begin to build the chain.

Repeat until you have three matching lengths of gemstone chain.

We are now ready to attach these lengths to the jump ring. Attach them by opening the loop on the gemstone chain with your flat nose plies.

At this point check the lengths against your hand.

Next snip down three lengths of silver coloured chain, two containing 5 links and one containing 9 links.

Attach the chain lengths to the gemstone chain, when attaching the central longer length attach it via the central link.

 Take a length of elastic, roughly 15” in length and begin threading on the gems that make up the bracelet part of your design. For this tutorial I have used 15mm plain white shell pearl rounds.

To make this design add four shell pearls then thread on the first section of chain. Numbers of gem will vary depending on design and size.

Continue the design by adding one shell pearl followed by the first chain length, another shell pearl, the second central chain, another shell pearl, the final chain length and the four other shell pearls.

Finally we knot the elastic in a double overhand knot, stretching the elastic tight as we go. Add a dab of clear nail varnish over the knot to keep it secure.

Once the nail varnish is dry, cut the excess elastic and there you have your finished hand jewellery.

Experiment with different colours and sizes of gems and chain to create different looks!

Happy making! Han x x x

Finally the warmer weather is here hinting that summer is just around the corner and we all know what this year’s key trend is when it comes to Summer 2012… FLORALS!

Over the next few posts I will be sharing with you some hints and “How To’s” when it comes to adding a floral edge to your jewellery making designs.

How To… Make a simple flower embellishment…

For this project you will need:

• 1 metre length of beading thread

• 5 x 8mm round gemstones of your choice

• 1 x 6mm round gemstone of your choice

• Flat nose pliers

Thread the five 8mm round gemstones on to the 1 metre length of beading thread. For the purpose of this tutorial I have used deep purple Chinese jade plain rounds.

Take one end of the beading thread and pass it back through the end gemstone in the opposite direction.

Pull both ends of the beading threads tight, you can use your flat nose pliers to allow extra grip.

On to one side of your beading thread, add the single 6mm round gemstone. Again I have used purple Chinese jade but you can use different colours to great effect.

Position your 6mm gemstone in the centre created by the 8mm gems.

Using the same side of beading thread that you threaded your 6mm gem on, pass it through an 8mm gem opposite to it.

Pull both ends of beading thread tight, shuffling your beads so they sit in a nice flower design.

From here you can thread the beading thread around the piece until it meets back at the top and continue to bead up the strand as you would normally to create a necklace or bracelet.

Or you could tie the two strands off, add a drop of clear nail varnish to secure and use your stand-alone flower in a variety of way to add to your designs.

Jewellery Maker Tip:

• Why not try this technique with a range of different gemstone cuts and shapes for different effects.

• Research colours of flowers and try emulating the colour combinations with gemstones to create a more natural look.

• Add in some green 0.4mm wire (Jewellery Making Wire RUJM72) to give the appearance of leaves.

I first demonstrated this technique on JewelleryMaker and thought I would share the instructions with you all so you all can enjoy creating some amazing summery jewellery.

How To… Make a beaded five petal flower.

For this project you will need:

• 3 metre length of beading thread cord
• 85 x gemstone rondelles of your choice
• 1 x gemstone of your choice
• Flat nose pliers
• Crimp bead

Thread one gemstone rondelle 1/3 of the way down the length of beading thread. For this purpose of this tutorial I am using 6x3mm faceted amethyst rondelles.

Take another rondelle and thread both sides of the beading thread through, move the rondelle down so it meets the first gem.

Now on the shorter thread (I am keeping the shorter thread to the left for ease of identification) add seven rondelles.

On to the right hand thread add seven rondelles, you will start to see the formation of the petal now.

Next we add one rondelle on to both strands and pull both sides of the beading thread tight, using your flat nose pliers for extra pull. Due to the shape of the rondelless and the manner in which we have added them the sides of the petal will automatically curve to create a classic petal shape.

To continue one to the next petal add ten rondelles on to the right hand beading thread, run down so that they meet with the last petal formed.

Take the end of the right hand beading thread and pass it back through the second rondelle. The end rondelle will form the point of your second petal.

Add seven rondelles to the right hand beading thread.

To finish the second petal pass the end of the beading thread through the first rondelle next to your first petal, pull the beading thread tight and shuffle the gems to position.

Continue these steps, adding ten rondelles, passing the thread back through the second rondelle, add seven rondelles, passing the thread back through the first rondelle next to the previous petal, until you have five petals formed.

To finish the petals take the left hand beading thread through the rondelle forming the base of the last petal. Pull both threads tight and shuffle the gems until you have the petals sitting how you wish.

On to the right hand thread add the single gemstone and position it in the centre of the petals. For the purpose of this tutorial I have uses a 8mm faceted round mystic quartz.

Take the beading thread and pass it through a rondelle forming the base of a petal on the opposite side, pull the threads tight and make sure you are happy with how the centre of your flower is sitting.

Now both of the beading threads are to the reverse of the flower. Take a crimp bead and pass both threads through it, run the crimp bead down to the centre of the piece. Form a loop in the beading thread by passing both strands back through the crimp bead and using your flat nose pliers, squish the crimp bead securely.

The flower is now complete, you can add it to a necklace like you would with any embellishment or add a bolt ring clasp to the loop formed and you can attach it to your piece by including a jump ring in the design.

Jewellery Maker Tip:

• Why not add a pin fitting to make a spectacular brooch.
• Incorporate the flower in to a tiara design for a very pretty headband, perfect for proms.
• Experiment with different sizes and colours of gemstones and numbers of petals to create your own versions of this effective technique.

This versatile weave technique makes big statement necklaces with that all important WOW factor.

For this project you will need:

• Beading thread
• 2 x crimp beads
• Flat nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Jewellery Maker Snips
• Bead reamer
• Kit TBGP71, or component parts of a similar nature
• Black ribbon

Take three one metre lengths of beading thread, secure a crimp bead to one end making a loop in the threads.

Thread on to all three strands one white faceted shell pearl, it may need to have the hole slightly widened. To do this grasp the shell pearl securely between your index finger and thumb and gentle twist the bead reamer in the hole.

Next thread a large shell pearl on to the central beading thread.

Thread six black agate faceted rondelles on the left hand thread.

Add five faceted shell pearls on to the right hand thread, following the pattern silver, black, white, silver, black.

On to all three strands add one white faceted shell pearl.

To make sure all the parts of the necklace are sitting neatly pull all three thread tight and shuffle the gemstones into place. The large white shell pearl should sit in the centre, framed by the faceted shell pearls and the black agate faceted rondelles.

Next, as before, thread a large shell pearl on to the central beading thread.

This time, add five faceted shell pearls on to the left hand thread, following the pattern silver, black, white, silver, black.

Now thread six black agate faceted rondelles on the right hand thread.

Again thread one white faceted shell pearl on to all three treads and shuffle the gemstones in to place pulling the beading threads tight. Repeat this process, swapping the sides of faceted shell pearl and the black agate rondelles each time.  To make the necklace I used 7 of the large shell pearls in total.

Thread a crimp bead on to all three beading threads and keeping the tension tight make a loop and crimp the beading threads in place. I like to use my round nose pliers to keep the tension tight while I am passing the beading threads back through the crimp to make the loop.

Trim off the excess beading threads neatly by bending them back against your secured crimp bead, take the flat side of your Jewellery Maker snips and cut the threads at the bend.

Tie you ribbon bows on the each loop either and of you necklace and tie a length of ribbon each side to form your necklace. You can add a clasp if you wish. Remember to use a dab of nail varnish on the ribbon ends to keep them from fraying and also on the knots to keep them secure.

Why not experiment with difference colours, shapes and sizes of gemstones ? For this example I have used purple shell pearls framed by plain pyrite rounds and plain pyrite wheels tied with purple organza ribbon.

The combinations are endless so give it a go! 

As always I look forward to seeing your makes.

Han x x x

Keeping with the polymer clay theme I thought I would bring you a basic “how to” to introduce you to polymer clay.

For this project you will need:

• A cermatic tile (optional)
• A pack of polymer clay in a colour of your choice.
• Cutting blade.
• Clay rolling machine (optional).
• Lisa Pavelka crafting foils (optional).
• A Lisa Pavelka textured stamp (optional).
• Sticky tape.
• Heart cutter.
• Cling film.
• Small circular cutter.
• Polymer clay baking tray (optional).
• Wet and dry sanding pads.
• A soft paint brush.
• Gloss sculpey clay glaze.

First off prepare your work area, have everything out ready to work with. I find it is much easier to work with the clay on a tile as it provides a flat surface that the clay doesn’t stick too. A lot of DIY shops stock single tiles, some even offer free samples!

Using the stiff cutting blade cut a piece of clay in your chosen colour, roughly one eight of a block. You will see the blocks of clay have lines to indicate the quarters so you need half of one quarter.

Pick the clay up and begin condition it  by rubbing it between your hands, this warms the clay and makes it easier to work with.

Once you have a sausage of clay that doesn’t spilt when bent you can roll the clay flat.

A roller is provided in the starter kit but it is far easier to use the clay rolling machine. This produces an even finish. Set the width of the rollers to 1 by pulling out and adjusting the dial.

Roll the clay through a couple of times, folding the clay in half and always putting the folded edge in to the rollers. For the purpose of this tutorial I am keeping the clay to a thickness of one as this is a nice width for pendants, you can adjust the thickness of the clay by adjusting the dial on the roller.

Lay the clay out flat on the tile, from this step you can just use your heart cutter and you will have a plain heart pendant, but we are now going to add some embellishment to the clay.

Take a sheet of Lisa Pavelka foil and place it over the clay colour side up, smooth the foil into place.

To adhere the foil to the clay, take a strip of tissue paper and gently rub the surface of the foil. It is the heat generated by this action that sticks the foil not how hard you rub; you don’t want to distort your clay!

After about 2mins the foil should have stuck, take an edge of the foil and remove it in one swift motion. There may be patches where the foil hasn’t taken, if this is the case lay the foil back down and concentrate on rubbing those areas. It doesn’t matter if the foil doesn’t cover the entire piece of clay this will add to the effect.

Once you are happy with the coverage of foil take your chosen Lisa Pavelka rubber textured stamp and lay the stamp over the clay. Some of the stamps have different areas of patterning so align your chosen area with the clay also.

Press the stamp into the clay using the tips of your fingers, the rubber stamps are great because you can feel the clay underneath, the trick here is to be firm but not over the top. Don’t use a roller as this can distort the image.

Slowly remove the stamp and you will find the patterned areas which have been pressed into the clay will have retained their foil coating. (I have just turned the clay I am working on around to make sure the pattern of the writing is the correct way up.)

To create a contrast we can now remove the foil from the raised areas of clay. Take a strip of sticky tape and gently lay it on to the surface of the clay and very very gently smooth it over the raised areas of clay. When you remove the sticky tape it will take with it the foil coating. Repeat this over the whole of the clay.

Now take a piece of cling film big enough to cover the clay and stretch it tightly over the clay. Gently rub the surface of the clay through the cling film as this reduces the appearance of marks and finger prints.

Once you are happy with how the clay looks select an area of interest and place your heart cutter over this area. Using the palm of your hand; push down firmly on the cutter. Try not to wiggle the cutter as this can distort the outline.

Gently lift off the cutter and remove the excess clay, put this to one side. If the cling film doesn’t come away easily; try using a pin to lift the edge. You will see that by using the cling film you create a nice curved edge to the pendant.

The clay may be stuck to the tile, if this is the case take your bendy blade and slip it under the clay, keeping it flush to the tile.

We now need to make a hole. Take the smallest circular cutting from the starter kit and position it where you would like the hole to be, I like to make my hearts so that they hang from one side. Press down firmly on the cutter and like before, try not to wiggle it.

You are now ready to bake! Place the pendant on the baking tray and cover the tray in foil, this just prevents the piece from accidently burning and reduces the smell. If you don’t have the baking tray you can place the pendant on foil but, like with the clay roller, the baking tray is much easier to use especially when it comes to beads etc. Remember the polymer clay isn’t toxic but it will produce and odour when cooking. Bake on 130˚C for 30mins. Oven temperatures do vary so I always like to check my clay after 15mins.

Once the time is up remove the tray from the oven and leave the items to cool down.

Once cooled it is time to sand! The sanding pads that come with the starter pack are wet and dry pads, meaning you need to submerge to polymer clay and the pads in water, bring them out to sand and repeat this process. The wet and dry reduces the scratches to the surface of the clay. I am using very fine wet and dry sanding paper in this tutorial as I have used the pads to within an inch of their lives!

Once your pendant is dry you can take a soft paint brush and a pot of either satin of gloss sculpey clay glaze. For this example I have used gloss. Before opening the pot tip it from side to side to mix it, never shake it. Lightly paint the surface of the pendant. Don’t worry if a few air bubbles appear, these will disperse when dried. Leave the pendant to dry this usually is pretty quick, test by lightly touching the surface, if it is no longer tacky it is ready to use.

Once the piece is dry add a jump ring or knot a piece of cord and there you have it, your polymer clay heart!

Jewellery Maker Tips;

• Keep all of your scrap clay, this can be used as the inners of beads or bangles. Nothing goes to waste!
• Experiment with different textures and finishes, why not use a sheet of 60grit sand paper to give a really unusual finish.
• Don’t be afraid to mix clay colours. Like with pain polymer clay can be mixed together to create a wide range of colours.
• Don’t just limit yourself to jewellery, polymer clay can be used to creat all manner of exciting projects!
• To produce really small holes in pendants use a crimp bead in the same way you would use your small circular cutter.

As always I look forward to seeing your makes.

Han x x x

MEQZ98 and LEZJ66 The Jewellery Maker Polymer Clay Starter Kit and the new ‘Mosaic’ Polymer Clay Bundle Pack.

As some of you may know when it comes to jewellery designs I don’t do dainty! So to expand my skill base and as a mini personal challenge I jumped at the chance to attend Debbie Bulford’s millefiori polymer clay course held at Jewellery Maker towers over the bank holiday weekend.

Millefiori means “millions of flowers” and as the name suggests it is the technique used to create all manner of gorgeous polymer clay flowers, although the term does apply to any cane that has a pattern running from one end to the other.

I arrived at the studios bright and early eager to start but also a little nervous! Any nerves soon disappeared when Debbie produced a tin of biccies and pointed me in the direction of coffee! I knew straight away this was going to be an informal and fun course. Once all the other ladies arrived, about 15 of us in total, the course began. It’s great that the courses are restricted to smaller numbers as you are able to see and hear everything much easier and also you do get a lot of one to one time with Debbie.

A few of the ladies hadn’t worked with polymer before and some had only been making jewellery for 2 months so rest assured these courses are tailored to suit all skill levels. I have watched all the DVDs and have worked in polymer clay a lot but it isn’t until you are sitting in a class being shown first hand with, more importantly, the opportunity to ask questions, that a lot of things click and fall into place. Everything you will need for the day is provided from clay including your own choice of colours to tools. Debbie also brought along a huge host of example canes to show us the sorts of patterns the techniques that we were learning could be applied to. For me personally I find this very helpful, I like to be able to see an end result, it makes it easier for me to work out my designs knowing the direction in which I am heading. We started out with an introductory daisy cane to ease us in to the day. It is from this basic cane the other more involved canes stem from with the introduction of different elements all beautifully and very clearly demonstrated by Debbie. The level of excitement at cutting into a cane and finding it has worked as you wanted it to is brilliant! I spent a good amount of the day say “ooooh” and “ahhhh”!

Mid-morning we had a break to tour the studios of Gems TV and Jewellery Maker with our very own, and very cheeky, tour guide Ed! It is always fascinating to get a glimpse behind the scenes and the tour is always great fun!

FQPK74 A sterling silver round collet ring, 26mm collet diameter, with millefiori technique polymer clay inlay.

Back in the classroom we carried on with our work, learning more complicated floral canes and leaves before moving on to stand alone flowers. Debbie talked us through mixing and blending colours to achieve the look of flowers, she also demonstrated how to apply different textures to petals to give the flowers a more natural feel.

Lunch arrived at 1pm and all dietary requirements were catered for including wheat free and vegetarian. I know presenter Lucy is always saying how good the lunches on the workshops are, and believe me they are very yummy!

After lunch we began using our canes and turning them in to pieces of jewellery, it was fantastic seeing our designs come to life. Another thing that is really enjoyable about the course is that everyone shares their makes, because everyone has chosen a few different colours you get a good variation of designs and ideas to go home and try. Everyone in the building is so friendly and a lot of the crew like to pop in to have a look at what we have been making. We even had a visit from Steve himself, and yes I don’t mind admitting I was a little star struck!

Polymer clay is a great medium to work in as it’s very forgiving and nothing goes to waste. Debbie showed us how to turn our scrap clay in to the centres of beads, pendants and even bangles. Speaking to a few of the other ladies on the course it was clear polymer clay is a highly addictive jewellery craft because you gain practically instant results and for someone as impatient as me this is a very appealing factor.

Selection of jewellery made during the millefiori workshop including a bangle, pendants and a few stand-alone flowers.

I don’t want to give too much away about the day because I would love for you to experience it for yourselves. I can pretty much guarantee, however, you will be totally addicted! I am currently scanning the internet for pictures of flowers and breaking the images down into component parts thinking “how could I make this in clay!”. The millefiori course has given me the confidence in making pretty and feminine designs using flowers, something I never thought I would be able to grasp!

If polymer clay is something you have been thinking about trying I have just one thing to say to you; GO FOR IT! Watch back todays polymer clay show (08.05.2012) with Debbie who gives some really great hints and tips alongside he demos and treat yourself to the polymer clay starter pack from Jewellery Maker.

For more information on course dates and availability please contact the call centre on 0800 6444 655.

As always I look forward to seeing your makes.

Han x x x

Here at JewelleryMaker we have several lovely and very talented guest designers who demonstrate jewellery making techniques and share their knowledge with us every day.

I will be posting links to their websites and Facebook pages over the coming days, below are a few links to get us started…

Sara Elvin has been with Jewellery Maker since day one and uses Facebook to post examples of her beautiful work. On Sara Elley’s Facebook Page you can also find a great amount of easy to follow step by step instructions for jewellery making and  techniques.

Our silver clay expert and all round lovely lady Natalia Coleman runs her website Silver Clay Creations where you will be able to find a whole host of inspiring ideas and she also writes her own personal blog which can found via this link - Silver Clay Creations Blog. Natalia runs silver clay workshops in-house at Jewellery Maker towers, so if you are interested in learning a new and fascinating skill to boost your jewellery making potential phone the call centre on 0800 644 655 for course dates and availability.

The gorgeous Essex girl Tina Middleton Booth uses her Facebook Page - Evabelle Gems to post examples of her work and has just joined forces with fellow jeweller Christine Harvey to create The Elephant and Dragonfly Studio.  Tina, like our other guest designers, is always happy to help with your jewellery making queries. Tina also hosts the Essex Jewellery Makers Network on Facebook, where jewellery makers from Essex and the surrounding areas arrange meet ups and swap jewellery making ideas.

Our wire work expert Louise Jakobsen posts her stunning makes via her Facebook page Capricorn Creations and has very kindly shared her “How To…” album with us that is brimming with a whole host of step by step jewellery making tutorials. Louise also runs our in-house wire work courses, that has proved to be a great way of learning a variety of techniques. Phone the call centre today on 0800 644 655 for more information, course dates and availability.

And me! My website is Anya Designs and you can find me on almost all social networking platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  and Tumblr and I host the sister group to Tina’s; the Norfolk Jewellery Makers Network like Tina’s group we arrange get togethers, swap ideas, encourage each other and hold mini competitions! I am always really happy to hear from you and keep your suggestions for future Jewellery Maker blog posts coming.

Han x x x

I have had a few requests for a “How To” guide for making beady beads. So here it goes!

Beady beads use a weave technique called the quadrant weave, once mastered you’ll find this a really handy and versatile technique.

For this project you will need;

•             Flat nose pliers

•             Jewellery Making Snips

•             A 1 metre length of beading thread

•             12 Round gemstone beads of your choice

This is my first tutorial so bear with me and try not to giggle too much at my attempts at Photoshop! (Other photo adjustment programs are available).

Step 1:

Take four of your chosen beads and thread them to the centre of your 1m length of beading thread. For the purpose of this example I have used 6mm funky pink Chinese jade plain rounds and 0.38mm beading thread.

Step 2:

Take one end of the beading thread and thread it back through the opposite gemstone.

Step 3:

Pull both ends of the beading thread tight, making sure to keep the gems to the centre of the beading thread.

Step 4:

Add two gems to one side of the beading thread and a single gem to the opposite side.

Step 5:

Pass the beading thread with the single gemstone through the second gemstone on the other thread in the opposite direction.

Step 6

Pull both ends of the beading thread tight.

Step 7:

As before add two gems to one side of the beading thread and a single gem to the opposite side.

Step 8:

Again, as before pass the beading thread with the single gemstone though the second gemstone on the other thread in the opposite direction.

Step 9:

Pull both ends of the beading thread tight, shuffling the gemstones in to alignment.

Step 10:

This time add one gem to each side of the beading thread.

Step 11:

Take one side of the beading thread and pass it through the starting gemstone.

Step 12:

Take the other beading thread and pass that through the starting gemstone so both threads are crossing over inside the gem.

Step 13:

Pull both ends of the beading thread tight to form the beady bead. Sometimes it is difficult to get a good hold on the beading thread, if this is the case use your flat nose pliers to pull the beading thread tight.

Step 14:

From here you can either start stranding up both sides of the beading thread as you would normally to create a necklace with the beady bead being the central feature or you can wrap the beading thread in and out of the gems to secure it then snip the wire down.

Jewellery Making Tips:

•             Why not use different cuts of gemstones to create different looks, in the finial photo I have used 6mm amethyst bicones to make a beady bead and a version using 8mm crackled quartz bicones with 3mm faceted pyrite rounds as accents.

•             Create a statement necklace by making lots of beady beads and standing them together.

•             Use coloured beading thread for a different look.

•             Play around with different shapes, textures and colours to make your own versions of beady beads.

Enjoy making your beady beads, I hope to see some on this week’s Wall Of Fame!

Han x x x

IKDW49 A really pretty 1.60ct Zambian Emerald Ring, from GemsTV.com

Although the weather would have us think differently it is now in fact May, and with a new month comes a new birthstone; emerald.

Emerald is a member of the beryl family of gemstones that include aquamarine, morganite and heliodor. It’s chemical composition like the other beryl minerals is Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆ and owes its famous green hues to trace amounts of chromium in its chemical structure. Emerald is a highly prized gemstone and is considered among the top four gems alongside diamond, sapphire and ruby.

There are several varying sources that give accounts of the likely origin to the name “Emerald”, the favoured origin states that emerald is derived from the Greek word smaragdos, which evolved from the Old French word esmeralde, meaning green gemstone.

A sterling silver jewellery making kit, including ruby, emerald and pearl, from Jewellerymaker.com

Emeralds have been mined and coveted since ancient times and often appear in many cultures myths and legends. The most famous ancient mines were located near Egypt’s Red Sea and were named after the queen who adored them; Cleopatra. Evidence suggests that the gemstone was mined here between 3000 and 1500 BC. Emeralds were Cleopatra’s favourite stone and her vast jewellery collection contained many stunning examples. The ancient Egyptians believed that emeralds were a gift from the god Thoth, symbolising renewing spring and eternal youth.

Romans considered emerald to be the gemstone of the goddess Vensus, the Turkish sultans adorned their ceremonial daggers with emerald and they were also favoured by the Indian maharaja who’s holy scriptures, the Vedas, refer to the healing properties of the stone.

It is even said that upon being cast out of heaven, the stone that fell from Lucifer’s brow, an emerald, was transformed in to the Holy Grail.

The “Gachala Emerald”. One of the largest rough emeralds ever to be found weighing 858 carats it was found in the Vega de San Juan mine in Gachalá in 1967. It is currently house in the natural history gallery in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC after it was donated to the museum by Harry Winston.

The beautiful greens of emeralds have long been associated with that of constancy and love and besides being the birthstone of May, emeralds are also the stone of choice for the 20^th and 35^th wedding anniversaries.

Emeralds are mined in several localities and often display different characteristic depending on where they are mined. The most commercial mines are those in Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Emeralds from Colombia are considered highly desirable for their tone of colour and their clarity. The very rare trapiche emerald is occasionally found in the Colombia region, these particular emeralds display a black 6-rayed star effect.

Emeralds in general often play host to a rich variety of inclusions which is why their internal properties after fondly called “a natural jungle”. Although being a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, emeralds can be brittle stones due to their inclusions. When wearing or working with emeralds it is very important not to subject them to sudden temperature change and do not expose them to water or harsh chemicals.

A three phase inclusion as seen in emerald.

As discussed in previous posts, there are characteristics that we gemmologists look for to determine a stones identity. Emerald has a refractive index (RI) in the range of 1.57 to 1.58 with a birefringence (BR) of 0.006 and is uniaxial negative (-ve). Emeralds from particular localities can also display distinct inclusions. Emeralds from Colombia, for example, can contain jagged three-phase, two-phase and other fluid inclusions that often have a loose crystal and gas bubble within the fluid filed cavity.

Jewellery Making Tips:

·         As already stated, to keep your emeralds looking their best do not expose them to harsh chemicals, water or sudden changes in temperature.

·         To create a really sumptuous piece of jewellery combine emeralds with gold plated findings, the yellow colour brings out the best of an emeralds tones.

·         Emeralds really are a standalone gemstone, don’t detract from their beauty by stranding them alongside brightly coloured gems, instead highlight them against a backdrop of clear quartz for added sparkle.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read, I hope you have enjoyed this post. If there is a gemstone or jewellery subject you would love to learn more about, please do get in contact either via this post or find me on Facebook, search Hannah Oxberry.

I look forward to seeing your makes, as always,

Hannah x x x

Gorgeous amethyst faceted rice beads QVVI07.

Amethyst is one of the UKs most loved gemstones. It is a crystalline member of the quartz family, owing it’s famous purple hues to the presence of iron in it’s chemical composition.

The name amethyst derives from the Greek “a methustos” meaning not intoxicated. Mythology tells a story of the god of wine and the grape harvest Dionysus pursuing the young maiden Amethystos, in response to his unwanted advances Amethytos prayed to the goddess Artemis to help her remain chaste. Artemis answered her prayers by turning her in to a beautiful clear gemstone. Humbled by Amethytos purity Dionysus poured wine over the stone as an offering, the wine transformed the clear stone into one that was deep purple.

The Greeks believe by association that amethyst would cure drunkenness, often they would place an piece of amethyst in their wine stores. Throughout the middle ages Amethysts were carved with intaglio engravings and highly prized for their colour, purple being a colour only affordable by aristocracy and royalty. During this era amethyst was ranked amongst the cardinal gems alongside the likes of sapphire, ruby, emerald and diamonds due to its rarity. Soldiers also liked to carry a piece of amethyst as an amulet as it was believed amethyst promoted healing and afforded the wearer a sense of calm and clarity.

Tiger stripe inclusion in amethyst.

Like with other members of the quartz family,  amethyst has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, meaning it is durable enough to be used in jewellery. Amethyst is currently mined in a few localities around the globe including Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Zambia and South Africa. From a gemmological point of view amethyst has a few key points we look for to distinguish it from other gems. Amethyst has a refractive index (RI) between 1.552 and 1.554 with a birefringence (BR) of +0.009 meaning it is uniaxial positive  (+ve) these figures show us the angles at which light is reflected from the surface of the stone, like a human finger print each gemstone has its own unique figures helping us to identify them. Amethyst often displays a inclusion we call ”tiger stripe” as that’s what is likened to, zoning of colour is also another typical feature of amethyst caused by the way the amethyst crystals grow.

Double drilled faceted amethyst squares with faceted pyrite.

JM hints:

• Why to team amethyst with pyrite, the regal colours of amethyst are highlighted brilliantly by the golden metallic tones of pyrite, creating a truly elegant piece of jewellery.

• Purple is a popular choice for bridesmaid dresses and wedding themes, make beautiful wedding accessories by stranding faceted amethysts alongside white crackled quartz.

• Try something a bit different by using the bold purple colours of amethyst against opposing colours such as orange calcite or green aventurine to create a statement piece of colour blocking jewellery that is so on trend right now!

Looking forward to seeing what you make using this simply wonderful gemstone.

Hannah x x x

Bespoke bridal jewellery, gemstone jewellery, handmade jewellery

Over the coming weeks I will be sharing with you a whole host of hints and tips to aid you in your jewellery making hobby. Whether you are just starting out or have been a jewellery maker for a while, I hope to cover a range of topics that appeal to all.

A little bit about me…

My name is Hannah Oxberry and I joined the JM team as a guest designer in March 2012. I have been involved with the jewellery trade for 10 years now, beginning my career as a Saturday girl in a local high street jewellers before working my way up to one of the most prestigious independent jewellers in East Anglia.

At the age of 21 I decided I wanted to gain a better understanding of the gemstones I was involved with and so moved across the country to study gemmology full time at the School of Jewellery in the heart of Birmingham’s’ Jewellery Quarter. I have always loved science and the natural world and so spending 8 hours a day in a lab studying the gorgeous internal properties of gems and what makes them unique was a dream come true.

School of Jewellery

Alongside gemmology we also studied silversmithing and my love of jewellery making and design grew.

I completed my university course and was award a Btec HND in Gemmology and gained my FGA from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain in the same year. Following university I was awarded fellowship status with the Nation Association of Goldsmiths after achieving distinctions in my examinations .

Crackled quartz and multi coloured sapphire bracelet, part of the Anya Designs bridal range, using gemstones from Jewellery Maker and Gems TV.

Currently I run my own jewellery making business; Anya Designs and work in a wide range of mediums including silver, metal clays, polymer clay and resin. I specialise in sentimental jewellery and bespoke bridal pieces. My passion for gemstones is clearly evident in every aspect of my work and being able to tell my customers about the gems I use is something I value greatly.

I am really keen to share my gemstone knowledge with you all so please feel free to message me through this blog or via Facebook if there is anything gem or jewellery related you would like to know.

Hannah x x x