By Alison Jayne Layton

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Scottish Highlands necklace and earrings

Memories of home inspire a wired crystal and pearl necklace

Although I’ve been designing jewelry for many years, I’m still inspired by the shorelines and heather-covered mountains of my beloved Scotland. I started this piece with a color arrangement in mind, building a visual texture and form through the opaque and translucent finishes of the crystals ‘sewn’ together with fine-gauge wire.

Necklace 18 in. (46 cm)

60–68 6 mm bicone crystals, color A
16–18 6 mm bicone crystals, color B
15–17 6 mm round pearls
12 1⁄2–14 1⁄2 ft. (3.8–4.4 m) 26-gauge wire
1 1⁄2-in. (3.8 cm) decorative head pin
14–16 4mm soldered jump rings
2 4mm jump rings
lobster claw clasp
2 in. (5 cm) chain for extender
2 pairs of chainnose and/or bentnose pliers
roundnose pliers
diagonal wire cutters

Earrings

8 6mm bicone crystals, color A
2 6mm bicone crystals, color B
2 6mm round pearls
20 in. (51 cm) 26-gauge wire
5 in. (13 cm) chain, 4mm links
4 4mm jump rings
pair of earring wires
chainnose and roundnose pliers
diagonal wire cutters

Supplies available from That Bead Lady, thatbeadlady.com. Check your local bead store for supplies.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

To make a beaded component: Cut a 10-in. (25 cm) piece of wire. String a color A bicone crystal, a pearl, and a color A bicone. Center the beads on the wire.

Step 2

Loosely string each end of the wire in opposite directions through the bicones. With two pairs of chainnose and/or bentnose pliers, pull gently on each wire end to snug the beads together, nesting the bicones above the pearl to form a triangle.

Step 3

On one wire end, string a color A, a color B, and an A. String the other end of the wire through the three beads in the opposite direction. With two pairs of pliers, pull gently on each wire end to snug the beads together.

Step 4

On each wire end, make the first half of a small wrapped loop. Make 15 beaded components.

Step 5

On one end of a beaded component, string a soldered jump ring. Complete the wraps.

Step 6

Attach the loop of a second component to the jump ring, making sure the components face the same direction. Complete the wraps, leaving the other loop unwrapped.

Step 7

Use soldered jump rings to attach the remaining beaded components as in steps 5 and 6. On the last component, complete the wraps on the end loop without attaching a jump ring.

Step 8

Open a 4 mm jump ring. Attach the loop of the last beaded component and a lobster claw clasp. Close the jump ring.

Step 9

On the other end, complete the wraps. Repeat step 8, substituting a 2-in. (5 cm) piece of chain for the clasp. On a head pin, string a B and make the first half of a wrapped loop. Attach the end link and complete the wraps.

Earrings

Step 1

For each earring: Make a beaded component as in necklace steps 1 to 4. Complete the wraps on each end.

Cut a 2-in. (5 cm) piece of chain with an odd number of links. Open a jump ring and attach a loop of a beaded component and an end link of chain. Close the jump ring. Repeat on the other loop.

Step 3

Open the loop of an earring wire and attach the center link of chain. Close the loop.

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Scottish Highlands necklace and earrings

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