Tutorial: Rock crystal set - beginner level

Text and photos: Sandra Kemppainen

Tools needed:

- wire cutters

- flat nose pliers 

- round nose pliers

Materials:

- about 14-15” of 22 gauge soft wire (I used sterling silver wire)

- three round rock crystal high quality beads

- three small Swarovski crystals

- sterling silver ear wires, small pins and one pendant bail.

1. Using your round nosed pliers make a wrapped loop at one end of your sterling silver wire. Wrap the wire 2 times around the neck of the loop. Snip off the end and tuck it in to create a smooth finished wrap.

Here I attached the sterling silver bail before closing the loop, to create the pendant. For the earrings you do not need to attach anything.

2. Thread the rock crystal bead (I attached the larger bead) onto the wire so that it rests against the wrap of the loop you have just made.

3. Holding the end of the wire as close to the bead as you can, bend the wire to 90degrees. Then hold the wire with the round nose pliers as shown below to create a perfect round loop.

4. Close the loop and wrap in a spiral shape, while holding the round loop with your pliers.

5. Do the same for all three rock crystal beads (or whatever beads you are using).

6. Next attach the three small crystals to the pins and put them on the bottom of your beads.

7.  You are almost done! Attach the two earring beads to the earring wires. 

And now you are done! Just hand the pendant on a delicate sterling silver necklace and you have a beautiful little gift for a good friend or a non-expensive new product for your online shop! 

You can use almost any combinations of beads you wish. These decorative spirals look best on round beads.

If you would like to learn a very easy way to taking good product photos, please refer to DJAM Issue 2/2013, where we have presented a beginner level product photography tutorial!