Pearl Twirl :-

PEARL TWIRL

White lace and -pearls needn't reflect your granny's Sunday suit.  Personalize your own look with classic heirlooms.



Pearl- and Turquoise Ring



Pearl Brooch

"The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens."

- Anon -



Materials for Pearl- and Turquoise Ring :-

6 x 5mm white potato pearls

6 x 4mm faceted bronze crystals

6 x 4mm bicone jet crystals

12 x turquoise gem chips

12 x Russian amazonite gem chips

Size 11 seed beads in metallic sea green and bronze

Approx. 180cm of nylon thread

Step-by-step :-

1.  Thread a potato pearl, a green seed bead, a potato pearl, a green seed bead, a bronze bead and a green seed bead on to the center of approx. 180cm of nylon thread.  Cross the two ends of the thread in the first potato pearl.

2.  Add a green seed bead, a bronze bead, a green seed bead and a potato pearl on to the left (outer) thread.  Add a green seed bead on the right (inner) thread and cross in the potato pearl.

3.  Continue by making three more loops with this sequence.  Finish the final (sixth) loop by adding a green seed bead on the inner thread and feeding through the original potato pearl of the first loop.  Add a green seed bead on to both ends and cross in the final bronze bead.

4.  Now switch to bronze seed beads instead of green.  Thus on the outer end, thread a bronze seed bead, a russian amazonite chip (“r.a. chip”), seed bead and turquoise chip (“t. chip”).  Seed bead on inner end and cross in t. chip.  Next, add seed bead, r.a. chip, seed bead and jet crystal on outer thread.  Seed bead on inner thread and cross in jet crystal.  Then seed bead, t. chip, seed bead and r.a. chip on outer thread.  Seed bead inner thread and cross in r.a. chip.  Add seed bead on inner thread and feed through adjacent bronze bead.  Add seed bead on both ends and cross in t. chip.

5.  Continue with this sequence five more times, but finish the final loop by adding seed bead to inner thread and feeding through the original r.a. chip of the first loop.  Add seed bead on both ends and cross in t. chip.

6.  To close the motif up into a dome, start by threading nine (bronze) seed beads on the left thread end.  Feed the right end thread through the last four of those nine beads and feed the other thread through the adjacent r.a. chip.  Next, thread five seed beads on outer thread and feed other thread through last four of that five.  Now feed other end through adjacent t. chip.  Simply continue with this sequence by adding five seed beads at a time, but feeding through only the last four as well as feeding through relevant t.- and r.a. gem chips.  You will note that the dome will gradually close up as you go along.

7.  After finishing the final loop, start the ring base ladder by adding two seed beads on to each strand and crossing through three (total seven).  After ensuring that the ring base (including domed ring top) fit the size of your finger, cross in the opposite seed bead in the ring top.  Thread the ends back through the seed beads along the sides of the ring base, adding a seed bead between each gap.  Feed the ends through some beads in the ring top and finish with a decent knot before cutting of.

___________________________

Materials for Pearl Brooch :-

43 x 5mm potato pearls

Size 11 seed beads in silver

silver brooch dome and prong fit brooch back

silver bead cap

approx. 120cm of nylon thread

Step-by-step :-

1.  This brooch is made exactly like the ring above, except that the entire motif are replaced by potato pearls with silver seed beads in between.  Simply follow steps 1 to 5 of the “Pearl- and Turquoise Ring”, using only 42 potato pearls and of course the silver seed beads.

2.  After crossing in the final potato pearl, add a seed bead on to each thread and start sowing the twelve pearls on the outside border of the motif through the holes on the edge of the brooch dome.  Also add a seed bead before- and after feeding through each pearl.

3.  After sowing the entire border on to the brooch dome, feed the ends through the center of the motif from behind the dome.  Add the bead cap and a potato pearl and feed back through the bead cap towards the back of the dome.  Finish with a decent knot and fit the prongs of the brooch back securely onto the brooch dome.