"Desert Garden" Knotted Tourmaline Choker Necklace

"Desert Garden" Knotted Tourmaline Choker Necklace

Not your colors but like this style? Have a look at our other nugget gemstones to create your perfect necklace!

Materials Needed:

• Tourmaline Multi Color 7-10mm Nugget Wheel (1 strand)
• Amoracast – Arizona Vermeille (1)
• Griffin Silk #8 Olive (1)
• 14K Gold Filled Clamshells with 2 Rings (2)
• Gold Filled 4x10mm Lobster Clasp
• 14K Gold Filled 4mm Round 22 Gauge CLOSED Jump Rings (1)
• Gold Filled 3mm Round 22 Gauge OPEN Jump Rings (3)
• GS Hypo Cement (Red Tube)

Finished Length 15”

Tools Required

Needle Nose Pliers

Cord Knotting Tweezers or Awl

Thread Zapper or Scissors

Flat Nose Pliers

Instructions on Construction:

1. The first thing you will do is stretch the kinks out of the silk cord, then you will attach the cord through the clamshell so that you have a means of attaching the finished, knotted gemstone, chain to the clasp. Tie an overhand knot at the end of your silk cord (the opposite end to where the needle attaches) leaving a small tail (sometimes I do a 2nd knot). At this stage you are ready to thread your needle & cord through the hole in the clamshell where your knotting will start.

*Trim or the Thread Zap to get rid of excess cord, make sure your knots are tight first! Use a little glue to secure the knot to the inside of clam shell. You do not want excess cord to show when clamshell is closed.

2. Using the needle nose pliers, gently close the clamshell. Tie your first knot so that it sits tights against the opening of clamshell. Use you preferred way of knotting, tweezers, awl or fingers… just make sure that your knots are in the correct place before tightening fully…. It is a pain to undo knots!

3. Regarding pattern, I pretty much followed the sequence that that they came in (taking out any that didn’t please me). Your layout may be different.

4. The griffin silk has a built-in needle that helps a lot with threading your beads. I try to thread the beads straight from the strand they come on directly onto my griffin silk.

* You may find this easier if you trim the needle a little.

5. Let the knotting begin! In this piece I knotted between every bead, making sure that the knots were nice and tight against the previous bead. Simple overhand knots are used in this necklace

*Now and then, very gently stretch your growing necklace to make sure knots are nice and tight. This will also help keep your necklace straight.

6. Knot beads to your desired length, measure often & remember that your clasp will add to this measurement. It is easier to add extra length with a slightly longer extension chain than it is to decrease the length.

7. Once you reach your desired length, do a final knot, then enter into the second clamshell so that you are in the position with cord coming through from outside into the interior of the shell (the opposite of how you started your piece). You will now tie one or two tightly secured knots.

8. At this stage, trim or use the Thread Zap to get rid of excess cord, make sure your knots are tight first! Use a little glue to secure the knot to the inside of clam shell. You do not want excess cord to show when clamshell is closed.

9. Now gently close your clamshell with your needle nose pliers & add a 3mm jump ring to attach the lobster clasp to the clamshell on one end. On the other end add a 3mm jump ring and a 4mm closed jump ring (forgo the 4mm jump ring if you wish to add chain of your choosing to extend the length of the necklace).

10. Finally, open your 3mm round jump ring add the Arizona saguaro cactus charm, using your flat nose & needle nose pliers, add to the jumpring on the non opening end of the clasp, then carefully close the jump ring.

11. Try on your new necklace & look forward to all the complements!

Jewelry designed by Kiara Thompson