"Watermelon Sugar" Fruit Enamel and Pearl Necklace

"Watermelon Sugar" Fruit Enamel and Pearl Necklace

Materials Needed:

• Ivory White Freshwater Pearls 6-7mm Potato (one strand used 64 beads total)
• Gold Plated 4mm Kenyan (10)
• Soft flex - Fine - Satin Silver (Medium would work as well) (22 inches)
• Gold Filled 2x2 Crimps (2)
• 18k Gold Plated 3mm Crimp Covers (2)
• Gold Plated 7x14mm Lobster Clasp (1)
• Gold Plated Small Oval Jump Rings (6)
• Gold 5.9x1.75mm Paperclip Chain (3.5 inches - or your preferred length)
• 17x8mm Enamel Watermelon Charm (6)

Finished Length 16.5” plus chain extender

Tools Required

Needle Nose Pliers

Flat Nose Pliers

Crimping Tool

Soft Flex Cutters

Bead Mat

Instructions on Construction:

1. Cut a 22” section of beading wire using your soft flex cutter, thread on crimp tube, attach to the end of the chain section & then back through crimp tube. I used the two-part folded crimp method with this design, cut excess soft flex, then cover with the 3mm crimp cover. Gently close crimp cover with your needle nose pliers.

***Please note whichever way you choose to crimp, keep your wires parallel when crimping, this makes for a more secure attachment & it’s also wise to give a test pull on your wire to make sure you have secured the crimp :)

2. Pre-make 5 of the watermelon charms by placing each charm on it's own oval jump ring and closing the jump ring. Adding a jump ring to your charms will help make the charms lay flat when wearing your necklace.

3. The bead sequence on this necklace is as follows: Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Watermelon charm *thread through jump ring* (1) - Pearls (4) - Watermelon charm - Pearls (4) - Watermelon charm - Pearls (4) - Watermelon charm - Pearls (4) - Watermelon charm - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4) - Gold kenyan spacer (1) - Pearls (4)

4. Add your crimp tube & thread the beading wire through the loop on the lobster clasp.

5. At this stage lay the necklace on your worktop in a circle & make sure you leave enough slack in the wire so that your beads have enough room to sit nicely. It is important to leave this slack because if you crimp your wire too tightly the necklace will be rigid with no flow & there is a strong chance that the beading wire may break!

6. Close the crimp using the two-part folded method, cut excess soft flex, and add crimp cover.

7. At the end of the chain extender, attach the last watermelon charm with the last oval jump ring.

8. Done! :)

Jewelry designed by Kiara Rimsza