How to Make a Beaded Briolette Necklace

Make several strands of beaded briolettes for a "tangled" look.

Drop-shaped faceted gemstones known as briolettes may serve as individually wire-wrapped pendants to a necklace consisting of other beads, or as beads themselves variously strung onto a chain. With your choice of briolettes, beads, pearls and stones, the sheer number of necklaces you can make is endless. For a necklace that intersperses briolettes at regular intervals throughout a chain, you will work on individual sections of necklace and ultimately join them.

Things You'll Need

• 5 to 6 assorted gemstone briolettes in different sizes, shapes and colors
• Bead board
• 16 inches of sterling silver chain
• Wire cutter
• 9 inches (or more) of 26 gauge half-hard sterling silver wire
• Jeweler's pliers set, including round-nose pliers
• 2 sterling silver jump rings
• 1 inch sterling silver chain extender
• Clasp

Instructions

1. Position your briolettes on a bead board to get a sense of how you want them arranged on the necklace.

2. Cut lengths of chain for between the beads, making sure the segments are all the same length, ultimately totaling 16 inches including the outer ends of the chain.

3. Take the half-hard wire and begin wiring the individual briolettes. Thread the briolette through the hole onto the wire. Wrap the wire around the round nose pliers to form a small loop near the opening on one side of the briolette; twist the wire inside between the loop and the briolette so that the briolette bead rests snug and without gaps. Cut the wire. Repeat on the other side of the briolette. Proceed in the same manner with all the other briolettes. Set aside.

4. Attach the briolettes to the chain lengths, using the opened links of the ends of each chain length you cut earlier so that you can add the loop end of one of the briolettes to it. Close the open link with the pliers. Join the other loop end to another chain length, which you will then attach to another briolette on the other end. Join all the briolettes in this fashion to the growing chain.

5. Take your beaded briolette chain and finish it by adding a jump ring to the chain on either end, then adding the clasp to one end and the chain extender on the other.

References

• How to Make Beaded Jewelry: How to Make a Beaded Briolette Necklace
• Making Jewelry: Link Chain Necklace Project
• A Bead Store: Sparkle Motion
• Lapidary World: Easy Steps to Wire-wrapping...