How to Make Jewelry With Puka Shell Beads

Hawaiian shells and puka beads

Escape from the stereotypical surfer's choker necklace and craft simple but stylish jewelry with puka shell beads. Combine with coco shell beads, mother of pearl or copper and highlight puka shells by isolating them instead of stringing them together. Produce delicate pieces incorporating other polished shell beads in soft pinks and grays. Or, add texture by mixing sizes of the same bead. Create your own puka shell jewelry and make a personal statement.

Things You'll Need

• 14 red lip puka shell beads
• 4 pink shell free-form beads
• 2 French earring wires, silver
• 2 eye pins, silver
• 19-inch flexible beading wire, copper
• 12 copper crimp beads
• 24 4mm antique copper plated heishi beads
• 10 5mm natural white puka shell beads
• Nine 5mm green shell puka shell beads
• 10 5mm brown lip puka shell beads
• 2 copper lobster clasps
• 2 jump rings, silver
• Round nose pliers
• Crimping pliers
• Wire cutters

Instructions

Make Earrings with Puka Shell Beads

1. Create a pair of earrings using puka shell and shell free-form beads. String seven puka shells onto an eye pin. Bend the eye pin to a 90 degree angle. With round nose pliers, craft a loop above the top puka shells and attach it to a French earring wire.

2. Add two shell free-form beads onto a silver jump ring. Hook the jump ring onto the loop of the eye pin.

3. Repeat the above steps to complete a pair of puka shell dangler earrings.

Make a Necklace with Puka Shell Beads

1. Cut 19 inches of beading wire. String one crimp bead onto the wire and then thread half of the clasp. Place the wire end back through the crimp bead. Squeeze with crimping pliers to flatten. Place a crimp bead followed by white, green, brown, green and white puka shells. Add another crimp bead. Slide the first crimp bead down one inch from the clasp. Flatten both crimp beads.

2. Thread in a successive pattern; one crimp bead and brown, white, green, white and brown puka shell beads. Add another crimp bead. As above, flatten both crimp beads one inch from the previous set.

3. Assemble the next set; one crimp bead and then add green, brown, white, brown and one last green bead. Thread a crimp bead, positioning the pattern one inch from the last set. Compress crimp beads to secure. Continue the pattern with one crimp bead, one white, one brown, one green, one brown, one white and a crimp bead. Realign beads one inch from previous set and crimp.

4. Sequence the next group; one crimp bead, brown, green, white, green, brown and one last crimp bead. Move pattern down one inch and with the crimping pliers, flatten crimp beads. String the last group of beads as follows; one crimp bead, green, white, brown, white, green and one crimp bead. Secure crimp beads one inch from the last arrangement.

5. String a crimp bead at the end of the wire, thread the clasp and slide back through the crimp bead. Compress bead to finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Puka shell beads vary in quality. For a more polished look, select smooth round cut puka shells called Heishi. If you prefer a more natural style, look for puka chips which have jagged edges.

References

• North Shore Sea Shell Company
• Jumbo Pacific Incorporated
• Philippines Insider: Puka Shell Beach

Resources

• Shell Beads.net
• Beads and Pieces