How to Make Necklaces With Turquoise Jewelry
Turquoise jewelry has a timeless appeal to both jewelry artists and consumers. You can recycle turquoise jewelry components from dated or broken items into new designs such as necklaces, bracelets, rings and pins. You'll need the right tools to disassemble the turquoise jewelry, but the technique is not difficult. Pair the existing turquoise components with new silver or turquoise beads to create designer fashions you can wear every day.
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Things You'll Need
- Turquoise jewelry
- Round-nose jewelry pliers
- Wire cutters
- Satin beading cord
- Jeweler's glue
- Spring coil ends
- Necklace clasp
- Flat-nose jewelry pliers
- Jump rings
- Headpin with loop
- Felt
- Turquoise beads
Instructions
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1
Disassemble the turquoise components from the existing turquoise jewelry. If turquoise charms are attached to a link bracelet, use the round-nose pliers to open the jump rings connecting the charms to the chain and remove the turquoise charm. If the turquoise jewelry item is a brooch, cut the pin back from the brooch with wire cutters.
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2
Cut a length of satin beading cord equal to the desired necklace length. Dip one end of the satin cord into jeweler's glue.
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3
Insert the end of the satin cord covered in glue into the coil of a spring coil end. Spring coil ends are made from metal. They have a closed circle on one end so you can attach the necklace clasp and a coiled section of wire on the other to fit over many types of beading cord.
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4
Press the section of wire coil farthest from the closed circle onto the satin cording with flat-nosed jewelry pliers.
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5
Attach jump rings to each turquoise jewelry component, if needed. If you disassembled a turquoise charm bracelet, you can use the same jump rings that were attached to the bracelet. To attach a turquoise brooch, attach a headpin with a loop to the back of the brooch with jeweler's glue. Center the headpin with the loop at the top of the brooch so the brooch will hang on the necklace as a charm.
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6
Cut a section of felt to fit over the back of the turquoise brooch. Glue the felt in place on top of the headpin with jeweler's glue; make sure that the felt does not cover the loop. This step is necessary only if you are using a turquoise brooch component.
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7
Thread the turquoise jewelry component over the open end of the satin cord to the center of the necklace. If you are using more than one turquoise component to make your necklace, separate the components with equal sections of turquoise beads. Beads measuring 6mm and larger and some large-hole 4mm turquoise beads will fit over satin beading cord.
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8
Dip the open end of the satin cord in jeweler's glue when the necklace design is complete. Add the spring coil over the glued cord and press with the flat-nose jewelry pliers.
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9
Open two jump rings. Hook one through each closed circle on the two spring coil ends. Hook one section of the necklace clasp over each open jump ring. Close the jump rings.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit turquoise jewelry image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com
