How to Make Creative Jewelry Designs

Jewelry design can incorporate gemstones, beads, metals and threads.

Making jewelry is a skill that can be enjoyed by both novice and professional artists. Developing creative jewelry designs requires broad exposure to existing pieces and experience with how jewelry-making materials behave and can be manipulated. Whether you do the casting yourself or take your designs to a goldsmith or professional jeweler, put your personal stamp on a ring, necklace or earring design to make an heirloom piece you'll be proud of.

Things You'll Need

• Felt tipped marker
• Blank paper
• Illuminated Manuscripts
• Historical Jewelry books
• Access to hardware store
• Jewelry making materials
• Pencil
• Colored pencils

Instructions

Find Your Inspiration

1. 

   Doodling is a form of unplanned art making.

   Doodle out some ideas. Use a felt-tipped marker and allow your subconscious to play on paper, making swirls, shapes and designs. Look at the doodles later and isolate any feasible design elements.

2. Look at old illuminated manuscripts. No matter your religious beliefs, illuminated manuscripts offer exquisite details, colors and designs that may lend themselves to jewelry crafts. Draw out designs that you may be able to incorporate into your work.

3. 

   Historical jewelry is rich with inspiration for stone usage and design.

   Review historical jewelry designs from many cultures. African, Egyptian, English and even Stone Age examples of jewelry are available to view and can offer numerous ideas for designs, motifs and materials.

4. 

   Use of unusual elements in jewelry can make it more interesting.

   Investigate unusual materials. Wander through hardware stores, scientific equipment shops, electronic supply stores and antique shops to hunt for odd materials that you can use to design jewelry.

5. 

   Consider material costs before beginning your jewelry making project.

   Collect samples of materials you can use to make your designs a reality. Gather gemstones as well as gold, silver, glass or metal wire. When you feel the textures of the different elements, you may have new ideas.

Make Your Designs

1. 

   Keep a notebook of your reference materials for future use.

   Review your collection of inspirational clippings and photos.

2. 

   Drawing in pencil allows room for changing designs.

   Using a pencil, draw a basic shape for a ring, pendant or earrings. This is just a rough shape that you can alter as you work.

3. Focus on the lines, curves and stone placements in your samples and incorporate some of the aspects into your sketch.

4. 

   Use a fine point marker to draw clear jewelry designs.

   With a black felt tip marker, draw out your new design over your pencil drawing to make it clear.

5. 

   Colored pencils can give you an idea of what your finished piece may look like.

   Use colored pencils to indicate gemstone and metal colors and develop your design more fully.

Tips & Warnings

• When drawing out ring designs, create the design on a long rectangle shape to mimic a ring's surface area if cut and flattened.

• Don't make exact copies of your reference jewelry pieces. Use existing or historical jewelry pieces for inspiration for your own designs.

References

• All About Gemstones: The History of Jewelry

Resources

• Colophon: Gallery Illuminated Manuscripts