How to Make Pebble Pendants
Homemade pebble pendants let you show off beautiful polished stones that are either purchased or polished at home. The many shapes and colors of small pebbles create unusual and unique homemade pendants. The simplest jewelry findings available to use for homemade pebble pendants include pendant plates and bead caps (also known as caps). Both of these findings require the use of jeweler's glue, which adheres stone to metal with a secure bond. Jewelry findings and jeweler's glue are available at many craft or jewelry-supply stores and online.
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Things You'll Need
- Pendant plate
- Jeweler's glue
- Cross-lock tweezers
- Polished pebble
- Jeweler's needle-nose pliers without teeth
- Bead cap
Instructions
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Pendant Plate Pebble Necklace
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1
Place the pendant plate on a flat, stable work surface. Pendant plates come in three different forms: flat, prongs and bezeled, which features an additional metal edging around the outside edge of the metal setting. Polished pebbles are generally placed on flat pendant plates because of their unusual shape. The next best plate is one with prongs. The bezeled edge requires a pebble that fits exactly inside the bezel shape.
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2
Pick up the pebble with the cross-lock tweezers. Position the pebble on the pendant plate to ensure a proper fit. Find a different stone or a different pendant plate if the plate is not the correct size.
The pebble may rock on a flat plate, but as long as three-fourths of the stone sits flat on the plate, it will work.
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3
Carefully remove the stone with the tweezers. Squeeze a small drop of jeweler's glue on the pendant plate. Immediately place the stone in the proper position on the glue.
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4
Use the jeweler's needle-nose pliers to crimp the edges of the bezel or prongs around the stone. Continue squeezing the bezel or prongs in different locations until the pebble is set firmly. If you are using a flat pendant plate, use the needle-nose pliers or cross-cut tweezers to place the stone on the plate. Wipe away any excess jeweler's glue immediately. The stone will not move once it is set correctly.
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5
Set the pendant in a safe location to dry. Allow the jeweler's glue to dry for 24 hours before wearing.
Capped Pendant
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6
Pick up the desired stone with the cross-lock tweezers. Move the pebble around in the tweezers until the top edge of the stone is positioned at the point of the tweezers.
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7
Pick up the bead cap and position it over the end of the stone. Make sure the bead cap fits securely. Remove the bead cap.
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8
Place a small drop of jeweler's glue on the inside center of the bead cap. Immediately place the bead cap over the pebble in the desired location. Press firmly. Wipe away any excess jeweler's glue immediately.
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9
Position the jeweler's needle-nose pliers over the cap edges if the cap is designed for clamping. Gently squeeze the edges of the cap around the stone until the stone fits tightly.
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10
Set the pendant aside in a safe location and allow it to dry for 24 hours before wearing.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use minimal jeweler's glue under the pebble. The jeweler's glue is not meant to seep out from under the edges of the pendant plate or cap. Use just enough to secure the stone to the setting.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
