- To make a pearl bead necklace, you will need pearl beads, flexible stringing wire, a clasp, crimp beads, crimp pliers and wire nippers. For beads, you can use real pearls in round or freshwater shapes, or artificial pearls, which are made in a range of materials from plastic to glass and come in many colors. You can find pearl beads at any craft store or online bead website. The stringing material you use should be flexible but strong. A multistrand wire such as Tigertail®, Acculon®, Accu-Flex® or FireLine® is recommended to bear the weight of the pearls. A wire like Accu-Flex is strong but can also be knotted if you wish to make knots between your pearls. Arrange all your materials on a flat surface so everything is within reach. A beading board or cloth place mat is helpful for preventing the beads from rolling away.
- With wire nippers, cut a piece of jewelry wire that is approximately 6 inches longer than the final necklace will be. String a crimp bead on the wire, then attach one half of the clasp to one end of the wire by inserting the wire through the clasp loop. Insert the end of the wire back through the crimp bead to form a loop. Use the crimp pliers to squeeze the crimp bead closed on the wire to secure it. See the Resources section if you need a tutorial on how to use crimp pliers or crimp beads. String your pearls on the wire in the pattern you prefer. Mix in other beads, such as crystals or metal spacer beads to vary the design if you like.
- When the necklace is as long as you want it to be, string another crimp bead, then the other half of the clasp and loop the wire end back into the crimp bead like you did with the first one to create a loop. Pull this loop tight so there are no large gaps in the necklace, but don't pull it so tightly that the necklace is placed under great tension with the beads rubbing harshly against one another or it could snap with wear. Use the crimp pliers to secure the crimp bead in place on the wire and trim the end with the nippers.
