Byzantine empire

Create Ellen Kharade’s stunning triangle statement set!

Our statement piece is inspired by ancient Byzantine jewellery; originally it would have been cast in metal and then embellished with gold leaf, with an emphasis on semi-precious stone decoration. We have stamped a pattern onto polymer clay to create a pattern similar to that on a cast piece and dusted it with powder to emulate gold, while fire-polished Czech beads add lustre and sparkle, making it a real eye-catcher.

Download the template for this project here.

Necklace

1. Transfer the template of the triangle motif onto a piece of plain paper. Condition half a block of yellow polymer clay, flatten and finger form it into a rough triangle shape, then place over the paper template. Press a stamp firmly onto the clay, making sure the motif is central and using the extending lines on the template as a guide (Fig.1); if the impression isn't crisp, repeat until you have a good image. Using a tissue blade, cut the clay into the triangle shape, using the lines on the template to get a perfect shape (Fig.2). The finished bead should be about 1cm thick.
2. Using a wide brush, gently dust the motif with gold powder, including the back and all three sides (Fig.3) Add small holes in a circle as decoration with a bead piercing needle then position a ball of clay dusted with gold in the centre (Fig.4). Mark five points along the base and sides of the bead, making sure that they all line up vertically. Make the holes right through the bead using a finer bead piercing needle (Fig.5). Wiggle the needle in the holes to make them wider; this is quite important, as the bead stringing wire has to be passed through the hole twice. Make a second triangle in the same way and bake for 25 minutes at 110°C.
3. Cut 30cm of beading wire and string on a 3mm gold round and a grooved antique gold bead, followed by six of each fire-polished crystal colour: red, copper, red, green, copper and red, finishing with a grooved bead and a gold round. Thread the end of the wire through the triangle and add a crimp bead, then squeeze it shut and push the crimp into the hole. Add a 3mm gold round to the wire, then pass the wire back through the hole in the triangle and through the metal bead to secure. Trim away the excess wire and attach the other end to the second triangle in the same way.
4. Attach a second row of beads in the same way, repeating the beading sequence but adding an extra red crystal at either end of the row to extend the drop. For the third row, add an additional two red crystals to the ends, plus two gold balls at the other side of the triangle. As you pass the wire back through the triangle, leave a small loop. Work the other side in the same way and add a spot of instant glue at the tip of the triangle to secure the wire. Attach the last two rows in the same way, increasing the amount of red beads each time.
5. Cut 15cm of chain and attach to the middle loop on one of the triangles using a jump ring. Cut 23cm of chain and attach to the loop on the other triangle bead. Add a jump ring and a clasp to the end of the shorter chain. One side of the necklace is longer than the other so that the length can be adjusted as desired.

Earrings

1. Condition a quarter of a block of yellow polymer clay and flatten out into a rough triangle. Place the clay onto the paper template and press the stamp firmly onto the clay until you have a good impression. Using a tissue blade and the pen lines as a guide cut out the small triangle.
2. Dust the front, back and sides with gold powder and decorate with a semi-circle of holes and a gold ball of clay in the centre. Use a bead piercing needle to make a hole through the middle of the bead. The finished triangle should be roughly 6mm thick. Repeat to make a second one.
3. Bake the triangles for 20 minutes at 110°C. Thread a grooved metal bead onto a head pin, followed by a polymer clay triangle and a small gold bead. Trim the end to size and turn over into a neat loop, adding an earring hook. Repeat to make a pair.