Tribal gathering

Cover wire frames with tiny colourful beads to create Linda Jones’ ethnic jewellery

Linda Jones, MJ Designer

I've used a mixture of matt and silver-lined seed beads to create depth of colour around the necklace and bangle, but equally, you can keep it simple with just two or three tones

Simple collar necklaces with eye-catching pendants have been a fashion staple for ages and this fabulous example will never go out of style! The beautiful painted shell focal is available in several designs and colours, allowing for many variations on this theme and you can mix and match seed beads to decorate the wire choker and bangle design for a stunning set of designer jewellery

Necklace

1. Cut two 23cm lengths of 0.8mm copper wire and one 23cm length of 0.8mm silver-plated wire. Straighten them out and place with the silver-plated strand between the copper lengths. Bind the wires together in the middle and at each end (4.5cm either side from the centre) with 4cm of 0.4mm silver-plated wire. Make sure the pieces are flat and parallel without overlapping each other.
2. Position the centre of the wrapped wires at the drilled hole of a shell pendant and secure at this point with a small piece of masking tape. Press the rest of the joined wires around the diameter of the pendant and secure at each side of the frame with more tape. Bring them all together at the top and connect by wrapping one copper wire around the other, leaving only one silver wire projecting from the centre top of the circular shell.
3. Curl the ends of the other wires into small spirals and flatten against the top of the pendant. As you remove each piece of tape, push the copper wire forward over the front of the pendant as well as the copper wire to the back, keeping the silver wire to frame the circumference. If the wire needs tightening around the outer frame, twist or tweak the copper wire at the back with the tips of flat-nosed pliers.
4. Thread the top projecting wire with a 5mm silver bead and create a loop at the other end of the bead. Pass another 5mm silver bead onto a length of 0.6mm wire, creating a tiny plain loop at one end and a figure-of-eight link at the other. Snip off the excess. Cut a 6cm length of 0.4mm silver-plated wire and pass this through the plain loop at the bottom of the silver bead, then thread with a mixture of seeds (roughly six either side of the link).
5. Wrap the ends of the wire around the centre of the figureof- eight link to secure. Trim any excess and neaten the ends. Create a large jump ring using 0.8mm wire and connect the top link of the beaded dangle to the base of the shell pendant. Cut a 42cm to 44cm length of 2mm silver-plated wire with heavy-duty wire cutters. Shape into a circle around a bottle, jar or any circular mandrel and check that it sits comfortably around your neck. Alternatively, you can use a ready-made choker wire.
6. Connect the wireframed shell pendant onto the choker frame, then curl the very ends into links using the tips of round-nosed pliers. Cut a 35cm length of 0.4mm silverplated wire and secure by wrapping around the end of the collar wire. Begin threading with a mixture of seed beads, in any combination you wish, alternating the colours as you go. Push them along until they sit tightly together covering the necklace.
7. Continue winding the beaded wire around the choker frame, keeping the shell pendant at the centre and going around and over the top link to keep it in place. If you run out of wire, just cut another long length and secure to the 2mm wire, then continue wrapping with seed beads until you have covered the entire necklace. When you have almost reached the other end, stop beading, wind the wire tightly to secure and trim.

Bangle

1. Cut 40.5cm to 45.7cm of 2mm silver-plated wire and curl each end into small spirals with round-nosed pliers, each going in opposite directions. Shape the wire into a bangle around a circular mandrel or object that is slightly smaller than your wrist size. If you need to make it smaller, curl the spirals in towards each other.
2. Cut a 35cm length of 0.4mm silverplated wire and secure by wrapping around the bangle, close to one of the spirals. Thread with a selection of seed beads, pushing them close together and wind the wire along the frame. If you run out, cut another long length, secure as before and continue until you have covered the bangle, fastening at the other end as before.

Earrings

1. Working directly from a spool of 0.8mm silver wire, wrap around a circular mandrel to form a circle. Lift it off and cut where the wire overlaps by 1.5cm. Using the tips of round-nosed pliers, curl the ends into small plain loops and bend 90 degrees, so that the links face each other.
2. If you wish, lightly hammer the circles of wire, avoiding the top links. This will workharden and toughen the circular frames. Create a beaded dangle as described in Step 4 of the necklace and connect onto a jump ring.
3. Thread another jump ring through one of the top links of the circular frame, followed by the beaded dangle ring and finally through the other top link, suspending the drop within the frame. Connect to an earwire, or create your own from sterling silver wire with complementary beads. Repeat to make a pair.