You've never taken jewellery making seriously. But now you’ve found the perfect little black dress and you want to look different and smashing every time you wear it. Anyone can go to and buy an off-the-rack piece of jewellery, but if you want something unique and all your own - you need to get your hands dirty. You can create your own collection of gorgeous, bold one-of-a-kind necklaces and oodles of pairs of statement-making, shoulder-grazing earrings. You can wear your personality around your neck or your arms or hanging from your ears with the right tools and a great imagination.
How To Jewellery Making Videos
All you really need to start is a clear table and a few basic supplies and a great how-to video. One of the best to check out on Youtube is the beginner course from The London Jewellery School.
Where To Buy A Jewellery Making Kit
You can find all the best jewellery making kits easily on Amazon.
Where To Buy Jewellery Making Supplies
For the best jewellery making supplies, you should visit Hobbycraft, where you can also buy storage for your supplies. Cooksongold is also a great place to buy well-priced jewellery making supplies.
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Jewellery Making Beads
Beads.co has the best selection of beads, and some great ideas.
However, bear in mind, some of the best sources for jewellery-making components are antique shops, street markets and, believe it or not, hardware stores (for example Portland Hardware). These stores are a great place to find small brass and stainless steel nuts, bolts and other fittings to make your designs modern and unique. You can also use the components of other pieces of jewelry that you find or own - this is where your cutter or scissors come in handy. When you see something that strikes your fancy, all you have to figure out is how to incorporate it in your design - technically and aesthetically.
Top Tips for Making Your Own Jewellery
You need to bring your own personality to the process once you know the basics. Think out-of-the-box to make your designs unique. Don’t think necklace - think art; don’t think bracelet - think ‘arm candy’; don’t think earrings - think what can I hang from my ears to make my hair look fabulous.
Think about the following concepts
Colour
You probably know what you like, but picking up a color wheel will help; also, get your hands on the Pantone colour charts for what colors are ‘in’. You can take your LBD through the years by having your jewellery reflect the latest color trend.
Contrast
This includes both color contrast and shape contrast. Do you want to make a statement that’s quiet and monochromatic or bold and uniquely conceptual?
Shape
Includes length - for a necklace or earrings, number of strands - for a necklace or bracelet. Above all, determine what shapes are most flattering to you.
Texture
Jewellery components can be smooth, rough, fuzzy, matte, shiny, etc. Use the textures that best tell your story. Mixing textures lead us back to our thoughts on Contrast.
Get a notebook
Whether a digital or old-school one, download or cut and paste everything you like, so you have a reference point for what you need to learn to do and what you want your final product to look like. Snap photos - not necessarily of jewelry pieces, but of tableaus or people you find intriguing - study those photos to decide what drew you to them - shape, color, mood.
Jewellery-making uses both the left and right sides of your brain - its technical and creative at the same time. You might favor one side of your brain over the other - we all do - but you need to cultivate both for any of your jewellery projects. This is where coffee - or wine - helps.
Follow your instincts and have fun. Your LBD will look smashing in no time.
More about the author: Susan Littin, designer/owner of Sumaris Jewelry | New York applies these design strategies in creating her one-of-a-kind collection of bold statement necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
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