Designing Your Own Beaded Jewelry
Choosing Correct Beads is an Essential Part of the Design Process
Aug 3, 2007
Designing your own jewelry can be extremely rewarding. It is a wonderful feeling to know that the item of jewelry that you have just made is a complete one of kind. However there are a number of decisions that need to be made which are crucial to the outcome of the project. Getting the choice of bead wrong, for instance, can completely alter the nature of the finished item. While the finished effect might be a pleasant surprise, it might also be a disappointment. Here are a few basic tips that can help avoid frustrations.
Choosing Beads
When choosing beads for a jewelry project there are a number of things that need to be considered.
Material
Beads are made from a wide variety of materials. Some materials such as gemstones or metal will, if carefully looked after, last a lifetime. Other materials might not be so long lasting; for instance the color can fade on dyed beads, or the paint flake off painted beads.
Choosing a bead made from a material that matches your long term requirements from the item of jewelry and complements the other materials used is therefore an important consideration. If the rest of the design is to be made using precious metals such as silver and gold, it would be a shame to include beads and findings which might wear or tarnish and spoil the overall finish in a short period of time. Likewise, high quality beads may get spoiled or lose their appeal if matched with components made with lower quality materials.
However if the item you are designing is a fun, fashion item to be worn for a season or so only, then why not use cheaper products?
Weight/Size
Picking the right size and weight of bead when designing is also very important. Heavy beads can pull a neckpiece out of shape, or cause tiara tips to bend over. Very light beads might look insubstantial or stop an item of jewelry from hanging correctly.
If you are making a dramatic statement and the design incorporates lots of large beads, then perhaps some of the beads should be hollow metal beads, wood or other light weight material, which will save the finished item being too heavy. Many bali silver beads are hollow, and while being light weight, also look stunning.
Purpose
Understanding the purpose of the beads is necessary to ensure that the right ones are chosen. If the design calls for feature beads then these need to be dramatic enough that they stand out from the finished item of jewelry. Other, more organic designs, may look for beads that blend together giving an overall cohesive impression, and therefore picking beads which are similar in color tone and size can be important.
Cost
If you are going to be making and selling your item, will the cost of the beads fit in with the budget? The cost of the beads, plus your time, overheads and other materials needs to amount to no more than people are going to be prepared to pay for a finished piece of jewelry.
Tips for Picking Beads for Your Own Jewelry Designs
- If you know the dimensions of your finished item and can work out how many beads are required, you can estimate the end weight of the design. Many suppliers give an indication to the weight of beads.
- Pour a mix of your chosen beads into a clear vessel (for instance a glass) and hold it against different items of clothes and other colored items to see how the beads react to different colors.
- Remember beads often look smaller in the finished design so if in doubt pick a bigger size.
- Save up all left over beads as this can be great for making bead soup.
Take a look around the Beadwork and Jewelry section at Suite101 for more interesting reading.
