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Bead Information Library

Topic: Swarovski: Swarovski Projects

5 Crystal Drop Necklace & Matching Crystal Drop Earrings

by Beverly Fernandes
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Photo 1 - Click for larger view

You will need the following components; 1 16 or 18 neckchain with clasp attached, 2 french earwires, 7 1 1/2 inch head pins, 7 4mm bicone Swarovski crystal beads, 7 3mm bicone Swarovski crystal beads, and 14 2mm spacer beads (See step 1 photo). You will also need the following tools; 1 wire cutter and 1 pair of pliers.

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Photo 2 - Click for larger view

Begin by setting all the components in front of you. Now on each of the head pins place one 4 mm Swarovski crystal bead. Next slide one 2mm spacer bead onto each head pin. Follow that with one 3mm Swarovski crystal bead. The last bead on each head pin will be another 2 mm spacer bead ( see step 2 photo).

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Photo 3 - Click for larger view

Then you can make a loop just above the second 2mm spacer beads on each head pin (see step 3 photo). To do this, trim the head pin to a 3/8 inch length above the second spacer using your wire cutters. Then use your pliers to form a loop at the top of the crystal drop. This step requires the use of a pair of small pliers (see step 3 photo). You now have seven Swarovski crystal drops.

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Photo 4 - Click for larger view

To finish this project you will attach 5 crystal drops to the neckchain and the remaining two crystal drops to your earwires. Begin with the neckchain. Carefully open the loop of one of the crystal drops, thread it through a link of the neckchain at the center of the chain (see step 4 photo) and close the loop.

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Photo 5 - Click for larger view

Repeat this step at 1 inch intervals from either side of the center drop.

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Photo 6 - Click for larger view

The last step will be to attach 1 crystal drop to each earwire in the same manner as you did with the neckchain, carefully open the loop, thread it through the earwires bottom loop, and then close the loop (see step 5 photo).

You now have a matching necklace and earring.

About The Author

Beverly Fernandes has been beading since 1969. Since moving to Eugene in 1998 Bev has worked primarily with beads, her first loves have always been her husband John and beadwork. Bev works primarily with Japanese Cylinder Beads known as ‘Delicas’. They come in over 600 colors and textures so Bev can practically paint with beads. Most pieces are are worked in peyote or gourd stitch, a form of bead weaving that has been found in Egyptian tombs and has since been practiced by nearly every culture that has worked with beads. Beverly has a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. She studies archaeology and bead history

Article Last Updated: 01/19/2007

All article text and photos © 2007 Harlequin Beads & Jewelry unless otherwise noted.
Text and photos may not be used without permession from Harlequin Beads & Jewelry.

Library Contents by topic

Click titles to read articles.

Beading Resources (1 article)

Bead Conversions
This article covers the Number of Beads per Gram, Converting Bead Sizes From Millimeters to Inches, Beads per Inch conversion list and more.

Beading Tools (2 articles)

Pliers and Cutters Part 1
A good quality set of pliers will last a lifetime. If they are comfortable they can become unconscious extensions of your hands and a very important investment in your creative endeavors.
Pliers and Cutters Part 2
In Part 2 of Pliers and Cutters we explore the difference between cutters and pliers as well as the Brown and Sharpe gauge for wire thickness.

Bone Beads (2 articles)

History of Bone Beads
In the "History of Bone Beads" the author explores some the roots of using Bone Beads in jewelry design.
Making Bone Beads
Ever wonder how modern bone beads are created? What animals do they come from? In "Making Bone Beads" The author describes the process of creating bone beads from carcass to necklace.

Czech Glass Beads (2 articles)

History of Czech Glass
Both Bohemia and Venice were a part of the Austrian Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte, but the rivalry never eased. The Venetians developed handmade beads and the Bohemian Czechs specialized in high density pressed glass. The results is a wonderful variety of amazing beads.
Making Czech Glass Beads
Bohemia in the Czech Republic is the perfect environment for making glass beads. It has all the things needed to make beads, including people with the imagination and drive to create machines and molds to make new, innovative shapes and designs in glass beads.

Handmade Glass (2 articles)

Faience Beads from Egypt
Egyptians have been making faience for more than 5,000 years. The process hasn't changed in all that time. Its a simple process that was perfected early and expanded.
Making Glass Beads
People started making glass beads and bangles as soon as they figured out how to make glass. All it takes is a little sand, and soda and lime.

History (1 article)

Who Made the First Beads?
As soon as people started making clothing they had to decorate that clothing. Beads became portable symbols of power, wealth and trophies: The first and most enduring status symbols.

Jewelry Findings (3 articles)

History of Findings
In History of Findings the author explores the origins of Jewelry findings from the origin of the name findings to how jewelers produced these components in the past.
Making Findings
Beading is so much more than beads and string. There is a whole range of items that you will find necessary or at least useful. In this article we explore how findings are produced.
Making Wire
Wire has been used for making ornaments for thousands of years and is an integral part jewelry design. Since wire does not occur naturally, how did early people create it?

Metals (2 articles)

Gold, Gold fill, and Gold plate
In this article we explain the differences between “Gold Filled” and “Gold Plated” and describe the process used to create each as well as explore the different colors of gold and how they’re created.
Why is it called "Sterling" silver?
History and Origins of Sterling Silver are explored in this article.

Pearls (4 articles)

Freshwater Pearls: The Worlds Water Gem
Informational article on modern pearls.
Pearls from Arabia to India and China
In China the Manchu dynasty preferred freshwater pearls from their ancestral homeland, while in India the men and women of the Mogul Court decked themselves in as many pearls as they could find.
Pearls: More Than Meets the Eye
Only 1 in 10,000 oysters will produce a natural pearl, but Kokichi Mikimoto learned how to entice the oysters into making pearls on demand
The History of Pearls in the Middle East and Europe
Every culture that has known of pearls valued them. The Greeks and Romans considered them "the tears of water nymphs or angels". In the Middle Ages they were even used in medicines.

Seed Beads (2 articles)

How Miyuki Glass Seed Beads Are Made
In April 2000 the author visited the Miyuki Glass Bead Factory in Japan and shares how Miyuki makes their beautifully consistent Seed Beads.
The Wonderful World of Seed Beads
The term seed bead refers to an entire category of small, usually glass beads, that have been used for adornment for over 200 years. The first glass seed beads were made and strung by....

Semi Precious Stone Beads (4 articles)

Alternative Birthstones
This article explores birthstones and their possible origins with A look at George Kunz's book The Curious Lore of Precious Stones which contains much more information than this short article.
Amethyst: Royal Purple Quartz of the Ages
As the birthstone for February and the gemstone for Pisces, amethyst veils the second month of the year in its purple haze. Read Amethyst: Royal Purple Quartz of the Ages for the full scoop on this beautiful stone.
PERIDOT: The gem form of Olivine
Do you ever wonder where a Peridot Gem-Stone Bead comes from? This article gives you some background on Peridot and it's parent Olivine.
Quartz: The most common forms
Quartz crystals form from one atom of silicon and two atoms of oxygen, it is the most common form of crystal on the earth's surface. In this short article we discuss some common forms of Quartz.

Swarovski (5 articles)

Swarovski History
Find out about the beginnings of The Swarovski company, makers of the finest lead glass crystal for over 100 years.
5 Crystal Drop Necklace & Matching Crystal Drop Earrings
Instructions on how to make a Swarovski 5 Crystal Drop Necklace & Matching Crystal Drop Earring set. Photos and step by step directions make this an excellent project for beginning jewelry makers.
Swarovski Crystal Elegance Necklace
Swarovski Crystal Elegance Necklace project is a little more complex but still well within the reach of most beginners.
Swarovski Modern Examples
Here are some modern Swarovski Crystal Bead Jewelry examples.
Swarovski - How Is It Made?
A secret recipe and the invention of a machine to facet crystal with impeccable accuracy make it possible for Swarovski to make what had been expensive luxury items affordable to nearly everyone.

Wood Beads (2 articles)

History of Wooden Beads
Wood beads are found throughout the world yet there is very little information on their origin. “History of Wooden Beads” provides some background on their history.
Making Wooden Beads
Wooden Beads aren’t difficult to make, you start by gathering twigs and simple tools. In “Making Wooden Beads” we describe how to make your own wood beads from backyard materials.

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