Triple Strand 24K Wire Necklace
Similar to the Randomly Floating Necklace, this version uses crimp beads to hold single stones and pearls in place permanently. It's super lightweight and delicate, but don't let looks fool you! The 24K gold strands are coated with nylon for strength and durability. Store flat or hanging to prevent kinks in wire. Gold-filled crimps, cones, wire and clasps will hold up better than gold-plated versions without the high end cost of 14k or 18k.
Level: Intermediate
Materials
Softflex 24K Gold Beading Wire
Gold-filled crimps
4mm stone wafer beads (I have used green labradorite)
3mm freshwater pearls
20g gold-filled wire
Gold-filled clasp
Gold-filled cones (2)
Create a 3" eye pin using 20g gold-filled wire. Cut three lengths of beading wire 2 1/2" longer than the desired length of your finished necklace. Attach all three lengths to loop on eye pin using crimp beads. You can either trim the excess wire back close to the crimp or leave it a little long; it will be hidden inside of the cone when you finish the necklace.
On one strand of beading wire, string a crimp bead. Crimp it on the bare wire about 2" from the end that is attached to the eye pin. String a stone bead and another crimp bead. Make sure the first crimp, the stone and the second crimp bead are flush against each other, and crimp the second crimp bead. String another crimp bead about 2" from the last set on the same wire, and crimp it on the wire. String a pearl and another crimp bead. Crimp the second crimp bead to hold the pearl in place. Continue until you have approximately 3" of wire left at the other end.
Follow the same instructions on the other two wires, alternating pearls and stones. Place your sets at different spacings along the wire so that all three strands will not have beads in the same spot.
Create another eye pin from the gold-filled 20g wire. Loosely braid the three strands together, and attach each to the eye pin using crimp beads.
Pull the straight end of one eye pin through the wide end of a gold-filled cone. The straight end will poke out from the narrow end of the cone. Create a closed loop that is large enough to keep the eye pin from going back through the cone. Repeat on the other end of the necklace.
Attach a clasp to the closed loops. As an option, you can add an expansion chain to the necklace by attaching to the closed loops to allow the wearer to vary the length of the necklace.
