04/10/2026
A piece just for me!
The absolute perk of my job is being able to make a piece of jewellery just for me. It isn’t something I get to do very often though so when I got the chance a couple of weeks back, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
I had actually started this piece in October last year - I bought a new top and it needed a necklace. I didn’t get very far and I actually didn’t wear the top, I found it in the back of the wardrobe with the tags still on - woops!
Anyway, date night was calling, it was finally time to wear the new top. I set myself what felt like the impossible task of making a necklace in a day (not even a day really…)
The Stone
I wanted something a little darker and more alternative than my usual jewellery. Think goth rock, slightly grungy, bit dramatic, bit of a statement piece. Definitely not something I’d describe as dainty.
This piece of Tourmalinated Quartz caught my eye, I love the black shards running through it.
Designing
I’m not much of a sketcher when it comes to design, I much prefer to get bits out and start moving them around. I knew I wanted some smaller, sparkly stones so gathered some little bobbles to set them in. The silver background is a chunk of scrap that I have recycled and it formed this shape during that process. I really like the contrast between it’s organic edges and the straight lines in the stone.
The Final Piece
I set two smaller CZs in the bobbles and added a border of stamped details. I blacked the silver to help pick up these details. I used a thicker chain than I normally would and even added a handmade clasp which has some of those stamped details too.
I had so much fun playing with the textures and shapes and letting the design develop. Being on a time limit stopped me dwelling on things too much too!
I’m really temped to make some more pieces like this. It’s a great excuse to buy some more stones… What do you think? Is big and bold the way to go?
