Birthstone Jewellery - looking into the possibility of a new range

Now my last event for 2017 is behind me, I have no more workshops planned until January and both my December exhibitions are up and running, it is time to take stock and think about what direction to take my jewellery into next year.
I will continue knitting my tiaras and crowns, that is a given, along with making wedding jewellery commissions. I am planning a whole series of new jewellery making workshops for the New Year and I am waiting to see the response from my exhibitions before I start knitting and crocheting more wall art. but I am also wanting to introduce a range of beaded birthstone jewellery so I have been looking at the Kernowcraft website to see whether this would be possible - and to my delight I have discovered it is and I thought I would like to show you how!
Firstly why am I so surprised at being able to do this?
Well as you know if you have seen my jewellery makes - I work with beads, I usually work with glass, beads, freshwater pearls and semi precious beads basically anything with a hole all the way through so I can them thread onto wire or beading thread - I rarely wire wrap stones and I do not set stones or cabochons into bezels. So as far as semi precious stones this can be quite limiting or so I thought -
I have in mind to crochet or knit my birthstone jewellery so not only do the stones have to be in a bead form they have to be small enough or in a suitable shape to suit my designs and the beads I have selected for my wish list I believe will work perfectly to create the look I am after -
so here is my wish list with links to the product on the Kernowcraft website - If these products capture your imagination please contact me to discuss the type of jewellery I would /could make with the beads as I would be happy to make as a commission.

January  Garnet

Garnet Faceted
Marquise Briolette Beads 

I would hang at least five of these on a crocheted choker style necklace either with beading thread or wire.

February - Amethyst

Pink Amethyst Faceted Drop Briolette Beads, 

I would hang at least five of these on a crocheted choker style necklace either with beading thread or wire.

March - Aquamarine

Aquamarine Curved Triangular Tube Beads

These aquamarine beads would look great crochet or knitted on wire as a bracelet

April - Diamond

Diamond Natural Rough Crystal Nugget Beads

You can actually buy diamonds as beads - who knew?!
I would hope to crochet a choker / necklace and include at least three of these in the design - You just don't know how excited I am about these!

May - Emerald
July - Ruby
September - Sapphire

Shaded Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald Faceted Rondelle Beads

This string would be great for three months and the rondelle beads would look great included in knitted or crocheted wire bracelets

June - Pearls

Cultured Freshwater White Pearls, 4-4.5mm Roundish

So many pearls to choose from but these small round Freshwater pearls would look stunning in a knitted bracelet or even a knitted tiara

August - Peridot

Peridot Faceted Rondelle Bead

These rondelle beads would be equally as beautiful included in a multi-stranded crocheted necklace or in a knitted or crocheted bracelet - so many options


October - Opal

Ethiopian Opal Drop Shape Briolette Beads

Most Opals come in cabochon form and would look stunning wire wrapped, but to my delight Kernowcraft also have opal beads which would hang so elegantly from a knitted or crocheted choker.

November - Topaz

Sky Blue Topaz Faceted Drop Briolette Beads

These delicate blue topaz would look so pretty hanging from a knitted or crocheted wire choker

December - Turquoise

Turquoise Round Beads

Again, so much choice, but I decided that these provided a lot of different options, such as crochet or knitted as a bracelet, or crocheted as a string of turquoise or crocheted knitted into a choker

All of my chosen beads could also be incorporated into earring designs and some could even be added to a knitted or crocheted ring and I am sure with more thought I could come up with even more suggestions, that is the beauty of jewellery design - the possibilities are endless .


I hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have enjoyed researching it - and maybe one day I will get my hands on some of these and share my actual makes!

this  post is part of Kernowcraft's Win Your Wishlist competition.