This is the second in a series of DIY projects in Wire Crochet designs. The first project was a bracelet and could be expanded to be a necklace, just by chaining more stitches, and making it longer. Not rocket science here, just a great idea for making lovely jewelry that is affordable, memorable and exciting as you find more and more ways to create beauty. And save money. And impress friends, neighbors and relatives as they open gifts and are amazed that you made this. Course, that can be a little offputting too. Too much of the You made this, YOU REALLY made this? kinda talk can make you want to deck them. Yes, you made it, you are talented, and qualified to create beauty and goodness, now put on the necklace and love it already. Remember gracious goes only so far.
For a pendant, you will want to choose a good cabochon stone; if you have visited a rock and gem show (a travelling one is known as the International Gem Faire, there are others) as well as Bead and Crystal shows, and local rock clubs, they are filled with unfaceted, unset stones in a cabachon cut, which is a gemstone that is smooth, the center higher than the top and sides, usually oval, round, some squared or other fancy shapes. There are no sharp edges. They are often opaque. Faceted stones are often clear in color and are gemstone ruby, diamond, emerald, and sapphire–but also more affordable when in cubic zirconia, topaz, citrine, amethyst, and sometimes rose quartz. You can also find pearls, and other gemstones cut in bead form.
You have found the gemstone you want to use–wonderful. Now is the time to make your mounting. Depending on the stone you decide how much or how fancy you want your mounting. I can get into wire mountings in general later, this one is for a crocheted mounting around a stone. I originally wrote one like this for Lapidary Journal, the project was somewhere between 1997 and 2007, and lives on in a computer that burped yers ago..Always back up your files. Sigh.
Use a size-4 steel hook, and begin by making a crochet chain almost as long as your stone is around. You will want this to be a tight fit. Work a row of single crochet stitches in this beginning row. Nice. now, flip the work, and go down so you are working in the other side of the chain stitches, and work another row of single crochet stitches. Do not clip the wire. Hold the work up to the stone, and fit around the edges of the stone. Make it fit around the stone, and check to see the fit. Do you like the amount of wire around the face of the stone? If you would feel more comfortable, add another row of single crochet, then end with a slip stitch row. work the wire down the side again, and get to the last row of the piece and do a slip stitch row.
Fit the piece around the stone, clip your wire with a very long piece attached, as that will do the lacing, and stitch the piece to fit around the stone. You want a snug fit. If it won’t fit, take the piece and holding it in both hands, tug. It will stretch; just don’t do it too much, or you will need another stone or more lacing on the front. it can be done. (Trust me on this!)
So, you now have a stone with a length of chain-stitch for the back, with one row of single crochet and a slip stitch, and for the front, the same base of chain stitch, a single or double row if chain stitch, and a slip stitch that is the side everyone will see. You really only need this much "front" if the size of the stone you are using is one of the really big ones. With an 8×10 or larger, you would be hiding most of the stone with this much silver.
To do the back: you have the long wire piece, that is at 12 o’clock, take it to 6, then to 9 and then to 3. Fill it in then from 1 to 7 and 10 to 5, then 2 to 8 and 2 and 11 to 4. slip it into the front side, so it is at 6 o’clock and now you need to see if the front needs help.
With your fingers, press the wire around the stone; it should fit snugly, as you had to pull on the wire crochet to fit around the stone. If you still feel it needs to be more secure, you can do a running stitch by picking up a part of the slip stitch and go around the stone…and with each stitch, pull a bit, so it gathers the wire in a bit more. If you do this too much the wire will break. If this happens, you can secure the wire into the work and start a new piece, but it’s better to not have to do this.
So, you have done all this, you have secured the last bit of wire at the top and clipped it, then make a bale–something to attach the piece to a chain. You can always thread the necklace thru the wire already on the back of the stone, from 12-6; it will float on the chain. if you want more of a dangle, add a jumpring to the top and secure it, thread the chain and it’s complete.
I hope you enjoy this project. There is one other project for a mounting around a cabochon or faceted stone, which frames the stone, that one is next.
