Making Jewelry with Crystals

Several people have asked recently if I could tell them how to make jewelry with crystals like I do, or recommend a good book about it, or do I teach classes. Unfortunately, I really can’t tell anyone exactly. I’d have to write a book myself, since I’ve never seen one about making jewelry with crystals and natural stones.  And at this time, I don’t teach classes or write tutorials because there aren’t enough hours in the day for me as it is. :)  I can give you some information on how I learned to do what I do, and how you can learn it too.

I’ve spent the last several years making wire and crystal or gemstone jewelry virtually every day.  I also have earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in jewelry making, where I studied casting, fabrication, and many other jewelry techniques. I’m fairly sure that it’s not necessary to get a degree of any sort because I’ve seen work far better than mine made by people who didn’t have a degree, but the time spent learning about making jewelry, and actually practicing making it, probably is an absolute requirement. I’m quite sure anyone can learn to make jewelry as well as I do or better, if they’re willing to put forth the effort to learn and practice.

Here are some of the  online tutorials and resources I used to learn more about making wire jewelry in general, and I applied the principles learned first to regular shaped stones like cabochons, then to crystals and natural stones.

• Eni Oken’s Jewelry Lessons – ranging from beginner to advanced, great, inexpensive tutorials and lessons. and I’ve incorporated many of Eni’s techniques into my own work
• Studio Heath – also ranging from beginner to advanced, inexpensive lessons that are well worth the small cost, again, many techniques I’ve incoporated many of DK Heath’s techniques into my work
• Wire Sculpture.com – many DVD’s and online videos for sale, much more expensive than either Eni Oken’s or DK Heath’s tutorials, but if you prefer demonstrations and can’t get to a class, this would probably work well for you 

And here are a couple of of the books I’ve used to learn techniques I use for making jewelry with crystals and natural stones.

The ultimate key is to keep learning and to practice. Practice until your fingers know instinctively how to make the wire behave the way you want it to. Learn different ways to shape the wire so that it will hold the crystals or stones firmly. Practice until you no longer have to think about it step by step. Then learn and practice some more. If you’re not sure what I mean by the difference pratice makes, check the pendant to the left, which I made in 2002 and the one to the right which I made in 2007.

Good luck in your learning and practice! 

by Robyn