Drop Necklace with Blue Apatite and Crystal

Prepare the wire. Cut a 20-inch length of Accu-Flex® beading wire. This will form the main strand.

String the beads. Slide approximately 100 blue apatite rondelles onto the wire. (Use a bead board to arrange a continuous pattern if desired.) Center the beads so there is equal wire length on each side of the strand.

Attach the first end. Slide a 2.5mm crimp tube onto one wire end, then the gold Accu-Guard™ wire protector. Loop the wire through one half of the lobster clasp (or a jump ring on that clasp) and back through the crimp and protector. Pull the wire tight so the crimp rests snug against the wire protector, leaving about 1/4 inch of tail. Use crimping pliers to close the crimp bead: first squeeze with the back notch, then rotate the pliers 90 degrees and use the front notch to finish closing securely. Trim the excess wire end. Snap a 4mm crimp cover over the crimp and gently close it with chain-nose pliers for a smooth finish.

Attach the other end. Repeat the process on the opposite wire end: slide on a crimp tube and wire protector, loop the wire through a 5mm jump ring (or the other half of the clasp), and back through the crimp and protector. Pull taut and crimp as before, then trim the tail and cover the crimp.

Make small crystal drops (Chain Option 1). For each drop, use a 2-inch head pin. Thread on two 8x6mm Crystal Passions® rondelle beads and one 6x4mm rondelle. Alternating colors for variation Using round-nose pliers, form a simple loop at the top of the pin, then hold the loop with chain-nose pliers and wrap the remaining wire tail tightly around the pin shaft. Trim the end flush and tuck it in. Create four drops in total.

Make the pendant drop. Open the prongs of the ice-pick bail and insert them through the hole of the 16x13.5mm blue zircon pendant. Pinch the prongs closed with pliers to secure the pendant in the bail. Set this large drop aside.

Assemble the drop chain (Option 1). Cut one 3.5-inch length of the 4mm oval chain using flush cutters. Attach the four small drops and the pendant drop onto this chain by slipping each loop onto a link or using jump rings. Space them evenly along the chain (for example, two small drops on each side of the pendant drop). At each end of the chain, attach a 5mm jump ring. These jump rings will connect the drop chain to the beaded necklace.

Make alternate drops (Chain Option 2). Create six drops by stringing four 8mm turquoise magnesite beads and two 6mm honey tiger eye beads onto a head pin; form and wrap the loop as before. Also make one drop using a faceted agate nugget bead on a head pin and finish with wrapped loop. Trim and finish each. Cut a 3.5-inch piece of the 4mm flat cable chain and attach these new drops evenly along it. Finally, add 5mm jump rings to each end of this chain.

Use this chain option to switch out and use it as a more casual necklace style.