Silver wire wrapped black stone with Swarovski crystal pearls

Here's another piece from my wire wrapped pendant collection. This time, I used a piece of teardrop-shaped black marble, which I adorned with two beige Swarovski crystal pearls. The wire used in the wire wrap is 20 gauge silver plated nickel.

The challenge in wire wrapping a stone or cabochon is that you don't want the wrap to be random; it should accentuate the stone's beauty and not obscure it. Since this piece of marble had an odd shape, I tried to play off of that and created some loops in the wrap where the stone dips and curves. I like to add little gems or beads or pearls to my wraps because it gives them an extra pop of color and texture. When wearing jewelry, I like to have that little extra sparkle.

I've been experimenting with different types of stones. I'd love to find some more natural looking pieces. Pretty soon I'll post a gallery of my wire wrapped stones, but for now, here is the piece in question:

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Bridal Necklace: Swarovski Crystal Pearl Necklace With Silver Flowers

I was inspired to make this necklace by a friend who loves antique jewelry. She asked if I could make something that looked vintage, which is when I came up with this idea.

I originally set out to make a bib necklace comprised of wire flowers with Swarovski crystal pearls in the center. However, as I created it, I decided that the wire daisies would look better as a smaller pendant. With the way they're connected, they resemble a lace doily -- which to me, always reminds me of my Grandma's home.

The rest of the necklace is fairly simple; I strung some Swarovski crystal pearls and connected them with floral accents. I really like how it came out, though, and think that it does look like a piece that my Grandma would've worn or that you'd find in an antique shop. It's a pearl necklace plus.

What's great about this piece is that it works as a wedding necklace or with a casual outfit. It would work really well with a sweater set. Pearls are great because they're so versatile, both in wearing them and when it comes to incorporating them into jewelry.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Asymmetrical Silver Necklace With Swarovski Crystal Pearls

I'm not sure what the inspiration was behind this crazy-looking piece. I kind of wanted to do something off-kilter and a little wacky. I'd just gotten a shipment of Swarovski crystal pearls and wanted to use them in an unusual way, not just strung along a necklace.

I began making spirals, not sure where they would head and eventually came up with this funky-looking necklace. Instead of putting the pendant in the center, I attached a bunch of smaller spirals and then wove the little pearls through them. I think it looks like a solar system with a bunch of planets and moons in orbit. It's very space age.

At a recent craft fair, people weren't sure what to make of it, but I like it. I think it's cool. Maybe it's not the most functional piece, but it's my attempt of using jewelry to make some modern art.

What do you think it looks like?

To buy my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Wire Wrapped Stone: Pink Marble With Swarovski Pearls

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was play with my dad's rock collection. He was a science teacher for a while and had a wonderful geology set with pieces of quartz, agate and other beautiful stones and rocks. I loved going through them and admiring the colors and textures.

These days, my 4-year-old niece is the one who is into rocks! She already has a geology set and loves the gems and minerals exhibit and the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

I don't have a geology set anymore, but I still appreciate the beauty of a stone. When I saw this pink marble, I fell for the color and slightly rough texture. I liked how when you look closely at it, you can see darker pinks, peaches and whites.

I decided to turn it into a pendant, but didn't want to hide the natural beauty so I did a very simple wire wrap on it. The two Swarovski crystal pearls dress it up enough so that it can be worn with a fancy or casual outfit.

To buy my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.