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.

Silver spiral pendant with Swarovski crystals

The idea for this pendant came when I decided to try a new technique: wire weaving. I'd seen some pictures of woven wire jewelry and liked the look of it, so I decided to incorporate some of those techniques into my latest design.

I'd made a series of geometric pendants in silver and gold, but wanted to try something a little different. Meanwhile, I had a box of tiny multi-colored Swarovski crystal bicones that I wasn't sure what to do with. The solution? Use both in my new piece. I ended up using 28 gauge silver wire to string dozens of the crystals into a colorful, abstract design.

I'll admit, when it came to this piece I was making up things as I went along, but I love the way it came out. It looks like modern art, maybe a bit like Kandinsky, with all of the random colors. Then again, maybe it just looks like a Christmas decoration. But it's pretty and definitely unique! It took a lot of work to create, but I'm glad I put the time in.

For more on my designs head to www.etsy.com/shop/naomirabinowitz