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.

Silver necklace with green Swarovski crystal hearts

I'm in love -- with Swarovski crystal hearts, that is. I got a bunch of these little guys on sale a while back and think they're so, so pretty. I love heart-shaped gems, anyway, but seeing them in all of these different, shiny colors just about sent me over the edge.

I've been waiting to get the right inspiration when it came to designing with these Swarovski hearts. I didn't want to just hang them on a wire and call it a day; I wanted to do something special with them. I'd already designed a multi-colored cuff bracelet with them, but looked forward to coming up with more great ideas.

This particular necklace came about due to me wishing it were spring. This winter has been terrible, because of the snow and multiple colds for me, so I'm longing for some warm days ahead. To me, spring is a happy season filled with sunshine, flowers and a lot of green. That said, this necklace with the light green hearts represents my love - heh -- of nature and of things coming back to life after a long winter.

To make the necklace, I used 18 gauge silver wire and twisted it into a simple vine shape. I originally wanted to make an entire necklace out of the vine pattern, but it kept getting tangled and looked more like poison ivy than a beautiful, winding leaf. I nixed that idea and went with a simpler version of the design; I then hung five green Swarovski crystal heart "leaves" onto the vine. The end result is that it looks like a tree is just starting to bloom.

This spring, I have a lot to look forward to -- my wedding anniversary, a trip to Greece, long days outdoors. This necklace celebrates that.

To see or purchase more of my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Sterling silver necklace pendant in a zig zag design

When it comes to actually wearing jewelry, I'm sort of a minimalist. I'm not a big fan of necklaces that have rows and rows of pearls and diamonds, or just too many things on them. I like my eye to go right to the focal point of the piece.

This is why so many of my handcrafted items are so simple. I'll use only one or two elements so that each element gets the chance to be front and center.

That said, I do like pieces that are unique and even when I'm making something simple, I like to do something interesting. Whenever I work with a metal, like silver or gold, I treat it like a sculpture and see what kind of cool shape I can come up with. Often the metal does the "talking" and the end result is a surprise to me!

This zig zag pendant is made with 14 gauge sterling silver wire and a black silk cord. That's it. But 14 gauge wire is so thick and tough that you're basically working with a sheet of metal. There is some labor involved in bending it into something presentable, then hammering and polishing it. I've never seen myself as the type of girl who'd work with hand tools, but hammering metal is very satisfying!

Some jewelry makers like to hammer wire until it's flat, but I just kind of gently bang it to give it some texture. There's really not a "correct" way to do it; it depends on what you want the end piece to look like. I'd wear this piece with pride, though, so I'm pleased with the result.

To see or purchase my work, head to Naomi's Designs or Naomi's Studio.

Sterling silver necklace with yellow crystals

I've never been gung ho about diamonds; in fact, my engagement ring has an emerald in it. However, I really like the look of yellow diamonds, especially when they're paired with silver. Silver and yellow don't seem like two colors that would go well together, but they really do.

Obviously, yellow diamonds cost a fortune, so I went for the next best thing: yellow crystals. I then brainstormed some ways that I could highlight them in a piece of jewelry.

I ended up creating this necklace with 16 gauge silver wire and yellow crystals. I wanted to do something unusual so I created this abstract squarish design. Since the crystals are round, I like the way they look against the sharp angles of the wire. I then added a long centerpiece onto the necklace, which is simply a string of the yellow crystals. It gives the necklace some depth and balance.

To me, yellow is a "happy" color, representing sunshine, daisies, warmth. I hope that this necklace radiates all of these good feelings.

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