We love long pendant necklaces. They are so easy to put on. And they really dress up a simple top! We made this Gemstone Leaf Pendant Necklace on hand-dyed, hand-tied silk cording. We love the color it brings to the necklace. We used wirework to attach the gold ring to a chunky citrine gemstone. And we added some fun pops of color to the gold leaves with short strands of ribbon.
Here’s a complete step-by-step video to show you how to make your own Gemstone Leaf Pendant Necklace. In the video, we’ll show you how to make a wrapped loop to create the gemstone component. We’ll show you how to open and close a jump ring using two pairs of pliers to protect the round shape of the jump ring. And we’ll show you how to make a really cool sliding knot. The sliding knot takes the place of a clasp. (Yay, no clasp!) And it makes the necklace adjustable. Follow along with the video, then use the steps below to make your own Gemstone Leaf Pendant Necklace.
Video: Gemstone Leaf Pendant Necklace
Disclosure: This post has some affiliate links for products we think you’ll like. Even if you don’t want to buy the items online, we think it’s helpful to see what they look like, so you can buy them at your local craft store. If you make a purchase from one of these links, we’ll make a small commission. There is no additional cost to you at all, but it helps us a little so we can pay for our web hosting and the tools and materials we use in these videos and blog posts. All opinions are our own from our own personal experience.
How To Make A Gemstone Leaf Pendant Necklace
Materials
42″ Silk jewelry strand, teal
18mm x 25mm Faceted gemstone, citrine
17mm Gold ring
44mm Gold leaf charm with jump ring
30mm Gold leaf charm with jump ring
6″ Silk ribbon, olive green
24-Gauge wire, gold color
Tools
Chain-nose pliers
Round-nose pliers
Wire cutters
Scissors
Steps
1. To get started making the Gemstone Leaf Pendant, turn the citrine gemstone into a connector. To do this, cut a 4″ piece of wire. Make a wrapped loop in one end. Start by pinching the wire about 2″ from the end using the round-nose pliers. Bend the wire 90 degrees.
2. Reposition the pliers to the top of the bend. Pull the wire of the tail around the pliers to form a loop. The loop needs to be big enough to feed the silk cord through two times, so use the fattest part of the round-nose pliers.
3. Reposition the lower jaw into the partial loop and pull the wire the rest of the way around.
4. Next, hold the loop across with the pliers, and use your other hand to pull the tail around the wire two times.
5. Trim the end of the tail using the wire cutters.
6. Feed the gemstone onto the wire. You could make this pendant with any big chunky faceted bead. We’ve seen lots of good choices on Etsy.
7. Make a wrapped loop in the other end of the wire using the same technique, but before you wrap the loop closed, feed on the gold ring.
8. Slide the gold ring into the wire loop.
9. Then hold the wire loop across with the round-nose pliers, and use your other hand to pull the tail around the wire neck two times.
10. Trim the end of the tail using the wire cutters.
11. Attach the large leaf charm to the gold ring by opening the jump ring using two pliers, sliding the gold ring into the leaf’s jump ring, and closing the jump ring. Repeat to attach the small leaf to the gold ring.
12. Cut a three inch piece of teal silk and tie it onto the gold ring using a cow hitch. Repeat to attach a piece of green ribbon on each side of the leaves.
13. Fold the silk cord in half and tie a cow hitch onto the gold ring.
14. Then tie an overhand knot in both cords just above the cow hitch.
15. Instead of a clasp we’re going to use a sliding knot. Tie the left end of the cord around the right cord using a double overhand knot.
16. Then tie the right end of the cord around the left end of the cord using a double overhand knot. The knots slide to make the necklace adjustable.
We love wearing a long pendant necklace like this with jeans and a t-shirt. So easy! And if you have any questions about this project or any jewelry project, leave us a comment and we’ll reply. We are here to help.
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty
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