Jewellery Making Tutorial: Freshwater Cultured Pearl Rosary Linked Necklace Mini Make

- by jewellery maker Sean Kerr

We're excited to announce the jewellery maker Sean Kerr will now be working with the JM team! Sean will be making mini tutorials for some of the products we're selling, to show you how you can incorporate the products into your jewellery pieces easily.

Today's make is using White Freshwater Nugget Pearls, Approx 8-10mm, 38cm Strand (SKU AWGP32)

Enjoy Sean's tutorial below:

For this project, I used 925 sterling silver wire and small lengths of infinity link chain. While knotting pearls isn’t my strength, I love how rosary linking gives each stone space to shine, highlighting the beauty of each gemstone.

Step 1:

Start by creating your first link using about 3 inches of 0.4mm wire. Make the wrapped loops as small as possible for added strength. I used micro-faceted black spinel on either side of each pearl. The fine wire can be a bit tricky to work with, but aim to keep your wraps neat and consistent for each link. I wrapped each loop three times.

Step 2:

For the next link, cut another 3-inch piece of 0.4mm wire. Use your needle nose pliers to make a sharp bend at one end.

Step 3:

Begin forming a small loop using your needle nose pliers, but don’t complete the wrap yet.

Step 4:

Before finishing the loop, thread the previously made link onto it.

Step 5:

After adding the previous link, finish by making three wraps around the loop. Trim off any excess wire and use flat nose pliers to smooth out any sharp edges. Then, string your beads—I used one micro-faceted spinel, one pearl, and another micro-faceted spinel. Complete the link with another wrapped loop.

Step 6:

Repeat this process to create more links until you almost reach your desired necklace length. Be sure to attach each new loop to the previous link before wrapping it closed. Trust me, it's easy to forget and end up with a separate component instead of a connected chain!

Step 7:

To finish the necklace, I like to add short sections of chain, which adds flexibility near the clasp. I used about an inch of chain, attaching a clasp to one end and a jump ring to the other, as shown in the Step 7 photo.

Step 8:

Finally, I created one more link at each end of the necklace, allowing me to attach the short chain sections to complete the piece. The result is a stunning pearl necklace!

We hope you've enjoyed this mini tutorial by Sean. If you'd like to get your own White Freshwater Nugget Pearls, watch the show on Sunday 6th October from 11am or search for AWGP32 on our website!

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- A blog by jewellery maker Sean Kerr