If you’re looking for jewelry with bezeled gemstones, most of the options you see are stones captured in metal – silver, gold, copper, brass, etc. All beautiful. But if you like to go on adventures with color, metal is limiting. Enter Beaded Gemstone Capture Jewelry.
If you weave a bezel with seed beads, the color possibilities are limited only by the available palette of tiny glass beads. And if you like the look of metal but want Beaded Gemstone Capture Jewelry, you can use seed beads with beautiful metal finishes.
Keeping the gemstone stable and secure with just tiny glass beads and thread can be a challenge. I control tension and bead count with Peyote stitch to maintain structural integrity and make a piece of wearable art that is strong while appearing delicate.
The custom beaded chains that support the necklaces combine seed beads and Czech fire polish glass beads on strong, stranded, flexible beading wire. A sterling silver clasp secures each piece with precious metal.
Hypo-allergenic earring findings make the post earrings comfortable for just about any wearer.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Making shaped beaded beads is one of my favorite things to do – there is something very satisfying about making pieces that fit. Maybe it’s from “helping” my dad (he was so patient) build things when I was a young girl. I grew up thinking that a father-daughter day with tools was just like any other Saturday. I still know my way around a table saw, but beads are more portable, and there’s no sawdust to sweep up. Making Shaped Peyote Gemstone Pendants reminds me of those days.
I love to combine semiprecious gemstones and seed beads because of the creative possibilities. The array of possible seed bead colors is almost endless, so I can always find just the right match or accent for any gemstone, even the challenging ones. Peyote stitch provides a satisfying and predictable structure that hearkens back to those days with my dad. Also, I am a quilter, and fitting beads together with precision is a lot like piecing an intricate quilt, but without the sewing machine. I enjoy projects that I can take with me or work on in my lap. Beadweaving is a portable art form!
All of the following pieces are from my collection of hand beaded jewelry. You can see these pieces and other unique jewelry and fiber art designs at Flying Goat Studio.
Rhodochrosite Beaded Necklace
Pretty pink Rhodochrosite is the center attraction in this pink and ivory necklace. This stone has lovely little occlusions that add a bit of visual texture to the smooth gemstone. The curved shape of the stone is a nice counterpoint to the angular elongated diamond shape of the medallion.
Yellow Jade Beaded Necklace
For the Yellow Jade Beaded Necklace, a bezel of Peyote stitched Japanese glass cylinder beads surrounds and secures the central yellow jade gemstone. As in all Beaded Gemstone Capture Jewelry, the dimensional medallion that supports the stone looks substantial, but is surprisingly lightweight and easy to wear.
Lapis Lazuli Beaded Necklace
Lapis Lazuli Beaded Necklace relies on rich blue beads to surround the central Lapis Lazuli gemstone and extend the deep color story. Japanese glass cylinder beads surround and secure the gemstone. The custom beaded chain combines coordinating bugle beads and Czech fire polish glass beads on strong, stranded, flexible beading wire. Finally, a sterling silver clasp secures the piece with precious metal.
Freshwater Pearl Beaded Necklace
With a different take on Beaded Gemstone Capture Jewelry, Freshwater Pearl Beaded Necklace joins two unique components. A bezel of Peyote stitched Japanese glass cylinder beads surrounds and secures the central violet freshwater coin pearl to let its lustre shine. Embellishing the bezel and its perimeter help draw the eye to the pearl. Then the three dimensional teardrop dangle adds movement to the piece. The two components become the pendant portion of the Freshwater Pearl Beaded Necklace when joined. In these colors, this is a great piece to wear to a wine tasting party.
Faceted Fire Agate Beaded Necklace
Faceted Fire Agate Beaded Necklace reflects light from the surfaces of the polished stone. The seed bead colors play off of the burnt orange of the stone, picking up the small bright highlights. Fire Agates have a lot of variation in color intensity and translucence, so they are versatile gemstones to work with.
Freshwater Pearl Beaded Pentagon Necklace
An oval stone, especially an organic shape rather than a cut stone, presents more of a challenge to construct a beaded bezel that fits. But when it does, it’s lovely! The geometry of the Peyote stitched pentagon base is a nice counterpoint to an organic pearl.
Turquoise Beaded Necklace
Peyote stitched Japanese glass cylinder beads surround and secure the central turquoise gemstone. The dimensional beaded medallion that supports the stone looks substantial, but is surprisingly lightweight and easy to wear. A sterling silver clasp secures the hand beaded chain with precious metal.
I love turquoise. Each stone has so many possible variations. It can lean toward either blue or green. It’s personal preference, but I like the added visual interest of a little matrix in the stone. That’s the veining pattern that appears in some stones. The matrix can range from very light to almost black, adding either subtle or dramatic contrast. That often dictates the bead colors.
To make the turquoise stone stand up and out from the surface of the pendant, beads and thread had to work together to provide structure. Tension and bead count have to be just right to maintain structural integrity and make a piece of wearable art that is strong while appearing delicate. The teardrop shaped geometric base must be woven in two identical pieces that fit together perfectly so they can be joined and embellished to accent the perimeter of the Turquoise Beaded Necklace.
Serenity and Gray Labradorite Beaded Necklace
Combine Labradorite’s natural iridescence with a faceted cut so you get an elegant play on light. Then the gemstone is right at home at the front and center of the pendant. As a Pantone Color of the Year, Serenity Blue highlights the blue sparkles of the Labradorite.
Beaded Jade Post Earrings
Popular for centuries, Jade lends itself to both casual and formal looks. The beaded bezel begins with a circular Peyote stitch to cover the base of the 12mm stone. A close match in color allows the visual focus to remain with the gemstone’s beautiful jade color.
Platinum and Labradorite Post Earrings
Platinum and Labradorite Post Earrings feature central faceted Labradorite gemstones surrounded and secured by Peyote stitched platinum-plated Japanese glass hex beads. Labradorite has a natural light blue and purple iridescence, and the faceted cut of these 10mm stones catches and reflects even more light. The hex cut of the cylinder seed beads reflects even more platinum sparkle.
These earrings were showcased in the gallery at the 2017 RAGS Guild Wearable Art Sale and Show in Tacoma, WA. RAGS provides services for women and children in crisis through the YWCA. A Guild patron purchased these earrings during the Artists Preview event, and all for a good cause! So I couldn’t be more pleased that Flying Goat Studio was included as part of this annual event.
