For Christmas I got a Barnes and Noble gift card, so I bought 2 jewelry design books with it. The first was Bohemian Inspired Jewelry by Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel (see my review of it in my May 2013 archive) but to reach the $25 free shipping, I picked out another book that I knew relatively little about. It is Necklaceology: How to make chokers, lariats, ropes & more by Candie Cooper. It looked intriguing and the cover boasted 40 different jewelry designs, so I was excited to get it. I wasn't disappointed. Some of the designs were pretty traditional, but I found some of them to be unique.
While I enjoyed looking at the designs summed up in words like "axis," "helios," and "stone's throw," what I liked most about the book is that it gave techniques for altering individual jewelry components. So many times we see jewelry that is mass produced with recognizable components. Candie shows us how to take these components and add color, patinas, texture, and composition. These little changes can make a huge difference in making your pieces one-of-a-kind and special.
Many of her jewelry projects in her book show the sketched piece and the finished piece. I enjoyed seeing the translation from the sketch to the actual piece. The sketch also helps reveal the structure of the pieces, so you can use it as a jumping off point for your own jewelry designs--change up the beads, add little embellishments, use a different cord, etc.
The book is published by Lark Crafts (Lark also publishes the fantastic 500 book series), and was worth the money. I have already looked through the book many times and I will be using it as a reference in the future. Yay for great jewelry artists who share their inspiration.
Happy Creating!
--Kathy
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