Autumn Tourmaline
and Pearl Necklace
Designed by Kristin Burgess

Vibrant colored faceted Tourmaline nuggets mixed with rose colored freshwater pearls make this autumns outfit shine.  Copper findings are mixed in to create this months latest trend.   Perfect matched with a brown or black blazer.













Step 1:
With your flush cutters cut 2 feet of the medium softflex.  With your crimper tool and one copper crimp attach one side of the copper toggle to the softflex (see crimping demo located on crimper tool package).  With one side of your toggle attached you are ready to start stringing the design.


Step 2: 
With your cutters cut the strand of temporarily strung nuggets of tourmaline.  Arrange the nuggets on a flat surface or bead mat so that the colors are distributed evenly.  Strands of stone vary slightly in size and color.  You will want to arrange your stones so that the pinks, greens, yellows and browns alternate.  For example if your strand has four pink nuggets then space them evenly in the piece instead of stringing them together or in a row. 


Step 3:
Start stringing 3 copper-lined beads then 1 Garnet, tourmaline nugget, copper ball,  pearl, garnet, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, garnet, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, pearl, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, 2 garnets, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, pearl, tourmaline nugget, garnet, copper ball, garnet, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, pearl, tourmaline nugget, garnet, copper ball, pearl, tourmaline nugget, 2 garnets, copper ball, tourmaline nugget, pearl, garnet, tourmaline nugget, garnet, copper ball, tourmaline nugget, garnet, pearl, copper ball, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, garnet, pearl, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, garnet, pearl, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, tourmaline nugget, garnet, copper ball, garnet, tourmaline nugget, copper ball, pearl, 3 copper balls....then copper crimp bead.


Step 4:
Now that the design is on the softflex there is just the end crimp (last strung) to attach to the other side of your toggle clasp.  Before crimping the 2nd part of the toggle to your necklace you will want to place your necklace in a circle on your work area.  It is best to adjust your tension with your necklace in this shape to ensure the beads are not too tight or loose before you crimp that final crimp bead to your clasp.  The three copper beads that end the necklace are large enough so that after you string your clasp on your necklace you can pass the wire back through the crimp bead AND the next three beads.  This allows you to "hide your tail" to prevent a burr or sharp softflex end from sticking out.  Starting and ending with the copper beads makes functioning the clasp easy.   Starting and ending with these beads allows the bar part of the toggle to move sideways with ease allowing it to pass through the loop and function nice and cleanly as the catch.