Cabochons

This was just completed - a custom-made piece in black and light lavender-blue. The cabochons are always unique and designed for a specific stone or shell. However, often they are also designed in a particular style or color depending on the preference of the buyer.
See below for a description of cabochon designing.


Cabochons
Cabochons are the most time-intensive, expensive and complicated jewelry that I create. They are also extremely satisfying and rewarding. This is a way to highlight the subtle hues of color and design in the original stone or shell by bead weaving beautiful beads, Swarovski crystals and silver or gold around it, transforming a rather plain piece of natural beauty into a sparkling, vibrant creation of art.
The initial stone or shell can be very inexpensive ($10-15) such as many agates or abalone shells, or expensive ($100-150) such as some types of jasper. The style, type of beads, and enhancement with silver, gold and Swarovski crystals will affect the cost of the finished piece.
The first step is to select a particular central piece, which is usually a stone or shell.


Beads are woven in a pattern around this, both front and back.


The completed bead weaving around the stone holds the stone in place.

















A rope chain is added at the top -


Fringe is added at the bottom:



And here is the finished piece:




Here are some other types of chains I use:






Some additional types of fringe are:
Feather pattern


Diagonal


Soft fringe with Swarovski crystals



Soft fringe with dagger beads