On the heels of Coachella and other outdoor festivals, we’ve loving the crazy gemstone statement necklaces all over Instagram. There’s no doubt that Bohemian style is in resurgence and chunky, crystalline jewelry is here to stay. Don’t miss out on a definite summer trend — today we’ll show you how to make your own gemstone statement necklace with some simple soldering skills.
And this is only a jumping-off point. You’ll be able to make some pretty intricate bling once you’ve mastered the art of soldering!
Pick up some of your favorite stones from your local curiosities shop or break into that rock collection you’ve been building from all the places you’ve traveled.
Materials:
— soldering iron
— copper tape
— pliers
— solder
— stones (we use quartz, smoky quartz and bismuth)
— 2 jump rings
— chain
Get your materials together and let’s get started!
Arrange your stones into a design that you’re happy with. We’re using quartz, smoky quartz and bismuth that we picked up at our local curiosities store.
Create ‘caps’ on your stone using the copper tape. This is what the solder will adhere to. If you have trouble getting the copper tape to adhere properly, use an all purpose cleaner to wipe down the stones and try again. Adding copper tape to almost any medium makes it solder-able.
Wrapping can be tricky, especially around irregular sides and edges. Just be sure there’s enough surface for the solder to stick to.
Warm your soldering iron up and cover the tip completely with solder. Solder two stones together by placing the caps next to each other and running the hot iron along the seam. Melt some solder along the seam to create a seal.
Your soldered stones should look like this. You might find it easier to solder if you use some tack to hold the stones in place or you can ask a friend to hold the stones in place.
Attach the smaller pieces of stones together and use a generous amount of solder to ensure a strong hold.
Coat the tip of the iron again with solder and hold a jump ring in place using a pair of pliers. Run the tip of the soldering iron along the bottom edge of the jump ring to fuse the solder from the tip of the iron and the solder from the surrounding area. Repeat this with the other jump ring on the other side of your pendant.
Allow the solder to cool completely before moving on. Gently open the jump rings by working the open end side to side (never pry open jump rings), and loop one of the chain links into the jump ring. If you have trouble opening the jump ring with just one pair of pliers, use another. Close the jump ring and repeat these steps on the other side of the pendant.
Clean up the solder by running the tip of the iron along any bumpy masses of solder. You can cover all of the copper tape with solder for a more polished look or rock the multi-metal finish look.
You’ve just made the statement necklace to end all statement necklaces!
What kind of stones are you soldering together? Show us your project by tagging us on Instagram and using the hashtag #iamcreative!
DIY Production and Styling: Marianne Koo
Photography: Brittany Griffin
