My $11,000 Necklace with Matching Bracelet

Recently, there’s been a lot of hubbub over the FCC’s new rule on bloggers and social media.  If you endorse a product in return for compensation (money, free stuff, tickets, shoulder rub) you need to say so or be fined $11,000.  If you want to know more about the rule, go here. 

I bring this up (I almost always have a point—almost) because I just made a necklace and bracelet with some really pretty new stones.  These stones were provided to me absolutely free from an online retailer called ArtBeads.com. 

There are a ton of new colors for fall.  After wearing nothing but silver and blue this summer, I was psyched to do something in copper/brown tones.  I made a multistrand necklace and bracelet using the materials (which if you ordered it yourself would come up to about $35 to 40 depending on what stock you had in house.  I already had a clasp, crimps, and copper wire.)

First, the bracelet.

I used copper wire for both strands.  On the one strand I strung these really cool toho cube seed beads in bronze.  Every so often, I’d throw a Simplicity crystal (in golden shadow) on there.  The crystals are a slightly new shape.  They remind me of bicone, just squished a bit.  And then on the other strand I used the pearls which are really the most pretty part of the pieces (in my opinion).   They are 9x8mm Asymmetrical Pearls in Bronze. 

Second, the Necklace

The necklace is also multi-strand but I made the inner strand shorter to make it more obvious.  I also left gaps between the beads for two reasons: you can stretch your supply a bit, and also, when using a pretty wire like copper, it’s ok to let it show.  What I did was glue those beads in place using really super strong hypo cement (you can find that anywhere.  I usually get mine at Michaels—who did NOT give me one stinkin’ thing to mention that).    The bottom strand is covered in beads varying between pearls, crystals, and toho cubes.  Some close up shots are below.  I also had a really pretty Antique Copper Keepsake Clasp Set for the closure.

   

Hope you like the necklace and bracelet and remember, they were given to me by Artbeads.  The links above go to their site.  For what it’s worth, the ship pretty quickly and have just about whatever you need in stock (plus they just got in all the newest Swarovski crystal colors).  And, I have bought from them in the past and before they gave me the beads—so I can say it with confidence.  Honestly, I wouldn’t have taken their offer if they weren’t decent anyway.

Now I’m curious though.. what if I endorse myself?