Memory wire is flexible wire that springs back to it’s original form when not stretched – kind of like a slinky. It comes in necklace, bracelet and ring sizes. You simply cut off a section to the size you want and string on beads!

Of course, the first step (and the most fun) is to decide on the beads! Some people are inspired by artisan made lampwork beads, others by gemstones beads and still others by the vast array of crystal beads. Some like to use all of the above in their beaded jewelry designs! You are only limited by your own imagination and there is no “wrong” combination of beads so choose the beads that “speak” to you and incorporate them into your design.

To make beaded jewelry using memory wire, you will need:

1. A tool that cuts the memory wire (can be found in any bead supply store – don’t use regular wire cutters as you will soon ruin them!)
2. The memory wire (sold in packages where you can get 2 or 3 pieces of jewelry out of each package)
3. Needle nose pliers
4. The beads!

Step 1 – Cut the memory wire to size. For a bracelet or ring, decide how many times you want it to wrap around your wrist or finger – wrap the wire right around your own wrist and cut to size. A necklace can only go around your neck once (well, you could probably make it to wrap around a couple times but I think it would be hard to get on and off). You want to size it so that the ends overlap a bit.

Step 2 – Now you need to close up one end so that the beads don’t slide off. Take the tip of your needle nose pliers and place them right at the very end of the wire. Now take the wire in your other hand and bend it around the pliers. The wire is pretty hard, so this might be difficult and yoy may have a hard time with this at first. Try practicing on some smaller pieces first until you can make a perfect little loop. Make sure the loop is closed off so no beads can escape. Don’t worry – if you screw up you can just cut off the end and try again! You want the loop to be as small as possible so it doesn’t detract from our design

Some people also glue on little silver end cap beads. While this looks a bit better, you run the risk of the glue not holding and all your beads sliding off. This happened to me once and is why I use the loop method. To make the loops look a bit snazzier, I just dangle a bead from them!

Step 3 – String the beads! If you are making a necklace that has a certain design or focal piece in the middle, you will have to be careful to space the beads exactly so that they are symmetrical and the focal piece is in the exact middle.

Step 4 – Close the other end. Using the method in step 2, close up the other end and you are done!

Shells have been collected and strung into necklaces to adorn royalty and to be worn at special ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. They were given to the deceased as a final goodbye to their loved ones. Nowadays they are donned for every occasion as a fashionable trend. Shell jewelries are beautiful reminders of nature’s beauty.

Making shell jewelry is not as easy as it seems. The tiny shells are first collected and if the shells are seasonal, months are spent collecting a reasonable quantity. Once the season is over, it is time to string them. Before this one has to perform the tedious task of sorting the shells into different colors and sizes and this is more time consuming than collecting them off the beach. Also usually almost every shell has a tiny rock or piece of sand that must be removed before piercing. One by one, thousands of shells are prepared with a tiny needle and one out of five is discarded due to some imperfection. The most laborious to gather, prepare and thread; they are naturally the most valuable. The length of the piece its colors and stringing method determine its price.

Innumerable varieties of shells and shell jewelry are to be found all over the world. All natural sea shell jewelry materials and natural shell components come from different kinds of fashionable sea jewels like puka, paua, troca, blacklip and brownlip, hammer, nautilus, Mother of Pearl or m.o.p. shell, shell pendants, raw shells, fashion shell jewelry and many others to make natural costume fashion body jewelry and natural shell jewelry.

Exotic colors emanate from the mother-of-pearl nacre of abalone and paua mollusks. These sea reef and rock creatures build the shells as they grow, with rings of colors gray, blue, green, pink and gold. Paua from New Zealand is more brilliant, with color found inside and outside the shell. The nacre inside mollusk shells, like oysters, has a pearly iridescence created by the animal’s secretions. After being discarded, the hard inner shell surface is beautifully incorporated into jewelry.

Care
For the maintenance of your shell jewelry, it is recommended to return them to their place of origin. In other words, you can use salt water from the ocean with a toothbrush. If you are land-locked, mix some sea salt with water. If not, then simply taking a dive into the ocean with your shells on is the easiest way of restoring them to their natural beauty. Never apply chemicals or take them into chemically treated water.