Java Bead

Java Bead - Two of my favorite things combined into one name! :) Russ Powers - husband to fabulous jewelry designer Dhea Powers - combines some of the most beautiful colors and makes fabulous lampwork beads - FABULOUS!  I have made quite a few bracelets from their beads and over the course of the past two days ( half an hour here, an hour there...) I made necklace from their beads.  I posted a few "in process" photos to Face Book.

Russ' beads are made from borosilicate glass rods and the detail is simply amazing!  See the "webbing" in those beads?!  I love this!

I wanted so very much to do something different.  I oftentimes feel like my jewelry "all looks the same" except for the fabulous beads, of course!  So I was on a mission to find a new chain or link to create.  I saw a picture of some Vintaj ladder chain and thought, there has to be a tutorial out there for this chain!  I could not find one so I just played around a bit with some copper wire until I arrived at the best length and gauge to work with.  18 gauge proved too thin for me, so I used 16 gauge wire.

What I like most about the chain is that it is truly sturdy - each link is connected to the next link - not just attached via a jump ring.  And the 16 gauge wire really makes it feel substantial, too.

I added two hand rolled cocoon beads for a little more interest.  Quite frankly, the liver of sulfur bath and the subsequent buffing -- plus a couple of hours in the tumbler -- is what really made this necklace shine for me!

I have already started a second chain in silver and feel like I actually accomplished something new (new to me, that is)!

Hope everyone is hunkered down away from the nasty weather that appears to be plaguing most of the Country these days (fires, tornadoes, excessive rainfall)...ugh.. Please stay safe!

Thanks for stopping by!