Night in Ipanema necklace

I was inspired to create this necklace by the women of the Ipanema neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Seed beads are very popular in Brazilian culture, where women wear bright necklaces in tropical colors. I added the color-blocking style to give this necklace extra pizzazz. By using a bead spinner and gluing strands into end caps, you'll be able to recreate this look.

SUPPLIES

necklace with crystal accent 52 in. (1.3 m)

• 69 mm Instant Glam by Fernando Quatro gunmetal bezel
• 44.5 mm Instant Glam by Fernando Quatro Crystal Rocks component
• 4 18 x 13 mm crystal stones
• 14 x 9 mm crystal stone
• 52 8 mm bicone or round crystals
• 16–24 3–4 mm round flat-back crystals
• 100 g 80 or 110 seed beads, in five to seven colors
• 4 10 mm jump rings
• 10–12-in. (25–30 cm) 24-gauge wire
• thread like DandyLine by Beadalon
• 51 mm round hook-and-eye end cap clasp
• twisted steel beading needle, J-shaped
• 2 pairs of pliers
• diagonal wire cutters
• BeadFix instant glue
• bead spinner
• craft sticks
• two-part epoxy

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill a bead spinner halfway with a single color of 80 or 110 seed beads. Cut 2 yd. (1.8 m) of thread, and center a J-shaped needle. Tie the ends together with an overhand knot, leaving a 4-in. (10 cm) tail. Place the tip of the needle in the beads so it is parallel to the surface of the beads. Hold the needle still and turn the bead spinner bowl with your other hand, moving in the opposite direction of the needle. Spin the bowl until the needle fills up with beads. 

2. Lift the needle and slide the beads onto the thread. String 8–10 in. (20–25 cm) of beads and a crystal. Continue to add 8–10-in. (25 cm) color blocks of seed beads as desired, then a crystal. Cut the thread, remove the needle, and tie an overhand knot with both ends. Make 13 beaded strands.

5. Apply two-part epoxy to the wire-wrapped knot and insert it into half of the clasp. Allow the epoxy to cure for two hours.

6. On the other side, add or remove beads so the strands are the same length. Finish as in steps 3 to 5. Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours.

CRYSTAL ACCENT

1. Apply a thin layer of glue to the back of a Crystal Rocks component and place it in a bezel. 

2. Mix a small amount of two-part epoxy and apply a thin layer to the back of a 14 mm crystal stone. Place the crystal in the center of the Crystal Rocks component. Adhere four 18 mm crystal stones around the center crystal. Adhere flat-back crystals around the edges of the bezel. Allow the bezel to cure for 24 hours.