Retired - Victorian Parlor Necklace

Begin by cutting 12 lengths of 24 gauge wire, 3 inches long each. Take one length of wire and create a wrapped wire loop on one end. Thread onto the wire 1 Preciosa Czech crystal 4mm bicone bead in siam red, 1 Czech glass table cut window bead in jet and bronze, and 1 Preciosa Czech crystal 4mm bicone bead in siam red. Create a wrapped wire loop at the end and cut off excess wire using your flush cutters. Repeat with the other 11 lengths of wire.Cut 12 more lengths of wire, 2 inches long each. Take one length of wire and create a wrapped wire loop on one end. Thread onto the wire 1 Preciosa Czech crystal 4mm bicone bead in siam red and then create a wrapped wire loop on the end. Cut off excess wire with flush cutters. Repeat with the other 11 lengths of wire. Cut 1 length of wire, 3 inches long. Create a wrapped wire loop on one end and thread 4 Preciosa Czech crystal 4mm bicone beads in siam red. Create a wrapped wire loop on the end and cut off excess wire. We now have all the components for making our necklace and are going to start connecting them together using 4mm jump rings, hooking them to the wrapped wire loops you have already created. Using a jump ring connect one of your single bead lengths to one of your longer beaded lengths, on the other side connect another single bead length using another jump ring. Repeat this pattern until you have have 4 of the longer lengths connected. Instead of connecting a single bead length to the other side of the 4th longer length, connect you beaded length with 4 Preciosa Czech bicone beads on it. You are now to the half way point of the necklace, continue connecting the lengths using jump rings making the other side of the necklace a mirror image of the first. At each end of the now long necklace strand, connect one end of the clasp using a jump ring. Set aside. For the middle bead work of the necklace, connect 1 single bead length to a longer bead length using a jump ring. On the other side of the longer bead length, connect another single bead length using another jump ring. Repeat this step so that you end up with two identical beaded lengths. Set aside.At this point you will have 2 shorter bead lengths and 2 longer ones left. Connect a short length to a long length using a jump ring. Repeat with your last two lengths. Take your necklace and count 9 jump rings in from a clasp end (this will be the jump ring holding the beaded length that has the 4 bicone beads on it). Carefully open that jump ring but do not allow any of the wrapped wire loops to come off of it. Attach to it the wrapped wire loop at the top of the single bead length you just made in the previous step. Close the jump ring. Repeat this same step on the other side of the necklace. Once you have both sides done, pull the two dangling ends together and connect them with a jump ring so they come down to a point. Attach to that same jump ring your Vintaj filigree pendant (attaching it to the loop at the top). Now count 8 jump rings in from the clasp end of your necklace. Open this jump ring, not letting any of the wrapped wire loops come off of it, and attach one end of one of your remaining beaded lengths. Close the jump ring. Instead of letting this beaded length dangle, we are going to pull it over to the beadwork we just did in the previous step so that there is a swooping effect when the necklace is worn. Attach the dangling end of the bead length you just attached to the jump ring which is in the middle of the beaded length you made in the previous step (between the single bicone beaded length and the longer 3 bead length). Repeat this step on the other side of the necklace. Enjoy!Variations:You can create a completely different look for this necklace by switching out the focal brass piece or you can change the look by choosing other colors for the 4mm Czech glass bicones and/or the oval beads .When substituting in items, pay attention to sizes and styles to make sure all your pieces will fit together. + +