Another in the series of beading patterns from my distant past.
I was in love with some cranberry-colored beads, smooth and gleaming, with some internal shimmer like opals. I had only a few. This is what I came up with to display them, calling them “focus beads.” They are 8mm in diameter and the necklace is about 17 1/2 inches long. If your facet beads are light, you’ll want heavy focus beads to get the necklace to lie nicely.
Materials:
at least 45″ beading thread
123 5mm facet beads (black in sample)
5 focus beads (cranberry in sample)
clasp
Tie one half of the clasp to the middle of the beading thread. On both strands, thread
36 facet beads
focus bead
On one strand, continue as follows:
6 facet beads
focus bead
9 facet beads
focus bead
6 facet beads
focus bead
36 facet beads
Attach other half of clasp to this strand but leave the loose end dangling.
The second strand will share the focus beads and the final 36 facets with the first, but have more facets in between the focus beads to form the drops. It is threaded as follows:
9 facet beads
second focus bead above
6 facet beads
unused focus bead
6 facet beads
third focus bead above
9 facet beads
fourth focus bead above
final 36 facet beads above
Tie second strand to second side of clasp and run both strands back through final line of facet beads. Trim.