I have been designing handcrafted semi-precious jewellery for many years now and I love to use stunning semi-precious beads and pendants in my original and unique designs. By creating my own handcrafted jewellery I can create original and unique designs that cannot be found anywhere else there by creating my own unique collection wearing pieces that no one else can be seen in.

I look to Mother Nature for my inspiration for my semi-precious handcrafted jewellery designs both in the choosing of the natural colours and for the shapes in the designs. By looking in your garden or taking a walk in the country you will be inspired to create your own unusual pieces of handmade semi-precious jewellery. Let the different seasons inspire you in your own unique and original designs.

First you have to choose the type of piece you would like to create. Then the colours you would like your piece. If you want to match an outfit then having swatches of the fabric will help. When you have done this then you have to decide on which natural semi-precious beads you would like. I love to mix my semi-precious beads and pendants beads with other handmade beads made from glass, pearls shells and always crystal beads to add a little sparkle and glamour to my handcrafted designs.

You need to decide if you would like a focal point for the unique handcrafted designs and a semi-precious gemstone pendant will work beautifully for this and these come in many beautiful shapes and sizes. You do not need a focal point for you jewellery design as if you are feeling confident you can go for an asymmetrical design but always remembering that you have to get the weight balance right or your piece will not sit correctly around your neck or on your wrist.

I find that a bead tray is very useful when creating a handcrafted jewellery design as you can lay out your semi-precious beads and pendants in order without them rolling all over the table (and having to crawl around the floor picking them up) and you can see the length of your jewellery design as it grows. This way allows you to move the semi-precious beads into the order you desire before you actually finish stringing them.

When you have created your unique handcrafted design you have to choose the type of clasp you would like and this is total down to personal preference. You can use a lobster clasp, a hook and eye or my preference is toggle clasps that come in many unique styles. Magnetic clasps are also great for people that have difficulty with fiddly things.

Tiger Tail is my preference for stringing my semi-precious beads and this is wire covered in plastic and has the strength to keep your unique piece of semi-precious jewellery safe and is able to take a lot of weight that sometimes comes with heavy beads. Tiger tail also does not stretch like many other stringing materials.

Let your imagination run away with you and create your own piece of handcrafted semi-precious jewellery and be known for having your own style