Making Pendants Necklaces and Earrings Jewelry Making Project -- Page 6

Here is a pendant necklace project that takes about a minute to complete.  This project uses our pinch bail finding, item 3435 in gold filled, or item 3437 in sterling silver, and some sterling silver or gold filled chain to make a necklace using one of our Cubic Zirconia pendants.   The tools required are a thumb and forefinger.  We recommend using our 22x30mm Pear Pendants or our 18mm Flat Pear Pendants to make these necklaces.  Both these pendant gemstones have front-to-back holes that make them perfectly suited for this project.  We also recommend using curb style of chain like our items 3319 in gold filled or our item 3318 in sterling silver.  These chains come in an 18" length with a lobster claw type clasp.  The most time consuming task in making these necklaces is to gather the materials.  After that, it takes about 20 seconds to assemble the necklace as described in the following paragraph. 

Assembly of the necklace begins by positioning the bail finding with the two prongs of the bail in the holes on your pendant gemstone.  See the picture below-left for what a bail finding looks like.  In the picture below-center you can view how the two prongs of the bail finding are placed in the holes of the pendant.  After the two prongs are positioned properly, squeeze the bail finding using your thumb and fore finger until it flattens against your pendant bead.  Since not all pendants are the same, it is possible that you will find some pendants that will not fit the bail finding.  In this case you may find that you want to file either the end of the prongs on the bail, or the side of the prongs on the bail, or sometimes both with your jeweler's files.  Filing the ends of the prongs will help to close the bail finding when the pendant is thinner.  Filing the side of the prongs on the bail finding will help to allow the prongs to fit into a hole in the pendant when the hole is smaller.  You may also find that using nylon jaw pliers will help you to pinch the bail closed when it is a tight fit.  Finally, when the bail is pinched closed, thread your chain through the bail and you have a completed pendant necklace.