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Jewel-box bracelet

Inspired by the bold jeweled cuffs of the 1940s, this colorful band looks at home on the runway or around your wrist

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SUPPLIES

Bracelet 7 1⁄2–9 in. (19.1–23 cm)

10–12 12–32 mm crystal rivolis or stones, in a variety of shapes and sizes
16 mm CRYSTALLIZED™ rivoli button
25 4 mm bicone crystals
8 g 11/0 Japanese cylinder beads
5 g 15/0 Japanese seed beads
Fireline 6 lb. test
beading needles, #12 or #13

INSTRUCTIONS

Before you start assembling the bracelet, you may want to gather your rivolis and stones and lay them on a sheet of paper. Arrange them into a pattern you like, placing a large stone at each end to connect to the closure, and trace around them to make a template. Keep in mind that once you bezel the rivolis and stones and start to connect them, you may have to adjust your plans.

Bezels

On 24 in. (61 cm) of Fireline, attach a stop bead, leaving a 12-in. (30 cm) tail. Using the “Bezeling rivolis” chart (left) as a guide, pick up enough cylinder beads to fit around the rivoli or stone. Work in tubular peyote to bezel the rivoli, stitching a total of four rows with 11/0 cylinder beads with two rows of 15/0 seed beads on each side. Do not end the working thread or tail. Repeat to bezel the remaining stones and rivolis.

Photo a

Connections

Lay out the rivolis and stones as you would like them to sit in the bracelet, using your template as a guide, if you made one. Start at one end of the bracelet and work to the other, using the tails from the bezels to make the connections.

1. Sew through the bezel of an end rivoli or stone to exit the cylinder in the initial round where you would like to connect the next rivoli or stone. Pick up a 15/0, sew through a cylinder in the initial round of the next rivoli or stone, pick up a 15/0, and sew through the first cylinder again (PHOTO A). Retrace the thread path several times to reinforce the connection. Sew through an adjacent cylinder on the first bezel and repeat to make a second connection.

2. Continue connecting the remaining rivolis and stones as in step 1, working from one end of the bracelet to the other. As you make the connections, try to keep the bracelet in a basic rectangular shape. Each rivoli or stone should connect to at least two others. When all the rivolis and stones are connected, end all the threads.

Tip!

Editor’s note: My rivoli button is only 12 mm, so I made my tab and my button hole smaller, and used 3 mm crystals to edge the tab.

Making the clasp

1. Add a new thread to the outer edge of a large stone bezel at one end of the bracelet, exiting a cylinder in the initial round about five cylinders from the center of the edge. Working in peyote stitch, work five stitches across the edge of the bezel.

Tip!

If you use a variety of colors, choose rivolis with a similar intensity, such as all jewel tones or all pastels. For monochromatic sparkle, play with the intensity and the finishes of your crystals to add variety and interest. Select cylinders and 15/0s to harmonize with your color palette, and keep in mind that your crystals might reflect the color of the bezel beads. With the wide variety of vintage and modern rivolis, stones, and cabochons available, there are plenty of options.