Wednesday Workshop: Asymmetrical Bezels

One of my great struggles in beadwork is to resist the lure of symmetry. Sharp-cornered crystals and reliable Delicas tempt me to make all my jewelry geometric and regular. Safe. But great jewelry is rarely if ever safe, so I keep an eye out for things that will push me into new and chaotic places. Take these lovely opal earrings by designer Colette:

Opals, with their swirling rainbows and iridescence, are naturally resistant to symmetry. The pattern of these earrings is simple and regular -- a pair of round stones with a drop pendant -- but the asymmetrical bezels keep the viewer's eye guessing, making the overall effect incredibly dynamic. The small yellow stones stand out by virtue of their contrasting hue, and their clustering keeps the regularity from becoming staid.

Try this on:

• The leaf-shaped earrings in this previous Wednesday workshop.
• Any collection of haphazard rivolis.
• Add small crystal or cylinder-bead embellishments to a strong geometric component like Diane Fitzgerald's Shaped Beadwork.

Wednesday Workshop: Clasp as Balancing Element

This week's Wednesday Workshop comes from Katerina Konstantinou, beadfatuation on Pinterest.

It's so easy to think of clasps as purely functional elements, necessary but not exciting. This necklace reminds me that clasps are just as much a design opportunity as pendants are: by adding floral elements to the clasp, this designer has balanced the weight of the pendant at the bottom, while allowing the appealing simplicity of the herringbone rope to remain intact. Without the decorative clasp, this necklace would feel bottom-heavy and mundane. An added bonus is that the wearer of this necklace will be just as adorned from the back as she is from the front.

Try this on:

• Miye Matsukata's gemstone plaque.
• Lisa Kan's Russian spiral necklace.
• Any rounded necklace shape with a pendant of significant weight.