Wire can take the form of pretty much anything. It can be functional as well as beautiful. In its simplest jewelry-making use, we have connectors, like jump rings and simple loops. Expand on the simple loop and form wrapped loops. Shape heavier-gauge wire to form links and create wire jewelry like chains, and on, and […]

Before we begin with the new jewellery tutorial, I wanted to share a small presentation of some of the jewellery pieces I’ve created along the way and throughout […]

Anatomy is the study of the internal and external structures of our bodies. It is a very old science as people have been interested in how our bodies work since prehistoric times.  ambroidering is the shop British artisan who specializes in anatomical art. The work is so well detailed with both bead (and sequin) embroidery […]

I first came across Meltem of MevolikaJewelry’s work when I stumbled upon her awesome wire wrapped spider pendant tutorial. It was featured in this past post about autumn jewelry and decor. It is the most striking and innovative spider design I have ever seen. I also love her unusual witch design shown further down. Her […]

Michael Boyd is one of those designers whose work you can spot from a mile, even if you haven’t seen it in years. Its originality has to do with its layers of color and texture. Plus, each element is individually fabricated to fit the design, including the gemstones he cuts himself.  ABOVE: Necklace by Michael […]

I get it. Making beaded necklaces can be a lot of work. Fun, but time consuming. So here is a lovely collection of simply elegant beaded necklace tutorials which are sure to take you way, way less time to complete than 2 Christmases from now! First up is the lovely bicone design shown above by @HuongHandmade12. […]

Two years ago, diamond ball burs gave me the creative kick I needed to grow as a jewelry maker. They allowed me to drill pearls and carve swirling patterns in them. I was also able to epoxy faceted stones into beads, cut seats in disk-shaped pearls for cabochon settings, and make large-hole beads out of […]

We have 8 billion people on this planet today, all of whom generate trash. Perhaps some more than others but collectively, trash is a huge problem today. The biggest culprit is plastic. Don’t get me wrong, we do need some plastic for many applications but the throw away culture means a lot of plastic ends […]

Nothing says more about a design being handmade than if as many components as possible are indeed handmade. However,  few of us are masters at all kinds of techniques. So artisanal supplies are sought after for their uniqueness.  One such artisan is French ceramic artist, PoppyBis. Her designs come as charms or cabochons. She also […]

I actually made it! This year on January 4, marks the 19th blogging anniversary of The Beading Gem’s Journal. I’ve bucked the trend as the average lifespan of a blog is just 2-3 years. This blog was and still is a passion project. I have kept it a one woman blog all these years with […]