Necklace Designs - Inspiration

© by Rena Klingenberg; all rights reserved

These necklace designs can be a starting point in deciding what kind of neckwear you want to make. Seeing a few style possibilities always gets my creative juices flowing, and I hope these pics do the same for you!

Tumbled amber nuggets combine with beading wire and crimp beads to form a graceful (and very unusual) version of an illusion necklace. Sometimes putting a slightly different twist on a standard jewelry style like that can yield a fantastic design:

Here a metalwork choker looks both strong and fluid - with an interesting historical feel to it. A simple, repeated design is all the ornamentation this piece needs:

A long, gracefully beaded dangle can exude Victorian charm and style - or eye-catching allure:

I have tremendous respect for jewelry artists who make incredible pieces with seed beads, such as the one here.

I don't have the patience or perseverance for this level of art, and my hat is off to everyone who does!

Here funky and dramatic co-exist beautifully in this disc-and-button necklace design.

Even the clasp is a wonderfully integral part of the piece:

The random scatter of beads keeps this multi-strand necklace from being too formal.

To me it's still a "dressy" style, but the random design keeps it real:

A longish cord with a rustic or natural pendant can be worn by both men and women.

Amulet styles like these tend to sell well for me, especially if there's only one of each design on display:

Chain maille artistry can result in so many different designs. These too can be worn by both men and women who appreciate the beauty of handmade chain.

A handmade clasp makes chain maille even better:

An ultra-long single strand can make a fantastic lariat.

Just sling it around your neck a few times and tie the ends casually in the front - and you've got a really striking piece that people will nearly always comment on.

Keep the construction lightweight, especially if it's a really long strand; splicing with a light chain is a good way to keep the piece from getting too heavy to wear: