Valkyrie

Project and Sample by Drea Carbone

The Aurora Borealis captured in a stone? It seems to be...Labradorite is famous for its flash, that beautiful iridescence seen when you move the gems in the light...bright yellow, soft green, peacock blue...it’s truly special. There is an Inuit legend that the Aurora Borealis became trapped in a rock, and warrior set them free with his spear...but some of the light remained imprisoned and that’s why we can see it in the stone. This trio of necklaces takes its name from another about the Northern Lights. The ancient Norse believed that the spectacular rainbow of lights seen in the night sky were reflections from the armor of the Valkyrie, mythological women warriors who could decide the fate of the humans in battle and either allow them to fight another day or lead them to Valhalla, the lights creating a path to the afterlife.

Drea’s favorite stones? Moonstone and Labradorite. Drea’s favorite necklace to wear? Right here. Valkyrie is actually a trio...three silver chain necklaces accented with labradorites, layered. Wear just one, wear two, wear all three...or mix and match with other necklaces. They’re simple, and that’s what makes them perfect for layering together or with other pieces.

Here’s the special trick...it can be a pain to put on three necklaces, tiny lobster claws and clumsy fingers don’t always mix, especially when you can’t see what you’re doing. Drea saw magnetic clasps for sale online that are meant to bundle your necklaces onto one simple clasp...but she wasn’t about to pay $30 for something she could make for $10! So here we have our own version. Add the trio of Valkyrie necklaces, or add your own. Use a Cleo 3, or adjust and get a Cleo or whatever size you wish, for however many necklaces you wish to wear at once! It’s so simple, so easy, and so inexpensive!!

Design Notes:
This trio of necklaces can be adjusted for length. Buy more chain as needed for longer necklaces! You do you! Here is a breakdown of each necklace, starting with the shortest:

Shortest necklace: 16.5” in length. This necklace features a long wire-wrapped bead unit, a straight bar of just 3mm gem rondelles. At the clasp end, the lobster claw and jump ring are connected with shorter wire-wrapped bead units, with 3 rondelles on each unit.

Middle necklace: 19.5” in length. This necklace has a single wire-wrapped briolette pendant. At the clasp end, the lobster claw is connected with a single jump ring, and the other end has a large enough link of chain that you don’t need a jump ring, the lobster can hood right onto the chain.
Longest necklace: 32” in length. This necklace is patterned with several short wire-wrapped bed units, some with three 3mm gem rondelles, some with 7mm rondelles bookended with 3mm rondelles. Drea wanted symmetry, but you do you in your patterning! The lengths of chain between each unit are equal. At the clasp end, the lobster claw and jump ring are connected with shorter wire-wrapped bead units, with 3 rondelles on each unit.

Clasp Component: Take your Cleo clasp, and on one side add a lobster claw to each loop using a jump ring. On the other side of the Cleo, add just a jump ring. You’re done! That’s it! Now you can add whatever necklaces to this piece that you want, and you can put them on yourself all at once and with ease.

Ingredient Notes:
*Drea uses 6 ft of chain total, selecting three different styles. Each necklace will use 2 feet or less of its own style (use those leftover inches in some earrings!).

**If you’re making the Clasp Component, make sure you’re purchasing enough Lobster Claws to match how many loops on your Cleo Clasp. If you’re buying a Cleo 4, you’ll need four lobsters...but keep in mind you will also need lobsters for the necklaces you are making, too! Each necklace is a complete necklace that could be worn on its own.

Find ingredient quantities for Valkyrie listed above for easy shopping, and find our other samples here.

Please join us as our worldwide community gathers on Facebook and YouTube at 10:30am Pacific Time on December 18th, 2020. It’s so much fun to go live with us and bead together! After the live broadcast the video will be available above.

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