African Turquoise Multistrand Cuff Bracelet

African Turquoise Multistrand Cuff Bracelet

Hi there! It's Dominique here. Today on the blog, I will be showing you how to make a multistrand cuff bracelet, using the beautiful African Turquoise beads from Just Bead It, as well as showcasing some beading materials from Beadalon. The blue-green hues of the African turquoise beads give this bracelet a classy look that matches perfectly with the black accent beads, and the addition of silver spacers completes the design with just the right amount of sparkle to tie the whole bracelet together. I hope you enjoy!

Just Bead It products used:

• JBRF84- Medium African turquoise beads

• JBRF91 - Large African turquoise beads

• JBRF53 - Black assorted bicone beads and faceted round beads

• JBSV26 - Small silver bicone spacer beads

Beadalon products used:

• Silver crimp tubes (x6)

• Silver crimp covers (with decorative design) (x6)

• 49 strand silver beading wire (x3 equal lengths)

• silver 4mm jumpring (x1)

• silver lobster clasp (x1)

Additional products used:

• 5-strand silver bar end (x2)

• 5-strand silver connectors (x2)

• Silver extender chain with teardrop charm (x1)

• Crimping pliers

• Wire cutters

• Round-nose pliers

• Bent-nose pliers

Firstly, start by cutting three equal lengths of beading wire. Today, I'm using the 49 strand silver beading wire from Beadalon, I absolutely love it and find to be of great quality! 49-strand is more flexible than 7 or 14-strand wire, which makes it ideal for jewellery such as bracelets.

Once you have three equal lengths of wire that are the size of your wrist, with about 5cm of overhang on either end, you can thread one of the wires through its respective loop in the 5-strand bar end. I am using a 5-strand bar end today, even though I am only working with three wires, because I wanted the bracelet to be a little bit spaced apart which will give it a cuff-like effect. 

First, thread a crimp tube onto the wire, and then thread the wire through the hole in the bar end and back through the crimp. Pull the wire to close the gap between the bar end and the crimp, but still leave a bit of wiggle room so that the bracelet is flexible. Then, using crimping pliers, crimp the bead to secure it to the wire. You can then place a crimp cover over the top and seal it shut to hide the raw crimp. Any excess wire that comes through the crimp bead can be threaded through the next few beads.

Now that the wire is secured, you can start adding beads.

The pattern I used is as follows: JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26. 

Once this pattern is complete for the first section, you can thread this wire through its respective loop in the 5-strand connector. This connector is very important as it keeps the wires uniform and prevents them from spreading too much when the bracelet is worn. This step completes the first segment of this strand.

For the second (and main) segment of the first strand, the pattern is very similar to the first segment, except, this one begins with a large African turquoise bead instead of a medium one, and is also slightly longer:  JBRF26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 >  JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26

For the third segment, the pattern is just the reverse of the very first variation: JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84

(all these steps relate to the reference photo below)

For the middle strand, you will begin threading the JBRF53 assorted black beads. But first, secure the second length of wire to the middle loop on the bar end using a crimp bead just as before.

Then, the pattern for the first  portion is as follows:

JBSV26 > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBRF53 (silver spacer) > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBSV26 > JBRF53 (faceted round bead) > JBSV26.

Once this pattern is complete for the middle strand, you will then thread this wire through the middle loop in the connector.

Next, for the second segment after the first connector, the pattern is pretty much the same as the first variation, but slightly longer: JBSV26 > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBRF53 (silver spacer) > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBSV26 > JBSV26 > JBRF53 (faceted round bead) > JBSV26 > JBSV26 > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBRF53 (silver spacer) > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBSV26.

For the third and last segment of the middle strand, the pattern is simply the reverse of the first variation: JBSV26 > JBRF53 (faceted round bead)  > JBSV26 > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBRF53 (silver spacer) > JBRF53 (bicone) > JBSV26

(all these steps relate to the reference photo below)

You can now start the third strand, which is another African turquoise strand that will fit on the other side of the middle strand. Before beading, however, make sure to secure the wire to the 5th loop on the bar end with a crimp tube and crimp cover as before. 

Each segment in this third strand is a repeat of the first strand's:

1st segment: JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26. 

2nd segment:  JBRF26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 >  JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26

3rd segment: JBSV26 > JBRF84 > JBSV26 > JBRF91 > JBSV26 > JBRF84

Now that all the strands have been filled with beads, according to the patterns and images shown above, it is now time to secure each strand to their respective loops on the other bar end. To do this, add a crimp tube to the other end of a wire and thread it through the appropriate hole in the bar end and back through the crimp tube and pull tight. Next, use crimping pliers to crimp the bead and secure it to the wire. Then, use crimping pliers again to seal a crimp cover over the top and hide the raw crimp. This process is then repeated for each of the other two wires. Excess wire tails may be threaded through the beads behind the crimp.

Once all the wires are secure, it is time to attach a 4mm jumpring to one end of the bracelet, and a silver extender chain to the other. To do this, simply use bent nose pliers to twist the jumpring open and attach it to the loop on the bar end. Next, on the side with the jumpring, attach a silver lobster claw clasp by twisting the jump ring open, adding the clasp, and closing the jump ring back up.

Once the clasp is attached, the bracelet is finished! I hope you love this design as much as I do. The steps may seem complicated, but they are actually quite methodical and orderly. The beautiful Just Bead It beads and Beadalon beading materials are such high quality, and I hope you give them a go. 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Thanks for reading :)

PS. I am in exam week so didn't have the time to get creative with my photos :)

If you would like to view more of my designs, I also have an Etsy store called 
DominiquesWares which features more beaded jewellery. This particular African turquoise bracelet will soon be uploaded to my store, so stay tuned for that :)

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