I have a VERY easy and beautiful piece to show you today!  If you’re still looking for handmade Christmas gift ideas, put this on your list of projects to try.  Even jewelry beginners can make this simple turquoise statement necklace in less than ten minutes.  It’s also a great piece for a friend with a birthday in December – turquoise is one of the December birth stones.  I love incorporating it into my own designs because my daughter was born in December, so it’s special to me – so when I spotted these gorgeous turquoise connectors on the Consumer Crafts website last time I shopped, I had to have them!

A quick note – Consumer Crafts is not sponsoring this post, but I’m going to link to the products I used because they are pretty specific, in case you’d like to try this project too!

What you will need:

• Three Turquoise Connectors.  They will vary in shape and size, since they are just a slice of stone.
• 5mm Chain – I used silver plated stamped oval chain.  You will only need about 10-12 inches for this piece.
• Jewelry Pliers (if you don’t own any, any small pliers would work)
• Clasp (I prefer a lobster clasp)

Arrange your connectors however you like them.  Since mine varied so much in shape and size, I put the largest one in the center.

Using your pliers, remove one of the jump rings between the connectors (each connector comes with two jump rings – you only need to connect them together with one ring).  Set your two extra jump rings aside, you can use them at the end.  A tip for opening jump rings – twist them open.  If you pull them open, they’re more difficult to re-close!  Connect the three stones together.

Measure how long your three connectors are once they are all attached.  Mine measured 7 inches.  You will need enough chain to make the total length 18 inches – in my case, 11 inches of chain.  You can twist ope the links on the chain to get the length you need.  Now – divide your chain into two equal lengths (in my case, two lengths of 5.5 inches).  Use the jump rings that came with your connectors to attach the chain to each side.  Then, attahc the last 2 rings to the ends.  Add the lobster clasp to one of the ends (typically the one on the right side when you are going to put it on.  Most people are right-handed).

And that’s it!  You’ve got yourself a bold finished piece in just a few minutes that you can be proud to wear or gift!