When creating a piece of beaded jewelry, you want it to be eye-catching. Using focal beads to create a point of interest is an effective way to begin the design of your piece and a fabulous way to make a statement piece of jewelry.
Focal beads enhance your jewelry through their attention-grabbing qualities and by their ability to demonstrate craftsmanship. Focal beads can be chosen based on their size, color, luster, and shape.
The shape of the focal bead should harmonize with the rest of the elements of the jewelry piece. This doesn’t necessarily mean the shapes must match, but they should complement one another.
To help you make your selection, listed below are some of the biggest trending focal bead shapes for 2017.
Arrowhead
Continuing from the tribal trend in jewelry making from 2016, arrowhead-shaped focal beads add an element of edginess. One of the biggest trends in jewelry making for this season is volume. However, voluminous pieces can appear heavy and distracting. By incorporating an arrowhead focal bead into your design, you can use the natural complexity of the facets of the bead and light to create a tribal look without the heaviness of massive quantities of beads.For an interesting design idea, find a perfect pair of arrowhead focal beads to create eye-catching earrings. You can add small beads for more an effect. The natural shape the arrowhead draws the eye downward, accenting the cheekbones and creating the illusion of neck length. This is the perfect alternative to standard pear-shaped beads on earrings.
Freeform Natural Shaped
Minerals are trending strongly this season. True to their nature, freeform natural shaped beads give a free-spirited, relaxed feel to any piece of jewelry. These beads work particularly well with bohemian inspired pieces, such as longline necklaces and dazzling statement rings.
Freeform natural shaped beads are also the perfect focal piece to offset a layered necklace. While the delicate lines created by the chain and smaller beads give the piece a more structured tone, the freeform focal bead adds an element of fun and surprise.
Button Shape
Button shaped beads can sometimes become lost in more complex pieces of jewelry. So, allowing them to be the focal piece lets their delicacy shine and makes them particularly appropriate for minimalist and dainty design trends.Chokers are huge on the runway and college campuses this year, and newer designs are more refined. Hence, the trending focal bead shapes suitable for this type of jewelry are more delicate button shaped beads. The roundness of the button-shaped bead contrasts well with the linearity of the choker’s structure without overwhelming the overall aesthetic of the piece.
Square and Bar
In the same way that button shaped focal beads are the perfect design asset for delicate jewelry making, so, too, are square and bar-shaped beads, which prove the focal point of your jewelry doesn’t need to be big—just interesting.However, square, and bar-shaped beads also play into the geometric and art deco trends. Statement pieces with an art deco spin were seen frequently this season, especially longline necklaces, which used large square focal beads to help the pendant shine among other complex features on the piece.
Hammer-Faceted
Hammer-faceted beads are known for their rough, opaque look. So, rather than relying on the size, shape, or shine to draw attention to the bead, hammer-faceted shaped beads are used for their unique textures. The rough, multiple surfaces of the beads provide a lot of surface area to refract light, which gives them a beautiful matte tone.
Hammer-faceted beads are the perfect focal point for unique pieces such as beaded bracelets and necklaces. Why not try designing a velvet choker to incorporate these beads into the 90s inspired jewelry trends from this season’s runway? A simple black velvet choker in combination with a gorgeous periwinkle blue agate hammer-faceted bead is a striking on-trend piece of jewelry.
Focal beads are an important design feature in a piece of beaded jewelry. They create a starting point for the design, give the piece an eye-catching element, and allow the bead to stand out among the other beads in the piece.
Because focal beads are such an important part of the design, jewelry makers need to consider the color and the size of the bead, as well as the shape. The shape can be the determining factor of a successful design. Make use of this year’s trending focal bead shapes to help you design amazing, eye-catching jewelry.
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