Big Book of Crystal Beads: 70+ Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces, and Rings

by Patricia Ponce

The Big Book of Crystal Beads by Patricia Ponce is a sumptuous volume filled with sparkling jewelry for every occasion that is made using cut-crystal beads. Organized by season, the beautiful collection of rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants includes a spring ring in pale lime green and pink, a summer bracelet in cobalt-and-sea-water blue, an autumn bracelet in amber, and winter earrings in clear crystal and pearls. Most projects are of a "doable"...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580113850
• ISBN13: 9781580113854
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Creative Homeowner
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.0" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Love this book

Love this book. Lots of easy to learn designs. Very glad I got this book. This is a keeper.

bought this book twice.

I love the ideas in this book. I lost it once and bought it again

Excellent idea book.

To do the projects in this book, you MUST live next door to a bead store! Preferably one that sells Swarovski crystals wholesale! You WILL go broke. It's eye candy for sure and the instructions seem to be clear. I just don't have access to a bead store that sells crystals at a reasonable price so I don't have enough to finish a project. (The nearest GOOD bead store is 189 miles away!) I do recommend it, tho'.

Great photos are half the battle!

I have 3 or 4 other crystal bead books, and I'm glad I bought this one. Great photos, great color-combinations and a lot of nice designs, esp. the bracelets. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because several of the ring projects look alike (to me anyway). Oh, another plus is that the author doesn't insist that you use Swarovski, and only Swarovski. (Hey, they DO make nice crystals, but projects that use them exclusively can get expensive fast.)

lots of rings

There are 38 patterns for rings, 11 for earrings, 5 for bracelets, one pin and 19 pendants. Some of them are sets though. All the patterns use mainly crystals with rocailles or Japanese seed beads. Also the work is done with 2 needles and the thread as explained in the English translation is not familiar to me but in my French original it says transparent nylon size from 0.25-0.35mm. The illustrations are in good color with excellent charts showing the steps of work in the French method. Most of the projects call for 4mm bicones with a few larger ones and sometimes rhinestones or rondelles. Swarowski is not specified but the pictures definitely look to be mainly Swarowski. The work is needle crossing and the techniques are illustrated and explained before the projects. The first earring project explains how to attach the earwires but none of the others do. Also the ring bands are not specified but there is a general explanation at the beginning of the book suggesting a way to do them. Another procedure explained at first is called "assembling picks" or stems of beads. The projects are arranged into groups of 4 seasons with colors suitable to the season and there is a large variety of colors. There are no cabochons or bezels and the work seems easy to do and every project has a difficulty level so beginners can wade right in. The book is a large hardback with good print and appears to be quite sturdy. If you like rings this book is definitely for you. Not 5 stars because I would have liked more earrings and bracelets. Also recommended because there are so many projects for crystals and because they are small items, and therefore less costly to make.