Five-bead macramé bracelet: moss agate, blue apatite and smoky quartz

Create a piece of jewelry with moss agate, blue apatite, and smoky quartz beads. The chosen setting is a sand-colored waxed polyester cord. The design includes 5 beads.

Level: accessible with basic stringing skills · Estimated time: 50 minutes · Result: one piece.

What you need

The main reference for this creation: Bead Strand - Moss Agate (6 mm). The quantities indicated correspond to the jewelry, not to the entire strand or batch sold.

• 3 beads to take from the Bead Strand - Moss Agate (6 mm).
• 1 bead to take from the Bead Strand - Blue Apatite (6 mm).
• 1 bead to take from the Bead Strand - Smoky Quartz (6 mm).
• 1 70 cm main cord and 1 120 cm working cord, 0.4 to 0.5 mm in diameter, compatible with passing two strands through the beads.
• 1 35 cm cord of the same type for the sliding closure.

Tools

Fine pliers, a ruler, a bead mat, and adhesive tape to secure the threads.

Before you start

The quantities describe the presented model exactly. Check the size on a temporary assembly before finishing. If you change the number of beads, you are creating a different composition from the one on the cover.

Test the passage of each reference on the held thread: the outer diameter of a bead does not indicate the size of its hole. Prepare the components on a bead mat and follow the instructions for the threads and endings. The supplies without a link are to be gathered separately.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Try the passages

Fold the main cord in half. Pass both strands through a bead before cutting the other threads. Choose a thinner diameter if the two strands do not slide freely.

2. Tie the first side

Secure the two main threads. Center the working thread behind them. A complete flat knot includes two inverted half-knots: pass the left thread over the two main threads, then the right over the left, behind the main threads and into the left loop. Tighten. Repeat starting from the right so that the band remains flat. Create a 3 cm band.

3. Install the five beads

Follow this order: 1 moss agate bead → 1 blue apatite bead → 1 moss agate bead → 1 smoky quartz bead → 1 moss agate bead. String each stone on the two main cords and wrap it with the working threads. Create two flat knots after each bead. Tie the second side to the same length as the first.

4. Create the closure

Cross the two main ends. With the closure cord, create five flat knots around the crossed strands. Check the sliding. Secure only the working threads according to the cord instructions, without gluing the moving strands; tie the two main ends to create stops.

5. Adjust and finish

Check that the opening allows the hand to pass through. Adjust the tails to the same length. Secure the working threads according to the cord instructions, then trim only after checking.

The detail that makes the finish

Check the number of beads before closing: 3 moss agate, 1 blue apatite, 1 smoky quartz. The knots and connections remain discreet and must not block the movement of the stones.

Your finished jewelry

Check each attachment with a gentle pull. Pass a fabric over the metal parts: no point should catch. Wipe the stones with a soft cloth and keep the threads away from household products.

Find the references used: Bead Strand - Moss Agate (6 mm), Bead Strand - Blue Apatite (6 mm), Bead Strand - Smoky Quartz (6 mm). Natural stones show variations in shade from one bead to another.

To prepare your next creation, find the bead strands from Minéraux d’Ailleurs.