DIY Network

Rock Jewelry Who needs diamonds? Michele Beschen shows how you can make great jewelry with plain rocks. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-104

Rock your look with one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Michele Beschen drills a hole right through the theory that diamonds are a girl's best friend: You can create these jewelry designs you can make with common stones you could find in the yard, at the park or in the woods.

If you've ever wanted to create one-of-a-kind jewelry—or if you just love Wilma Flintstone's fashion sense—give rock jewelry a try.

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	Figure A
	Rock jewelry can go elegant or casual.
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

For most of her rock jewelry, Michele uses a drill press to make holes in her rocks. If you don't have a drill press, or if you want to use rocks that aren't suitable for drilling, you can wrap them with wire instead (figure A).

This technique also makes it easy to add beads and fun curls of wire to embellish your piece. You can seal your rocks by spraying with clear acrylic lacquer or polyurethane to bring out the texture and interesting imperfections.

The directions below apply to making rock jewelry using a drill press.

Materials:

rocks (See "Choose Your Rocks," below)
drill press
1/8" glass/tile bit
container to create a water bath for drilling
scrap wood
C-rings and C-ring pliers, or extra-large jump rings
jewelry clasps
spray polyurethane (optional)

Choose Your Rocks

The best rocks for this project are:

• Thin and flat. Michele used rocks 1/2" to 3/4" thick.
  
• Grainy or porous. Shiny rocks are harder to drill through.
  
• Large enough to accommodate two drill holes.

Drill Your Rocks

• Prepare a water bath for your drilling (figure B). This keeps your drill bit cool as it goes through the rock. Michele uses a plastic container with a block of scrap wood in the bottom to drill into. Arrange your water bath at the drill press, and add enough water to just cover the wood block and your rock.

• Make sure you are using a glass/tile drill bit.

• Safety alert: Make sure you wear eye protection when drilling.

• Drill a hole at each end of each of your rocks (figure C). Be careful not to get too close to the edge, or it will break off. If you drill too far away from the edge, you'll need extra-large connectors.

• Take your time drilling. Periodically back off and ease the drill bit back into the hole. Don't force the bit into the rock: You'll be more likely to break your rock or your bit.

Build Your Jewelry

• Connect your rocks using large jump rings or stainless steel C rings, which require a pair of C-ring pliers to close. C-rings give your jewelry a stouter, more industrial look. If you opt for jump rings, Michele recommends soldering them closed after connecting so the weight of the rocks doesn't pull them apart.

• Link as few or as many of your drilled rocks together in whatever fashion you choose. If you're making a necklace, keep it balanced so it hangs nicely. Rock bracelets are a great solution if you don't have many stones to work with (figure D).

• You can seal your rocks with acrylic clear lacquer or polyurethane to protect them from water and bring out the rocks' imperfections and patterns even further.

• You can even embellish your rocks using Michele's techniques for rock collage (figure E).