The June 2nd class is: Leather, Crimp, and Bead Bracelet.
This is a fun project that goes together fairly quickly and provides more experience working with round leather and beads.
Kit includes leather, crimp spacers, crimp ends, lobster clasp, and jump rings. You need to bring 2, 8mm large-hole beads (minimum 2mm hole diameter) in the color and material of your choice. If you don’t have large-hole beads, you can purchase them from Theresa or from RCJ. You also need chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, nylon jaw pliers (aka wire straightener), measuring tape, and sharp scissors.
The kit cost is $6, if you bring your own beads; $7 if you purchase beads. You can sign up at the monthly club meeting, in class, or by contacting Theresa (256-509-0406).
The June 16th class is: Helm Weave and Beads Necklace and/or Bracelet.
This project provides more experience with Helm’s weave, the same weave as the Helm’s bracelet we made awhile ago.
You create the Helm’s weave components first. (For each component, you make a chain of Helm’s weave, connect the ends to form an oval, and add 2 center rings to stabilize it.) Then you make connectors using wire and beads, and link all the components together.
Kit includes rings, silver colored wire, and lobster clasp. You can bring your own (regular-hole size) beads in the color(s) and material of your choice, or purchase them from Judy. For a 20″ necklace, you need 20, 6mm beads. For a bracelet, you need 4, 6mm beads. You also need chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, flush cutters, and measuring tape.
The kit cost for the necklace is $6. Specify 18″ or 20″. The 8″ bracelet is $4. You can sign up at the monthly club meeting, in class, or by contacting Judy (205-541-7207).
Unless indicated, all RCJ meetings are every Wednesday in the Rocket City Jewelers room in the new Huntsville Gem and Mineral Education Center, 7901 Bailey Cove Road SE, Huntsville. Please enter the South parking lot from Bailey Cove Road SE, and enter the center through the glass double doors. We meet from 6p-9p on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, and from 2p-5p on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. 5th Wednesday meeting times are TBD.
Did You Know? In January, a staff member at Gosman’s Fish Market in Montauk, Long Island, was shucking clams when he discovered a rare pearl. Finding an intact pearl in food preparation is uncommon because most clams are shucked mechanically and any pearls are lost or destroyed. This pearl weighed 27.78 carats and measured a whopping 18.9 x 11.32mm – that’s slightly larger than a dime! GIA confirmed that the extraordinarily large pearl formed naturally. Source: 
June: Pearl - Produced in the bodies of marine and freshwater mollusks either naturally or cultured by people with great care. Lustrous, smooth, subtly-colored pearls are jewelry staples, especially as strands. Alexandrite: The color-change variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Bluish green in daylight, purplish red under incandescent light; hard and durable. Top quality examples are rare and valuable.
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