Sterling Silver Cones have been around for almost as long as people started making jewellery. I have seen them in Egyptian exhibits to Inca ritual dress, and in every size and shape imaginable. Yet, when I mentioned Sterling Silver Cones to number of customers, they nod and indicate that they do not make multi-strand necklaces, so they don’t use cones. The cone shape, slightly longer versions of the cap, is versatile and can be used in easy and clever ways to transform the look of a piece of jewellery.
Earrings with Sterling Silver Cones are one of the easiest and fastest way of turning an 8mm round bead, a teardrop cubic zirconia or stone bead, into a fascinating pair of earrings.
You can add this drop to a large silver hoop or soldered ring and it becomes a much larger and more dramatic. The cone can be used like a cap, placed on top of the bead, or it can be placed at the bottom, for an unconventional look.
Two Sterling Silver Cones together will make a bead. You can add interest by using filigree cones, and add complexity by using a colourful bead whose colour will show through the filigree. Two-tone is avant-garde, but has mass-appeal potential. By combining gold and silver cones, you can create an interesting and elegant effect.
Sterling Silver Cones and caps can be used to highlight stone or pearl beads of a necklace or bracelet to create a statement piece. If you are using sterling beads in other parts of the necklace, and have a large stone bead in the centre, or a pendant, by adding silver cones or highlight that fold over the stone, you can create a harmoniously blended look.
A bell is simply a cone with a movable piece inside the centre of it. You can create an elegant bell by the use of 3mm jumprings inside the bell, suspending a bead. If you wish for it to sound, the best would be to use a hollow silver bead, but test materials and you will find the perfect pitch.
Lastly, the classic use of Sterling Silver Cones is to encapsulate multi-strands, hiding the knots and adding an elegant finish to your piece. Beautifully designed Sterling Silver Cones can also be placed in the front, and finished with an unusual clasp.
Sterling Silver Cones come in many shapes, sizes, and designs. They lend themselves to many creative possibilities which are well worth exploring.
