How To Get The £380 Designer Look for Less

Be under no illusion; a hefty price tag does not necessary guarantee precious metals, rubies or diamonds.

In fact, most designer costume jewellery is assembled in much the same way as things you’d make at home; making an unaffordable designer look, very easy to replicate.  

We want to show you how simple it can be to achieve a designer look on a budget, so to demonstrate this; we selected a necklace by Marquis & Camus from their ‘Victorian Rebel’ Collection.  

Marquis & Camus create timeless looking jewellery that nods to bygone eras. Gathering ‘antiquated treasures of the past’, their collections are made up of carefully selected items from auctions, boot sales and antique shops.

These finds are then combined with Swarovski Crystals, old lace and distressed metals to create bold statement jewellery with an old world twist.

We were drawn to the ‘Victorian rebel’ style for its elegant combination of ruffles and pearls, but the heavy gun metal chain will appeal to anyone who prefers an edgier look.

How to make the necklace

1. To create this look plait together two lengths of gun metal chain with a string of 6mm glass pearls; securing the plait with jump rings and a large toggle clasp.
2. Once the main body of the necklace is complete, weave thin lace through alternate links and secure with a knot at one end.
3. To create a ruffle effect, cut thin strips of large black lace and knot them along the left side of the necklace (make sure not to hide the pearls).
4. To finish the main body, simply wrap a meter of brass ball chain around the whole necklace securing with ball end calottes at each end.
5. For the tasseled laces, attach 2 lengths of chain to the main necklace, weaving thin lace through the links.
6. The ends are fastened with box closer’s and finished off with tasseled bell closer’s. You can find out how to make tassels HERE.

All jewellery makers are natural born magpies, with a trained eye for sparkle and beauty, so why not try and incorporate rare finds and old fabrics into your jewellery designs. 

Kerri McKenna
In House Designer

Thick & Thin lace of your choice.