Butterfly Jewelry: Let Your Creativity Soar

Just as butterflies take flight every spring, butterfly-themed jewelry and accessories emerge as fashion-forward favorites every year. From an early age, we recognize butterflies as representing happiness and beauty. Likewise, butterfly motifs bring life and movement to artistic creations. Rediscover the free-spirited nature of butterflies and find fresh ideas for incorporating these whimsical creatures into your jewelry.

Symbolism

Artistic depictions of butterflies have been found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, while recent interpretations are in the latest runway shows and celebrity look-books. Cultural myth and lore honor the butterfly as a symbol of transformation because of its impressive metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis and ultimately, the butterfly. Butterflies also symbolize spring, a celebratory time of year, and embody the beauty of symmetry, pattern, color and shape.

These colorful and vibrant yet delicate creatures imply freedom, endurance, inspiration, openness, change, joy, rebirth, patience, transformation and happiness. They serve as a reminder of how beautiful and fragile life can be and the importance of appreciating each moment. A timeless icon, the butterfly can be worn by all ages as a sign of femininity and beauty.

Materials

You can easily add this popular motif to jewelry designs using butterfly beads and components. Add butterfly charms to bracelets, earrings and necklaces for quick and easy flights of fancy. You can also string, stitch and glue butterfly embellishments to your designs. For a more subtle nod to this trend, use butterfly findings and components like links, earstuds and clasps. If you can't find the perfect butterfly-inspired components for your designs, try ''Making a Butterfly Cane'' out of polymer clay for customized wings to add to any project. No matter what you use to create your designs, even a single butterfly accent equates to the perfect fashion accessory.

Designing with Butterflies

Layer and cluster butterflies for flocks of on-trend style. Multiple butterfly links or charms can make a necklace or bracelet appear to flutter. For a more minimal take on this trend, focus on a single butterfly focal surrounded by an array of matching beads, chains and other materials.

Incorporating color is key. Whether your color schemes are bold with jewel tones or soft with pastels, create designs as diverse as butterflies themselves. It's easy to capture these fun-loving, fluttering friends in jewelry creations for designs that are sure to please.