Our First Jewelry-Making Workshop: Freshwater Pearls at Octave Café

This summer, we hosted something we've never done before: Stone Symphony's first jewelry-making workshop. We set up at Octave Café with trays of freshwater pearls, clasps, and cord, and invited a room full of guests to string a necklace with their own hands.

An Afternoon of Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls turned out to be the perfect place to start. No two are exactly alike; every pearl has its own shape, size, and shimmer, so no two necklaces that afternoon came out the same either. Guests picked their favourites, worked out a layout, and strung them one by one. Some went for a single row of matched pearls, others mixed in gold beads and charms for something more textured.

There's something different about wearing a piece you made yourself versus one you bought, and watching a room full of first-time jewelry-makers realize that in real time was the best part of hosting this.

Necklaces by You

By the end of the afternoon, every guest walked out wearing their own one-of-a-kind freshwater pearl necklace. We loved seeing how differently the same tray of pearls turned out in each person's hands, proof that the best jewelry is the kind that feels like you.

What's Next

This was our first workshop, and it won't be our last. If you'd love to string your own pearls with us next time, follow along on Instagram. We'll post details there as soon as the next date is set.

Handcrafted in Canada.