When on my travels I always look out for unusual items and the vintage Swarovski Corona crystals I used in my new Coronet Charms kit are an example of that.

As soon as I found some boxes of them, all dusty and unloved, I knew I had to have them, and exactly how I would use them.

I immediately envisioned charms hanging from a chain but it took a bit of experimenting to perfect the idea due to the shape and nature of these sparkling things.

When viewed from the side these crystals look clear but when you turn them up they give a blast of colour, so I needed something that would hold them securely but still allow the end to be seen and light to get in the sides.

A bit of beading later these Coronet Charms were born and they're available from today as a limited-edition kit and also a pattern if you've been luck enough to get your hands on some of them yourself.