How To Make A Coin Necklace: A Complete Tutorial

Since the beginning of time, men and women have worn coin jewelry to signal their social status and wealth. The styles of jewelry may differ from culture to culture, but the presence of coins as decoration has been consistent. Want to add a touch of nobility to your look? Why not learn how to make a coin necklace?

In the Victorian Era, sailors gifted their sweethearts engraved coins to remember them by before embarking on dangerous voyages. In this time before voicemail, text messages, and social media, these love tokens—common coins engraved with sentimental messages—offered long-distance couples tangible reminders of their bond.

Today, many people consider it good luck to carry a coin from the year you were born. Alternatively, you can choose a milestone date such as a graduation or marriage. Feeling generous? Why not give coins to friends or loved ones from significant years in their lives.

Want to get in on this trend? Don’t worry, you don’t have to date a sailor or spend a ton of money to learn how to make a coin necklace. There are two methods, and we’ll cover each in depth below. Keep reading as we walk you through the process of creating your very own coin necklace. But first, head over to our coin website and find something special.

Method #1: How To Make A Coin Necklace Pendant

If you've recently traveled to a foreign country and brought back some of the currency with you, this is a great way to create a memento. Have you been bitten by the travel bug? Start with one coin, and add another for every trip you take! In a few years, you'll have a beautiful piece of jewelry that serves as a storybook for your world travels.

Tools Needed

• Your coin of choice

• Electric drill with a slim bit

• A jump ring

• Needle-nose pliers

• Chain or ribbon to hang the finished pendant

• A block of wood or metal

• Strong tape, like Duct of Gaff tape

Steps To Make A Coin Necklace

Step 1: Lay the piece of wood or metal on a flat surface. This will act as a barrier and protect your countertop or worktable from the drill bit.

Step 2: Decide what side of the coin you want to display. Most coins are designed with two faces, so choose the side you want to face right side up, because the backside may face upside down when you turn it.

Step 3: Once you've decided, lay the coin on the block with the side you want showing facing you.

Step 4: Fasten the bottom half of the coin down with a piece of the tape to prevent it from moving around or slipping once you start drilling.

Step 5: Once your coin is secured, it's time to drill your hole! Don't worry, it's not illegal to drill a hole in currency. It goes without saying, but if you try to use it to pay for something after you've drilled, then you may become an outlaw. Instead, keep this pendant on your necklace for show, not to pay for your coffee.

Step 6: Line the drill bit up with the top-center of the coin, and go for it! Press down firmly but gently and keep drilling until you feel the bit hit wood.

Step 7: Use the needle-nose pliers and open the jump ring. Slip it through the newly-drilled hole in your coin, then squeeze it shut. If you don't want to purchase a jump ring, you can steal one from an old necklace you won't use anymore. Recycle, reduce, reuse!

Step 8: Slide the chain or ribbon through the jump ring. That’s it, you’re done! You've got your very own custom made coin necklace for a fraction of the cost you’d pay at a jeweler.

Now that you’ve made a classic coin necklace pendant, ready to add another to your collection?

Method #2: How To Make A Bezel Coin Pendant

If you don't want to drill into federal currency, but you still want to look fashionable, then this tutorial is for you. You can create a lovely coin pendant without drilling a hole in anything.

Tools Needed

• Your coin of choice

• A pendant bezel

• A tiny screwdriver. Some bezels don't have screws and are opened and closed by bending them. If you have one of these bezels, then there is no need for the screwdriver.

• A necklace chain or ribbon to hang the pendant

Steps To Make A Bezel Coin Pendant

Step 1: If you have a screw-close bezel, then pick up your screwdriver in one hand and hold the bezel in the other. Gently unscrew the top until the tiny screw comes loose. Put it somewhere safe. Bezel screws are so small that if it rolls onto the floor, there's likely a small chance of relocating it from the abyss of the carpet or rug.

Step 2: Open the bezel just enough to fit the coin into the opening. Gently pull the sides of the bezel away from each other, do not twist them apart. Otherwise, the metal will bend, and the bezel won't retain its original shape.

Step 3: Close the bezel, and screw the clasp back into place. If your coin feels loose and you're worried about it falling out of the pendant, no worries. Just re-open the bezel and put a little super glue or epoxy along the side of your coin before putting it back into place.

Step 4: String the ribbon or chain through the pendant, and you’re done. No electric tools, no drilling, and no mess.

This method is also excellent if you're a coin collector and have some valuable pieces of your collection that you want to show off. If you don't glue the coins into the bezel, you can swap them out whenever you want to change your style up.

Start Flaunting Your Coin!

Coin jewelry has endured through the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, Victorian England, and still carries on through the modern-day. It's safe to say this trend isn't going out of style any time soon!

And now you’re on your way to flaunting the trend yourself. With these tools and instructions in tow, you've got everything you need to create as many fabulous pieces you want!