Set a bead, sample of chain, and a small charm on a table. Before placing anything, determine what element you want to draw attention to most. That is your focal point. The focal point of a design is not necessarily the biggest object or the brightest color. It is what provides the pendant, bracelet, earring pair, or ring concept its purpose.
A clear focal point gives a simple design a sense of direction. Without a clear focal point, the components fight one another: the gemstone, the beads, the chain, the metal. A sketch can easily become busy, even if it uses beautiful materials. This is because all the components are fighting for attention.
Start by making a choice before adding additional pieces to a sketch. Perhaps it is a main pendant shape, a colored bead, a motif, a stone accent, or the line of a necklace. After that choice has been made, allow other elements to fade into the background. A smaller bead can match the color of the main piece, a chain can repeat the tone of the metals, a clasp and jump ring can be unobtrusive.
Draw a pendant idea in three thumbnails. First, draw the pendant as a focal point of a stone. In the second drawing, let the shape of the pendant be the focal point. In the third drawing, let a contrasting color be the focal point. Do not spend time refining the sketches. The goal is to determine how a simple design changes as the focal point changes. This makes the decision about the focal point explicit rather than buried in the clutter of a complex sketch.
When determining a focal point, remember that size matters. A small focal point can be overwhelmed if the beads around it are too large or if they are too saturated in color. A very large focal point can cause a pendant to feel too heavy for an earring or a bracelet layout can appear stiff. Examine your sketches to determine if the eye finds the intended focal point in a reasonable amount of time. Also check if the chosen focal point is a good size to make something wearable. For example, a pendant can have more visual impact than a ring concept, and earrings must have balance, movement, and comfort on both sides.
Consider that color can be used to emphasize the focal point but also to detract from it. When all of the beads have an equally strong saturation, the design might feel flat because there is no element that leads. A saturated color used in proximity to a focal point works best, and a softer shade can be used elsewhere. A smooth stone can work well against a matte bead, and a twisted wire design can be made more visible against a smooth surface. Remember, a design can use contrast effectively if the contrast serves a purpose.
Before settling on a design, remove one decorative element from your sketch and see what you are left with. If the design improves when a decorative element is removed, then that element was likely just a source of distraction. If the design begins to look incomplete, that element likely provided support for the idea. This is a simple step that teaches you to edit rather than always add. In a simple jewelry design, there should be a leading element, and all of the other components should have a clear reason to exist.