As a season of new beginnings, spring is a perfect time for open-minded creators and bold statements! It’s time to let the imagination run wild. After gloomy rainy Northwestern winter, jewelry design ideas finally see the light of sun. Surprisingly (or not), they illustrate warm wishes for colorful and festive life.
Spring Necklace With Rose Quartz
Spring Necklace is a purely spring creation (Surprise! Surprise!). It’s inspired by the flowers of a blooming hyacinths in my garden and yet it’s intricately connected to Easter. At first my imagination took me down Easter egg route but then I thought only Easter bunny would wear it. I got a hold of my imagination for a moment and created statement necklace that is perfect for Easter Sunday and yet you can wear it from all spring through the end of summer.
Rose quartz cabochons allowed me not to use much of rose seed beads in the design. Instead, I had a pleasure to choose from my extensive collection of purple tone beads. Pastel greens with a pearl-like finish suited more than grass green in this case. In general, more muted colors in combination with a cup chain created a very elegant look. I debated about adding a fringe, but my experiments proved it will erase the elegance off of the design.
Pearly Fish Statement Necklace
Pearly Fish Necklace idea was born a long time ago and it took almost a year from the design to preparation to completion. Jewelry statements have to be planned carefully; just like architectural projects, they have to serve the owner with every single little detail, impressing the viewers around and, at the same time, remaining a comfortable piece of garment ensemble.
Statement necklace often exceeds the viewer expectations, but rarely make the owner comfortable wearing it. I selected the elements of the necklace with the owner in mind. Pearly Fish is unique and won’t go unnoticed, yet is it easy to wear. Shoulder bag or purse won’t get caught in the beadwork around the neck as it usually happens with bolder necklaces (especially on petite women). While it’s stunning and comfortable necklace, it’s still the work of art and you do need to be careful with it.
Pearly Fish necklace is a collaboration project with a metal clay artist Lorraine Sheppard (Corvallis, OR) who created the tail using silver metal clay and natural sea shell texture motif. Lorraine is a gifted artist with a sense of space, texture and color, which is also important when clay used in combination with beadwork. Lorraine contribution was irreplaceable.
Tribal Metal Necklace
Tribal Metal is a completely different story.
I already explained my love for the pyrite in jewelry. In this necklace I took one step forward and combined it with hematite cabochons. The strength is in the combination.
“Together we stay strong!” is Tribal Metal necklace message!
While the chain is the heaviest part of the necklace, weight is spread equally around the neck. The lighter part is the pendant bead embroidery. The triangular shape of the focal part inspired the name of this necklace. Triangle is one of the 32 geometric signs of the world oldest system of communication – graphic communication (learn more about it from the TED talk “Why Are These 32 symbols Found In Caves All Over Europe”). The shape, the heaviness, the pyrite beads, the hematite cabs and the metal finish of the seed beads used in bead embroidery, all these elements connects us to the primitive world where tribal activities and a sense of belongingness were valued above the individual interests.
Tribal Metal is a statement that promotes connection. It is bold, earthy and serious! I feel we need this in our so advanced, yet so fragile world.
P.S. Even though Tribal Metal has nothing to do with a music style with the similar name, I can’t help to notice, it might go very well with the tribe 🙂
P.S.S. “Spring Creations 2 – Statement Necklaces” continues the tradition of this blog which started with this post.
The pearly fish looks fantastic!
Thank you, Aleksandra!