Alternation (NEW)
A necklace in my four-piece capsule of A Study in Scale, designed withlighter,smaller-scale beads, Alternation, with an Art Deco leaning, features alternating cubes ofgreen and purple fluorite leading the eye towards a graceful central arrangement of aventurine spindles. For someone who appreciates clean lines and disciplined rhythm. For more info on the necklace, please click on Details, and if interested inmy musings, please go to Story.
The identification of the beads startsfrom the bead in the centre, moving upwards, with measurement for some of thebigger beads, with metal beads named last.
Length: 60.5 cm/23.5”
Weight: 65 gm
Cubes of fluorite in green & purple: 6mm
Oval fluorite: 12 mm long by 10 mm wide
Faceted aventurine spindles: 29 mm long
Silver spacers and small silver discs
Gold-filled crimp tubes
Silver lobster clasp
Silver Manik identity disc
I like these fluorite cubes in green and purple but had always thought of them more as ‘spacers’ given the larger scale designs that I have worked on for Manik. Then when I started working on this A Study in Scale capsule, with the aim of using lighter, finer scale beads, I thought of them immediately.
I started moving the cubes around in different configurations, but for me,green and purple fluorite cubes alone would be too repetitive and wouldn’t offer enough variation in the design. So I looked for a suitable bead that would complement,but it wasn’t easy, given that the fluorite cubes are only 6 mm, and most other beads would dwarf them. I then patiently looked through my tubs of green and purple beads and was delighted when I came
across these half-forgotten aventurine spindles in a soothing jade green. I liked that they were long, but slender, and worked beautifully with the fluorite cubes. I soon got into a rhythm of alternating the green and purple cubes and decided to make that the core design principle of this piece. Thus,starting from the centre, and moving upwards on each side, every purple bead alternates with a green bead, and that includes the aventurine spindles too. The 2.5 mm silver spacers and some silver discs lend the necklace a subtle sparkle.
I had to call it Alternation of course! Alternation transforms a simple repeating pattern into a captivating piece that is fresh, luminous, and beautifully balanced, with a subtle Art Deco influence. The necklace offers an effortless sophistication that is both modern and timeless.
I thought that Alternation would work best with lighter shades, but when I placed it against saffron yellow and navy, they seem to work too! Enjoy experimenting!
