Intricate
A celebration of artisan craftsmanship, Intricate sees brilliant blue lapis and striking bluish-green African amazonite playing off each other vividly, with finely worked Balinese silver beads adding detail and finesse to create a necklace that feels textured, dimensional and vivid. For someone who appreciates detail and the artistry of finely worked materials. For more info on the necklace, please click on Details, and if interested in my musings, please go to Story. Learn more about the gemstones and materials that shape our work in our blog on A Buying Guide to Gemstone Beaded Necklaces
The identification of the beads start from the bead in the centre, moving upwards, with measurement for some of the bigger beads, with metal beads named last.
Length: 66 cm (26”)
Weight: 136 gms
20 mm lapis (centre), 13.5 mm, 10 mm
14 mm & 12 mm African amazonite
Thai silver bead caps
Balinese silver cylinders, 17 mm long by 10 mm wide
Thai silver bicones
Thai silver spacers
Gold filled crimp tubes
Silver toggle clasp
This necklace came about because I was wearing a necklace from my personal collection, featuring similar gemstone beads as this one – amazonite and lapis lazuli, with a lot of silver beads too, though different from the ones used here. The necklace was admired by those who saw it, including my niece, N. She pronounced the design “intricate” and asked if there was a similar necklace for Manik. When I said, no, she urged me to make one for Manik, for the first tranche of necklaces to debut. I obeyed.
There is nothing quite like the bright, rich shade of blue that is lapis, and it has been valued for its intense and saturated colour since antiquity. Calcite (white streaks and flecks) and pyrite (gold coloured grains) are two minerals that are commonly found in lapis, and I personally like a certain amount of pyrite in my lapis beads. Amazonite comes in a range of colours and seems to be one of those stones that has ‘trended’ in recent years, with a lot in the market, but these bright green African amazonite beads with their streaks of white are less common, and indeed, these are the last of my 14 mm African amazonite. I love the pairing of the lapis and the African amazonite in their intense brightness, and at my niece’s behest, I made the whole design intricate by adding silver bead caps and these beautifully worked, Balinese silver cylinders, as well as smaller, simpler silver bicones. These silver beads are handcrafted, of course, and if you end up with this necklace, please do take time to admire the artistry and skill of these beautiful, oxidized silver beads that I purchased in Bali many, many years ago, and have used sparingly since.
As you might guess, I am calling this long necklace Intricate. You could certainly wear it with lighter, and more muted shades of green and blue, but it would also work well with different shades of white, olive, and would brighten up greys! Experiment and enjoy!
