This is the first official day of the project and I selected an older design. This necklace features a pendant created with two five-strand end bars and has beads strung between the end bars. The end bars have also been wrapped with mixed Czech glass seed beads using fine gauge wire. The bottom stone is a matte finished onyx bead and the stones strung in the middle of the pendant are 4×4 cubes of blue goldstone (a manufactured stone) strung and crimped. I originally designed this necklace about twelve years ago and there was a carnelian/brown goldstone version as well. This design never sold well, but I liked it. I really like the movement in the pendant element. I never wear this necklace, though, and partially the pendant is to blame. It’s pretty long. That means it ends up wayyy down in my cleavage.
I designed this necklace at a time when I was a bit tired of making vintage-y designs and wanted to move into a new direction. The pieces in this group were all very chunky and bold. I have to say, the entire collection never really sold very well. Most of the items were too weird for my regular customers and somehow they didn’t connect with very many new customers. A bracelet that matched this necklace, however, was part of a very frustrated and protracted design collaboration with one of my biggest catalog customers. First they wanted to see a sample of the bracelet as designed; it was perfect, they loved it. Then they called and asked to see a sample but without the wrapped ends. Then they wanted to see one with beads that weren’t glittery. Then they asked for a bracelet that had fewer strands. Then even plainer beads. By the time we were done, the bracelet was a three strands of dark blue round glass beads with a clasp.
They didn’t end up ordering that bracelet for the catalog. It was too plain.
365necklaces 
