Jewelry from the Mediterranean region, both ancient and modern, often features striking gemstones and intricate metalwork. For example, Moroccan jewelry often is characterized by such metalwork, with beautiful detail. Morocco is an amazingly cosmopolitan country with vibrant immigrant communities that contribute to its art and culture. Many of these exquisite pieces are handed down between generations. Many Moroccan women get ornate silver jewelry before marriage. A lot of modern filigree (detailed metalwork that involves curling of metal “threads” into ornate designs) has origins in Morocco.
I fell down a rabbit hole looking at Moroccan jewelry photos this past spring. All those striking pieces percolated in my head for a while, and I got out a pen and paper. I started sketching out some design ideas in my chicken scratch. While I am quite adept with beads and thread, objective drawing is not my strong suit. In many cases, the sketches are rough approximations, and I have a clearer vision in my head. Consequently, the sketch ends up bearing little resemblance to the final product. Sometimes a finished product doesn’t spark joy, and I put it back on the beading board to reconsider. Other times, I get it right on the first try or with some minor tweaks. This Desert Dusk was an example of a home run on the first try. Everything worked as I had envisioned! I’ve made a whole bunch in recent weeks. This necklace was inspired by the striking landscapes of a North African desert and the striking metalwork of the region. This one features African Turquoise (which is actually a form of jasper). I love wearing these with a solid V-neck top.
Another piece was also inspired by jewelry from this region. I was looking at some intricate North African jewelry with beautiful metalwork with striking smaller metal pieces along the base. I sketched out an idea, using those awesome double-drilled gemstone beads. On the first one, it took a bit of tinkering, and as the piece progressed, I got clearer direction for next steps. When I finished the piece, the center drooped a whole lot and it didn’t sit right. Adding a single bead at the top and connecting it to the first row of stones perked it right up, and like magic, it all sat perfectly. And the Starlit Sands necklace was born! I like these with a scoop neck, square neck, or off the shoulder top! There will be some new Starlit Sands necklaces coming out this week!
I have scads of new product sketches that will be materializing in the next few months. I’m excited to try them. Some will be some awesome show-stoppers, and some will have to defy physics to materialize as they do in my head. In other cases, I’ll end up with a resounding, “Meh…” Rather than putting a “Meh” piece in my shop, I let it sit on a shelf and let it percolate for a time. For example- I tried this design in January, where I made pendants out of bugle beads and connected them with strands of seed beads and gemstones.
It didn’t sit quite right- so I let it hang out on the shelf until this summer, and using a similar concept of a bugle bead pendant, I came up with the Meridian Mesh bracelet!
Making jewelry- it’s always so awesome when I finish a piece and it really comes alive. I guess in a way, beading is like a box of chocolates- you never know what you’re going to get! Rarely does a piece really end up looking exactly like my sketch, and that's just awesome!
Have a wonderful week, and ‘til next time!
All the best,
Grace