Description
Magical oriental style necklace in shades of orange and green with gold accents.
• The tangy colours of the green dyed ‘Crab Fire Agate’ beads used in this necklace had been shouting antique Chinese silk and porcelain at me ever since I first bought them while the facetting demanded that they be partnered with hammered gold orbs of similar size. Like many of my necklaces, however, it was a slow process to finally track down and gather together beads in other colours and textures that would achieve just the right balance and provide the right foil for the agate. Not to mention achieving the oriental effect I was seeing in my mind’s eye.
In fact, ‘Crab Fire Agate’ is just a trade name for heat treated – and in this case, dyed – carnelian which, I think, looks rather good with swooshes of green turning to brown and white running through it. To set it off nicely I have partnered it with some amazingly large (20mm) vintage hand-carved Chinese Shou, or longevity, beads in carnelian and another vintage Chinese Shou bead, this time of green aventurine, a type of quartz that contains inclusions of the micaceous mineral fuchsite that gives it both its green colour and a nice sheen. This bead is especially nicely carved with deep drill holes.
To set off the agate beads I have incorporated beads of hammered Karen Thai Hilltribe silver, which is 97% pure silver and has been thickly coated with 24k gold, while to prevent things looking too heavy these are balanced with some Balinese gold plated sterling (vermeil) beads featuring open geometric swirls, and some small smooth and facetted spacers of deep red garnet, carnelian, iolite and peridot. Everything is then outlined in gold with some Turkish vermeil bead caps and closed with a hammered S-clasp in Karen Hilltribe vermeil.
More a necklace for special occasions than for everyday. This is a ‘forever’ investment piece.
Length: 18.12 inches/46 cm.
This item comes packed in its very own termeh brocade bag and Thai silk box for safe-keeping.
See last three photos.
