“Find the Edge”

My Apothecary Chest: in 1994, it arrived via container to California from Hong Kong, where I discovered beading during an ex-pat assignment there. Serves as the repository for my beads.  Handcrafted.  It has 52 Drawers.

2017 Challenge: Create a Necklace a Week, using only the Beads from one Drawer at a time. Voila!  52 Necklaces!

Week 13/Drawer 13: March 29, 2017: “Find the Edge”

I didn’t have to worry about beige being boring when I explored the Number 13 beige Drawer: the calcite reached out to me! It is a very textural stone:  faceted, sparkling yet soft and complex in its coloration (sounds like a fine wine, doesn’t it?) but there is something mysterious going on inside all those white markings.  I confess I knew nothing about this semi-precious stone, and was surprised to find it is related to chalk, limestone and marble!

The spacer beads are soft and rounded and called sunstone which gets its warm color from copper. This mineral is the official gemstone of the State of Oregon and is said to bring good luck as well as make you feel lively and enthusiastic.

The broach has some history with me: at a California outdoor Art Festival, I fell in love with its clean lines and the interesting wire wrap on the surface.  I enjoyed wearing it on my business suit throughout the Eighties.  Yes, we dressed for work in those days!  When I retired, I reinvented it as a centerpiece and it remained there until last week.  The crystal on top sure looked like calcite to me, so I selected it to make this necklace great.

This necklace is 21” long with a brass clasp. The broach is 2” x 2.5”.  Wear your gold earrings with it. $85.