Each year, either in Tucson or here in Las Vegas, I work for an Afghani bead dealer who often pays me in beads. These Chinese turquoise beads caught my eye for their color and slight matrixing. They weren't quite as rugged and irregular as traditional Southwest turquoise found in Arizona, but they approximated the vivid deep color often found in Bisbee turquoise. That mine has been played out for years, but the color of these Chinese beauties resonated with me.
I found the pendant mousing through some of the stock strewn on a table in Tucson. The dealer was Tibetan and this lovely little piece with its carefully-carved flower attracted my eye. I have an affinity and a memory for color and carry the hues in my head, so I bought the pendant to string with the Chinese beads. They seem to overpower the petite size of the pendant, but when the necklace is worn, the pendant becomes an organic part of the necklace itself and not just something suspended from it. The corrugated Sterling beads seemed a natural choice given the size and weight of the turquoise.
The coral and the turquoise are traditionally combined in Native American jewelry and I love the juxtaposition of the vivid pink-red-orange stone with the soothing blues of the turquoise. The result is something that refers back to traditional Native American design, but it totally modern in approach.
Price: $275.00.
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