SOPHISTICATED SAND-BLASTED BLACK ONYX ROUNDELS WITH BALI SILVER

I found these beads hiding behind something at my favorite bead store. They reached out and spoke to me. There are those who would look at these matte-finished deep charcoal gray roundels and say, "what the heck are these?" And then there are people like me who appreciate the unique oddness of these huge, sensual beads. Yes, they do look like coal and yes, they do have a semi-smooth cat's tongue kind of feel. And yes, they will probably require a some attitude to wear. But this piece is very special.

I kept the beads around the studio until I found the Bali silver round beads to go with it. They're almost the same color as the onyx but they're highly textured, like a porcupine with shaved quills, but quite soft and tactile. To finish the piece, I had to use a really special and sturdy clasp, so I picked one of my "Only in Vegas" hand-of-cards box clasps which stabilizes the necklace and feels very comfortable on the neck.