A family necklace

In a recent blog, I mentioned a necklace we have been commissioned to make which has been a real milestone for us. It is now completed. It is a very beautiful forty-seven gemstone necklace:

The journey of this piece began in March 2016. The first design option which the customer requested was a V-shaped collar style and although it was magnificent upon reflection we thought the rigid shape may limit the wear of the piece to only very formal occasions – instead, I submitted a design with impact and originality which gave a more casual and more versatile use.

The colour, sizes and shapes of the gems all varied and the way in which we agreed to set the stones was in full bezels which are total surrounds with an open back which allows the gems to turn into any position sometimes showing the back of the stones, so often hidden. The gems were placed at random within three strands of faceted yellow gold chain and were also set in yellow gold. Some of the stones were eight sided and allowed us to orientate them so the setting was caught by the corners which added to their unique look.

The combination of round, oval, square, emerald and octagonal cuts gives great variation and allows the random look to be it’s feature. The gems had all been cut by a personal friend and include sapphire, aquamarine, garnet, zircon, topaz, amethyst, peridot, scapolite, ruby, alexandrite and opal. We made up a large S-shaped double sided diamond hook, which allows the necklace to be worn as a single, double or triple version.

Added to this Matthew made two extra S-hooks which the client can use to make the necklace one continuous long length.

The surprise feature is that each strand contains a birthstone representing each of the clients granddaughters. Each strand will be passed on to them at a chosen time making this necklace a piece to enjoy now and into the future. I think the photographs speak for themselves.

We are both thrilled and honoured to have been commissioned to design and make this stunning piece. It has taken over one hundred and sixty hours to complete and we enjoyed every moment.

Love
Nicholas x