All About Necklaces

Handmade Designer Necklaces - Pearl and Swarovski crystal

2011-03-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

I like colored unconventional luminous pearls. A few years ago, they were plentiful. Now for some reason they are hard to find. The tear shaped pearls above are many shades of green, blue and violet. Most likely they were dyed to get this intense coloration. The natural pearl colors are white and shades of pink or gray.
These are fresh water cultured pearls. It is possible that the irritant was placed in a clam or oyster shell and the nacre of the shell covered the irritant and produced the shape and color. After that it was dyed to enhance the original color.

Handmade Designer Necklaces - African and Murano glass beads

2011-03-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

For many centuries glass beads were made in Murano Italy and used for trade in Africa. Presently, these trade beads have become rare and expensive, if you can find them at all.
Andrea Bergart and Barbara Adner, adner-bergart.com have combined their collections of antique and new African beads and vintage Murano glass to create unique and beautiful necklaces with a history. These necklaces are made from 100 year old glass beads called Bodum and Kings beads as well as the modern African beads shown above. These necklaces are sold at the Peabody Essex Museum Gift Shop in Salem, Massachusetts, USA. http://www.pemshop.com.
The black and white beads in the necklace shown above are ceramic from Niger. The red and orange beads are Kopal from Africa. This is a type of amber that is old, but not as old as true amber. Other beads are vintage Murano glass and ebony and silver.

Handmade Designer Necklaces - Over the Top !!! Miriam Haskell

2011-03-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

In Los Angeles I came upon this fabulous display of Miriam Haskell necklaces. I am an admirer of her jewelry.She was one of the few women designers who developed a growing and profitable business in the 1920's. She opened her store in 1926 in the McAlpin Hotel in New York City. Soon after, the very creative designer Frank Hess joined her and they worked together for many years until she had to leave the business because of illness. After that, Frank Hess carried on under the Miriam Haskell name.
Until the late 1940's the jewelry was unsigned. Today, her necklaces are collectible and the early unsigned ones most desirable. To see some early unsigned pieces go to the website http://imageevent.com/bluboi /haskellunsignedpieces.

Handmade Designer Necklaces -Tibetan Agate, Turquoise and Vermeil

2011-01-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

The photo does not do justice to the deep burgundy rusty red of The Tibetan beads. If you look closely these beads have a crackled finish. The beautiful large turquoise pieces are olive green and blue green, shot with black and dark brown veins. A perfect contrasted color scheme. The vermeil is silver washed with 24 caret gold. I purchased the vermeil a long time ago. Now it would be too expensive to use.

The Tibetan beads were found in a wholesale bead store in New York City. They were on sale and no one was buying them. I was thrilled to have a chance to own beads from Tibet, and I purchased as many as I could. I use them sparingly. This is the second necklace I have made from my Tibetan cache.

Handmade Designer Necklaces - Spiny Oyster, Turquoise, Ashanti Brass

2011-01-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

Hello 2011! Lots of snow so there is time to make necklaces. The one above is made from spiny oyster. I bought it from a dealer in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have always loved the orange color of the spiny oyster which the Native Americans combine with lapis lazuli, turquoise, or varicite, all blue green colors.
The rough spiny oyster discs sat in the bead box for a long time as I just did not know what to do with such big rough pieces.
Finally inspiration struck . Ashanti Brass from Ghana ends the run of spiny oyster discs separated by small pieces of turquoise. I found "coral" bamboo for the sides and back of the necklace and used turquoise and spiny oyster spacers in between. A great necklace for a large person.

Handmade Designer Necklace - Ashanti Beads from Ghana, West Africa

2010-12-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

The brass beads in the necklace above are made by the Ashanti people in Ghana, West Africa. They use the lost wax method or casting to produce such finely detailed patterns in their beads. It is a difficult and time consuming process that dates back to Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is a boon to those of us who make necklaces to incorporate such fine, labor intensive beads into our product.

Other beads in this necklace are blue dyed or real coral which are the small spacers, and petrified palm tree teardrops. Comments and questions about this necklace can be directed to barbadner@gmail.com

Handmade Designer Necklaces - Amber, Copal, and Bakelite

2010-11-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Of all the gemstones I think true amber is the most difficult to identify. A reputable amber dealer is the only place to buy old amber.

Old Amber is rare. Colors are black, Baltic transparent, and shades of red, orange and yellow. It is light weight and when it is rubbed the it can pick up a piece of paper. Sometimes insects are trapped in the amber.

Amber substitutes can be old, beautiful, and expensive. They come in the same colors as old amber. Copal is a fossilized resin found in Tanzania and the Congo. It is not as old as true amber but it old enough to become partially fossilized. The Africans treasure it and believe it has powers of healing.
Bakelite can be identified by rubbing it until it becomes warm. It will have a medicinal smell. Bakelite is an early plastic and is very desirable to collectors.

There are also cheap plastic imitations of amber. If the amber looks like a bargain, it is probably some sort of plastic. Buy it if you like it and be sure you pay for plastic, not amber.
Anyone know the composition of the amber colored stones above?

Handmade Designer Necklace: Mid Century Wearable Art Movement by Paul Lobel

2010-10-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Paul Lobel, 1899- 1983 worked in Greenwich Village, New York City . He was a talented artist, sculptor,glass, furniture and jewelry designer. He designed the mid century modern sterling silver necklace shown in the above picture. This is jewelry as sculpture. A bold statement formed from repeating sections, each section curved to fit the neck. It is balanced, simple and dramatic. It can be seen on the website www.trocadero.com.

Handmade Designer Necklace - Fresh Water Cultured pearls and Murano Glass

2010-10-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

This unique necklace shines and shimmers. A plain dress, or a very low cut dress become the background for the white pearls and silver Murano Glass. Pearl and silver Murano Glass Earrings to match are available.. Custom made to fit the owner. Earrings and necklace $350. If there is anyone out there who wants to give a very special gift, or has questions, contact me through the comments section of this blog.

Handmade Designer Necklace -Bead Weaving by Alyce

2010-10-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Alyce was working on this gorgeous necklace at our last "bead and feed" meeting and I thought you would like to see a work in progress. She weaves tiny glass seed beads into flowers and leaves and then attaches them to make this beautiful bouquet. It is a labor of love as it takes hours to make.
We have a wonderful beading/ art group that meets weekly during the summer. Many of us are artists and necklace designers. Our work is different and we support and critique each other. No lying is allowed! If you ask for comments you get them , like it or not.

Ooh-la-la! French Victorian jet necklace

2010-09-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

How about this extravaganza! I found it on the website
morninggloryjewelry.com.
What I know about jet is that it is made from fossilized coal,is found in Great Britain, was very popular in Victorian times, and it was often worn for mourning.
There are many black stones. To the casual observer they all look alike. it takes a gemologist to identify the differences of onyx, jet and jaspar.
Anyone out there like to add to my knowledge?

Handmade Designer Necklace -Silver,Vintage Murano Glass, Swarovski crystal

2010-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Another necklace in the Pipedream collection. A slender necklace of silver pipes separated by clear Swarovski crystal. The center geometric drop is of vintage Murano glass, red and frosted glass, and black Swarovski crystals. This piece is light to wear and can be worn as a choker or a pendent. $65.00.

Handmade Designer Necklace - Combining Opaque and Transparent Glass

2010-06-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

The necklace above is one of the series of "Pipe Dreams" . The blue vintage Murano glass beads form a centerpiece that is the focal point of the necklace. The sterling silver and crystal add sparkle but do not intrude on the centerpiece. I love color and each " Pipe Dream" is a different color combination. In the necklace above, the centerpiece is monochromatic. All the beads are the same tone, but the small beads are opaque and the larger center bead is clear blue glass.

People worry that a necklace with color will not go with many outfits. I say - not true! This blue color can accent any outfit. It is especially good if you have a tiny bit of blue in a scarf or a little sparkle of blue in your eyes or in your earrings. Picture this necklace with chartreuse or yellow with matching blue clear glass earrings. Perfect!

New Handmade Designer Necklaces; Lightweight , Colorful and Sexy !.

2010-05-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Have fun wearing "Pipe Dream" necklaces.They are made of sterling silver, vintage Murano glass, and Swarovski Crystal. The centerpieces come in triangular, circular, and. teardrop shapes.

All colored beads are from a private collection of Murano glass beads circa 1950-1970. Textures of these beads are satin, granular, matte, transparent glass and opaque glass.

Colors are fabulous . Coral and white pearl, bright yellow and white polka dot, fuchsia and peach, turquoise and wedgewood blue, olive chartreuse and red, and white, black and red. They come in small and large sizes and can be made to order.

Each necklace comes with earrings. Chartreuse earrings enhance the necklace shown above.

They're eye candy! Price range is $65.00-$125.00 for necklaces $35.00 for earrings - a bargain! Custom size and colors can be ordered for an additional $25.00.

If you want more information, or are interested in purchasing necklaces or earrings, please send your contact information to me in the" Comment" space below and I will get back to you. Free Shipping. Full refund if returned in 10 days.

The Amazing, Creative Sent Sisters

2010-05-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I was in Venice walking in the Dorsoduro area and bemoaning the fact that it had radically changed since my previous visit. Gone were the butcher, the baker, the green grocer, the fish market , all the shops that make the area a home. In it's place were jewelry stores that sell similar new Murano glass jewelry.

Then , magic! I turned a corner and there was a beautiful display which included a large glass piece that is impossible to describe. Inside was the necklace above. and more glass creations.

The necklaces are made of simple inexpensive materials. In the necklace above, the clear glass balls of diverse sizes are inexpensive. It is the way they are put together that makes it a work of art. Ordinary materials are transformed by great design.

The sisters, Marina and Susanna came from a Murano glass blowing family and they have talent.
You can visit their store vicariously by going to the website www.marinaesusannasent .com A simpler bubble necklace is sold at MOMA in NYC for $115. Other of their work is on the website www.whatinternational.com

AFRICAN BEADS on BBC. PROGRAM CALLED "GHANA'S ANCIENT BEADS"

2010-04-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

April 16 or 17,2010 the British Broadcasting Company did a program on African Beads from Ghana. The program is called "Inside Africa" and the segment is "Ghana's Ancient Beads Back in Vogue". You can see it on cnn.com/inside Africa. Not only do you learn about beads, the program is an interesting quick visit to Ghana.

Some of the quotes were "" It's not just colors. Where i'm from, if you wear something like blue it's purity,white is fertility, gold is wealth. I know what it means so it is precious to me." Tairee

There is a "culture of sankofa in Ghana." It means "go back and retrieve what you've left behind". Ernestina Anafu, bead shop owner . She was referring to the long history of beads in Ghana. The gold color Bodum glass beads, shown in the adner-bergart.com necklace above, represented weath and were owned by African kings. They are at least 100 yrs old. The turquoise center bead and the rectangular olive green beads are new recycled glass beads . The turquoise glass beads are Czech circa 1920 and the rust satin finish beads are Murano glass circa 1950.

Handmade Designer Necklace - Mali? Ceramic and Recycled Ghanian Glass Beads

2010-04-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

I promise! This is the last blog about the black ceramic gift beads(see blog below). After struggling to do justice to the gift of ceramic beads and completing the task to my satisfaction, I noticed these rectangular olive green and maroon Ghanian recycled glass beads lying around . I couldn't resist, and I combined them with the black ceramic beads from Mali and added Czech round light and dark green glass circa 1920 and olive green satin finish Murano glass circa 1950. It took no time at all. Guess what - it sold immediately! What is the moral of this story?

Design #3- Handmade Designer Necklace of African Beads, Vintage Murano Beads and Kingman Mine Turquoise

2010-04-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I am finally satisfied.

My friend gave me a strand of large, black ceramic beads with an incised pattern including the one in the center of the necklace shown above. She was working in Liberia, and purchased them there, but was not sure where they were made. I was told by an expert on African beads that they could be from Mali or Burkina Faso.

Jan .21 2010 was the first blog about these beads. It showed them combined with large brass beads and amber colored beads from Tibet. It was o.k. but not exciting.

I tried again combining the large beads with ebony beads with inlaid silver, frosted white Vintage Murano glass beads, and turquoise spacers from the Kingman mine in Arizona.

The new materials were an improvement but the necklace remained too clunky. See March 4 2010 blog.

It took awhile to realize the materials and colors were good but the design needed to be simplifed. By removing two of the large beads, and some of the frosted beads the problem was solved.

Justice was done to my wonderful gift and it is finally a well designed necklace. Hope you like it!

Handmade Designer Necklace - Gemstones of Lapis and Variscite, Spiny Oyster and Vintage Murano Glass

2010-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

The color combination in necklace above was inspired by Native American jewelry. The colors in this necklace are the analogous colors of blue, green and turquoise with orange as a contrasting color. It works!

The long beads are lapis lazuli . I think the lapis in the necklace above is from Afghanistan. It is a clear bright blue and has tiny specs of pyrite in it .There are three round vintage satin finished blue Murano glass beads, and rondelles of turquoise, green variscite, and orange spiny oyster.

The Spiny oyster is a genus of bivalve mollusk called spondylus. It comes in red, orange, purple and rarely yellow. It is harvested from the Sea of Cortez , Baja Mexico. I love the orange color shown above. It is relatively expensive, so I use it infrequently.

The variscite is a phosphate mineral found in Utah and Nevada in the USA, Queensland in Australia, Germany and Brazil. It is a wonderful shade of medium blue green. Variscite is hard to find. This too is used infrequently.

Native American Jewelry can be seen on the website www.pueblodirect.com . They describe themselves as"highest quality Native American Arts at the very best prices. The jewelry looked high quality to me.
The necklace pictured above may be purchased by sending a request through the comment section of this blog. Price is $295

Handmade Designer Necklaces of Modernist Betty Cook

2010-03-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

A friend from Baltimore Maryland introduced me to the necklaces of Betty Cook. My friend lived near her shop called The Store Ltd. in the village of Cross Keys, and purchased many necklaces there. The necklaces my friend owns are geometric structures made from silver and gold tubes. They are light of scale and wander asymmetrically over the neck and torso.

The Betty Cook necklace above is on sale on the website http://www.auerbachmaffia.com. It is item 683462. This is a website with an extensive collection of modernist jewelry and art for sale. I highly recommend it.

Marbeth Schon, an authority on Modernist and contemporary jewelry, calls Betty Cook an "icon within the tradition of Modernist Jewelry". The sculptural Betty Cook necklace shown above is wood and silver on leather cord. It is an example of the adage less is more. More of her necklaces can be seen on M. Schon 's website, www.mschon.com. Betty Cook's store in Baltimore, The Store Ltd. is still in Business. I like her aesthetic.

Handmade Designer Necklace Made From Tibetan Agate and Sterling Silver

2010-03-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

This necklace is one of my favorite creations. I love wearing it. It enlivens black and goes with many colors as long as the tone is the same strength as the tone of the colors in the necklace. The beads are from Tibet and are agate. The striped beads are an off white and I am told they are smoked to make the stripe. The mustard and rust beads are mottled .
For questions or comments about this necklace, use the comments section below or the one on necklacesbyadner.com. More information about this necklace can be found on necklacesbyadner.com.

The Design of a Handmade Necklace Using African beads, Turquoise, and Vintage Murano Glass

2010-03-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

A friend found the large black ceramic beads with incised pattern shown above when she was working in
Liberia. I went to work on the beads hoping to create a necklace worthy of them. The result is the necklace above which combines ebony and silver rondelles with turquoise spacers from the Kingman mine in Arizona, blackish ceramic beads, and frosted white vintage Murano glass. An exotic combination to say the least. However, I am not happy with it. Although I tried many renditions, this is the best of my attempts.

The interesting thing about a design is you know when it is right. I might give it one more try with larger stronger beads. Maybe big round recycled beads from Ghana. Any suggestions?

Handmade designer necklace -beadweaving

2010-02-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

This handmade designer necklace, that forms a collar around the base of the neck, is a wonderful example of beadweaving. It is made from tiny seed beads and woven into a bargello pattern. It is monochromatic, shading from aqua to teal to emerald green. It can be seen at www.emeraldjewellery.co.uk

Contemporary hand dyed Mali Textiles at The Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco

2010-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

There is a great exhibit of contemporary Mali textiles showing gorgeous, colorful, hand dyed fabrics and machine made fabrics at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco,www.mocfa.org . The exhibit continues until May 2 ,2010.
The gift shop is listed in "the San Francisco Book" as on of the city's top museum gift shops and is well worth checking out.The website for the store is store@mocfa.org

African Beads -Ebony, Inlaid Silver, and Boaly

2010-02-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

More purchases from The Tucson Bead Show are shown above. The black beads shown above are ebony inlaid with silver. The brass beads were made in Mali and I think they are called boaly.

African Trade Beads from the Tucson Bead Show

2010-02-08T12:55:00.001-08:00

I just returned from the Tucson Bead Show, which is enormous, exhausting and exhilarating to say the least! There are buildings upon buildings, booths upon booths, and tables piled high with beads, precious stones, pearls and more. Before I traveled to Tucson, I spent a lot of time on line figuring out what vendors might interest me and where they were located. Still, I only made it to one building. The first day I found little that interested me.

The second day I found the needle in the haystack! Five years ago I met an African bead trader. He carried many one of a kind antique beads that were from all over Africa. Somehow, I lost contact with him and had no idea how to find him. I walked into a tent behind the large show and saw a huge table piled with African beads.. It was such a fabulous collection and behind the table was my friend, Abubakar! Better yet, he remembered my name.

I bought the beads shown above. The large blue and turquoise glass beads were made in Holland at least 100 yrs old. They are African trade beads from Ethiopia.

I also bought the milky wedgewood blue strand of beads. These also are at least 100 years old. They were made in

Mali

and are called Dogon

Both necklaces are expensive. For the same amount of money I could have purchased fine semi precious stone beads. People understand the cost of fine quality semi precious stones, but it is a little difficult to explain the cost of these rare, crude beautiful blue beads. What appeals to me is the history of the beads, their rarity and uniqueness. You can always buy another turquoise, but it is hard to find 100 year old beads.

Journal of African Beads from Ghana

2010-01-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

Learn about beads, bead makers, artists, and history related to beads in Ghana from the colorful and interesting journal published by Tanya Jardi Kordylas called "Ahene". Ahene means beads in Twi, a local dialect in Ghana spoken by the Akan tribe. You can reach Tanya on ahenejournal@hotmail.com and she will forward a copy to you.

As you can see from the necklace above designed by Adner-Bergart with beads from Ghana , there are many styles of beads produced in Ghana. There is new powdered glass, recycled glass, new patterned glass, Ashanti brass, and many old beads still available. Ghana is the center of beadmaking in Africa. "Ahene" is a wonderful resource of information about Ghanian beads.

The necklace shown above is from the website adner-bergart.com,

African Beads

2010-01-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Ellen had a project in Liberia, Africa . She gave me these wonderful beads that she found in the marketplace there. It was such a special gift and I want to make a necklace that will make the large black and white beads look wonderful. I have tried silver and red glass beads, spiny oyster. This rendition is simpler than the others. The yellow beads are Tibetan agate and the large bicone beads are Ethiopian hand made brass. These Liberian beads are tricky because of their weight and size. Any suggestions out there in cyberspace?
I am working so hard on this necklace because it will be used as a fundraiser to help a boy Ellen met in Liberia who suffered terrible burns. The Shriners have agreed to take him in their burn center in Boston, but he will need clothes and sundries while he is here.
Tanya, publisher of the" Ahene " journal has informed me that the black beads are made in Barkina Faso and Mali, and the bicone brass beads come from Nigeria or maybe the Cameroon.
Tany

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

2010-01-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

The turquoise stones in this necklace come from the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe Arizona. The turquoise from this mine is a beautiful, bright color and has no matrix. I purchased these stones at TheTucson Gem and Mineral and Gem show a few years ago.

There are gems,minerals and beads from around the world. The show is in many locations around the city of Tucson, Arizona. Tables are piled high with gemstones, pearls, semi precious stones and everything you can imagine. The last time I was there I purchased wedgewood blue calcedony , rainbow moonstones, turquoise, green opals, sterling silver, coral, Ethiopian brass beads and the turquoise you see in the necklace above. Mindboggleing is the word to describe it!

I am going to the show this year in early February. If you want to find more about it , the website is www.tucson-gem-show.org

Bead weaving - Handmade Designer Necklace

2010-01-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile a necklace takes on another dimension. To me, this handmade designer necklace looks like the motion of an iridescent stream of water. The body of this necklace is woven from tiny glass seed beads. A strand of iridescent Swarovski Crystal is threaded through the the woven openings. It takes patience, perseverance and time to weave a fine necklace

My friend Alyce is the creator of this masterpiece. Her hands are so capable, whether she is weaving a necklace or making baklava.

Vintage Murano Glass Beads. Rare Red Holiday necklace

2009-12-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

In December I like to make a red necklace. It is my own private holiday celebration. If i'm lucky I will be invited to a party and can wear my scooped neck black velvet with my new red necklace. If i'm even luckier, I will sell my new necklace and the person who bought it will continue the red necklace holiday celebration.

I have a relative whose Mother lived in Venice, Italy . She designed and sold necklaces made from Murano glass beads from 1950-1970. It must have been a big industry because when she died, she left a room full of beads of many colors and different styles. I am a bead expert and to this day I have not seen beads like the ones in the necklace above. These are Murano glass with an applied satin finish in the most vibrant cherry red. Good red beads are hard to come by , but this collection has many. Another red necklace made from vintage Murano glass oval matte finish beads can be seen on my first blog, "Welcome To My blog--All About Necklaces".

The necklace above is made from satin finish vintage Murano glass beads, sterling silver, black Swarovski crystal. It has an extender chain and a sterling oval lobster claw type of clasp and sells for $275.00. If purchased this through this blog, it is on sale for $225 with free shipping in the USA . To contact me, write your request through Post a Comment below and leave your e mail address.

PEACE TO ALL!! HAPPY 2010!

African Beads

2009-12-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of the handmade designer necklaces made by adner-Bergart.com is shown above. It combines beads from the countries of Ghana, Uganda and Ethiopia.
The large striped mustard color beads are made from powdered glass in Ghana. The large turquoise beads are made from recycled glass in Ghana.
The medium size beads in the back are made from recycled paper that is lacquered. These are produced in Uganda.
The beads between the recycled beads are handmade brass beads from Ethiopia.
All the beads are interesting and different. All are wonderful.
This necklace can be purchased by contacting us on the contact us page in the website above.

Purchasing African beads

2009-11-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

The handmade designer necklace above is composed of African beads, except for the vintage gold Murano glass beads that separate the Mali Wedding beads.

The black and white striped beads are old Mali glass. One can tell that they are old by the fine patterns and the thin edges. The new Mali glass wedding beads are of harsher solid colors. They have a slightly squared edge. Be sure when you purchase Mali Wedding beads that you pay for what you get. Like everything else, the old beads are much more expensive than the new ones.

The large circular new Ashanti brass beads are a great substitute for gold. They have a wonderful bronze gold color, distinctive patterns, and come in a myriad of shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, I have purchased strands that have so many defects that I have only been able to use a few of the beads. Defects I have found are: one side is perfect and the other side has holes in it, extra brass drops fall on the piece, and pieces are broken. A word to the wise, examine them carefully before purchasing.

A necklace of old blue Mali wedding beads similar to the one above is on the website
adner-bergart.com. Cost is $250. Use the comment space on this blog or the follow the instructions on the website if you wish to make a purchase.

Zipper Necklaces

2009-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

What is it? One has to look hard to identify the composition of this striking necklace!

My friend Louise makes fabulous handmade designer necklaces out of zippers. She is a weaver and became interested in using utilitarian materials such as plastic plumbing tubes, pieces of metal, and rubber cord in her baskets. Always on the lookout for recycled or useful materials she stumbled upon a necklace made of zippers in South Africa and the rest is history! You can see she has developed her zipper necklaces into an art form.

There was a movement in the period between World War I and World War II called The Machine Age. It was a time when ordinary materials such as chrome, nickel, glass and plastics such as galalith and bakelite were used to make interesting geometric jewelry, furniture, etc.. The Jakob Bengel Factory described in my last post was an important producer of necklaces made from these materials. Louise's zipper jewelry is a descendant of the Machine Age thinking. Louise sells her necklaces in many Museum stores in the US and Europe. To contact her or see her creative and original jewelry, check out her website at zipblingjewelry.com.

Art Deco Handmade Designer Necklaces

2009-11-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

I first learned about Jakob Bengel jewelry from an article in Modernism Magazine, www.modernismmagazine.com titled "An Art Deco Treasure Trove" written by Christianne Weber-Stober. Jakob Bengel was the name of a trinket manufacturer in small German town. Influenced by the Bauhaus in the late 1920's they began to produce handmade designer necklaces of Art Deco style which were made from chrome, nickel, glass and plastic. Geometric shapes of cones,circles, parallelograms and triangles formed components of the jewelry.

"The Union of Artistes Modernes" in France, founded in 1929 wrote " To be beautiful, a material does not have to be rare or costly"..."A material is beautiful when it is aesthetically gratifying to the eye and sense of touch simply because of the way it has been worked and used with forthought".

If you want to see some stunning necklaces of more typical Jakob Bengel jewelry, I encourage you to click on the Modernism Magazine website above. Another resource are the books "Art Deco Jewelry: Jakob Bengel", and " Bengel Art Deco Jewelry: Jewelry and Industrial Monumennt in Idar-Oberstein" They can be found at www.arnoldsche.com .

Colors and Patterns -Wiener Werkstatte Necklace

2009-10-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

This handmade designer necklace is listed as made by the Wiener Werkstatte. " The Wiener Werkstatte (1903-32) was a collaborative of designers and craftsmen that sought to create an art appropriate for a modern age. They saw functional and decorative objects as equal to the fine arts and strove for a precise balance of form and color." Quote from "Wiener Werkstatte Jewelry" Neue Gallery, NYC.
I picture this necklace acting as a collar around the base of the neck. It is made of tiny seed beads in a rainbow of colors. The patterned stripe and check pieces must have been woven. They are connected by multicolor strands of beads the repeat the color in the design. I would love to know how the necklace keeps it's octagon shape. I would be greatly appreciative if anyone out there in cyber space can enlighten me.

Combining Color

2009-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

In Lisa Kosan's interview with Iris Apful, fashion doyenne, she said "In the right tonality, I never met a color I didn't like." The fuscia and rust in the necklace above are examples of colors that could clash, but do not when they are in the same tones.

When designing a room, a rule of thumb is to use a lot of neutral, a lesser amount of a second color, and a small amount of an accent color. This necklace uses the same principles. The major colors are the black and white batik bone from Kenya which is neutral, the next amount of color is orange in various tones. There is the soft apricot shade of the large recycled glass pieces from Ghana, the brown ( a dark orange) of the bauxite that surrounds the centerpiece, and the rust in the vintage Murano glass beads. The accent and smallest amount is the fuscia vintage Murano glass beads. This works as well in necklaces as it does in rooms.

Check out this necklaces and others at Adner-Bergart.com

Iris Apfel - "Rare Bird of Fashion"

2009-10-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

The October 8,2009 Boston Globe G section has an interesting article by Christopher Muther about Iris Apfel and her fantastic fashion collection. The show of a lifetime's collection of clothing, jewelry and other accessories will open at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem , Ma. Her skill is combining diverse fashion items to make a work of art. She used expensive designer clothes, handmade designer necklaces as well as blue jeans and other inexpensive items. In an interview with the Peabody Museum Editorial Director, Lisa Kosan, she said she liked "architectural clothes so I can embellish them myself."

Handmade Designer Necklace: Ivory silk and mother of pearl.

2009-10-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

If your are a tall , large woman this handmade designer necklace is for you ! If you have tawny or dark skin even better! It will look wonderful with an ivory silk low necked top . The mother of pearl and vintage Murano glass will compliment your skin, and the sensual dropped teardrop will accentuate your cleavage. Wear it on a tropical night or a sunny day. It is a one of a kind necklace and can be found at necklacesbyadner.com.

Handmade Designer necklaces :American Indian and Ethnographic Auction

2009-09-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sat. Sept 26 the Skinner Auction House, Boston Gallery, will sell two collections of American Indian items. These are handmade designer necklaces by Native Americans. There is a picture the Boston Globe Newspaper of a beautiful silver and turquoise squash blossom necklace which is expected to bring $1,500-$2000.

TheHunt for Variscite

2009-09-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona has a wonderful Museum Shop. www.heardmuseumshop.com. When I was there a few years ago, they had a fine necklace made by an American Indian artist. It combined turquoise, lapis lazuli (royal blue), spiny oyster(orange) , and a beautiful opaque emerald green stone I had never seen before called Variscite. I wanted that variscite to use in a necklace. but could not find it. I supposed it was rare and that only the native American jewelers had access to it.
However, in researching the variscite I discovered it was a relatively common mineral that was found in Western and Southern United States, Ireland, Wales, Hungary and more. It is a cousin to turquoise.

A while later I was again traveling in Arizona, this time to Jerome, an old mining town . There was a mineral shop there and I spotted one strand of variscite shards (shown in the pictured necklace above) hanging on the wall. The new store owner could not identify the stones. The label from the previous owner said "Snake River". There is a Snake River in Utah and a Snake River Mine that produces variscite and I think that is where the stone shards in my necklace are from. The necklace above has two strands of variscite, Nepalese inlaid beads, and ethiopian handmade brass beads. It can be purchased through necklacesbyadner.com

Antique African and Vintage Murano glass beads

2009-09-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

This handmade designer necklace from Adner-Bergart .com is presently in the Color Obsession Gallery in Mashpee, MA. At an opening party, I met an acquaintance who is "intuitive". Although there were four of our necklaces displayed, she went right to this necklace, lifted it up, and said she just had to touch the yellow beads. She said they were old, there was a story, but she did not know what it was.

The yellow opaque glass with turquoise patterns on them are about 100 yrs old. They are called Bodum and were made for African kings . Collectors covet Bodum beads and the best ones still have colored patterns on them.

This was the first necklace that Andrea and I made. We made a long one and a short one and they both sold immediately. We have two more left to sell. What I love about this necklace is how the turquoise glass beads glow. It has history, a great color combination, and rare beads.

The Bodum beads are combined with the rust satin vintage Murano glass beads, Czech blown turquoise glass circa 1920 and new recycled glass beads from Ghana.

Vintage Miriam Haskell Necklace

2009-09-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Imagination is shown in the design of this Miriam Haskell necklace. Both the beads and the color scheme are unusual. They must have made it many times before they got it right. Although it is costume jewelry, and generally made from inexpensive materials of the time, they have become desirable collectors items. There are many different styles of Haskell necklaces . The thread that runs through them is innovative design, inexpensive materials , and a big statement.

The Collectors Weekly, www.collectorsweekly.com , has information about Miriam Haskell necklaces. They said " she was not a designer, but an excellent talent scout. Frank Hess was her first find... and designed necklaces from 1926-1960 when Robert Clark took over." Presently some Miriam Haskell necklaces are on sale through Collector's Weekly .

Bead Weaving

2009-09-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Harriet is weaving beads to make this amazing necklace for her friend Alyce. It is a true labor of love because it has taken her hours and hours of combining and weaving the beads together into a necklace. This is what she has finished so far. Alyce has a golden completion and Harriet considered this when she chose the beads for this necklace. The ivory and gold tones beads balance the roses and whites to help the necklace blend with Alyce's coloring .

Harriet and Alyce are part of our Bead and Feed group . We help, admire, and inspire each other in our art and beading. We also eat very well and talk a lot . Everyone brings something for lunch. Good for the mind and soul.

Collecting old Murano Glass beads

2009-08-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

I knew about this relative in Venice whose Mother designed and manufactured necklaces for the trade from 1950 to 1970. When she died he inherited thousands of beads. When I first saw them, I was disappointed because they did not have the typical embedded gold and silver foil or flowers. I purchased some red beads because I knew red is hard to find and they were a lovely graceful oval shape. I would buy a small quantity each year, but they were not important to my design.

Finally I realized the colors, the textures, the shapes are unique. In the picture above you can see textures that look like granulated sugar and satin, and you can tell the human hand has touched them because the shapes are not perfect. They span many eras from the early 1900's to the modern movement.

Now I eagerly travel to Venice to collect beads . I stay in a beautiful room in the family palazzo overlooking roofs and the Venice Lagoon.. The linens on the bed are thick and starched and on the dresser is are multi colored old Murano glass perfume bottles and the Proseco is delicious .

You can see how Andrea and I combined these beads with Andreas' old African bead collection at Adner-Bergart.com

"Red to the Rescue"

2009-08-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Boston Globe Fall Fashion magazine of 8/23/09 has a standout article about "Red Hot and New". It says that red is the"in"color this year, and has an elegant 6 page photographic spread of models dressed in various shades of black , grey and red. The photographer is Sadie Dayton and the styling is by Marci Duarte/team.

The only thing missing from this wonderful display are necklaces! If they only knew about Adner-Bergart's Niger necklace illustrated above or about the antique Murano opaque red glass and Swarovski black crystal necklace illustrated in Blog #1 they would have achieved perfection.

The "Niger" necklace illustrated above is made from beads made from ceramic from Niger, sterling silver , red glass from Ghana and antique and vintage Murano glass. More information about it can be found at adner-bergart.com.

Antique African Trade Bead necklace

2009-08-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

This handmade designer necklace is made from the antique millifiore Murano glass beads used for trade in Africa discussed in blog#2. It is combined with sterling silver, vintage Murano glass, kunzinite, and carnelian beads. It is an informal necklace that adds color to whatever one wears. More about is is found on necklacesbyadner.com.

Finding African trade beads

2009-08-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

About 40 years ago I was in Tangiers for a day or so. At that time, in the souk, there were barrels of old millifiore murano glass beads now known as African trade beads. I had no idea what to do with them, but I liked the way they looked. You could buy a huge scoop of beads from a big barrel and it cost a few dollars. Oh how I wish I had I purchased several scoops of beads. Now they are worth a lot of money.

I knew a psychologist who said you only regret the things you don't buy.

Many years later they served their purpose. They started my necklace passion. I made my first necklace combining those beads with semi precious stones from an old necklace my Aunt had given me, and now Andrea Bergart and I are making handmade designer necklaces from her old African beads, and my collection of old Murano glass beads.

They can be seen on our website adner-bergart.com.

Welcome to My Blog -- All About Necklaces

2009-08-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Necklaces! Lace around the neck. A bit of adornment that enhances the wearer. It is amazing to me that there is such a variety of design when all there us to work with is a long or short oval that encircles the neck.

This blog is not about precious stones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It is about handmade designer necklaces made from less expensive materials such as antique African glass, vintage Murano glass, semi-precious stones, pearls, silver and brass.

It will cover necklaces from the Wiener Werkstatte period, the greats of Mexican sterling silver, Miriam Haskell vintage necklaces, and more.

The necklace above is made by Barbara Adner from antique Murano glass circa 1910 and Swarovski crystal. It can be seen at necklacesbyadner.com