A word about using the word studio to describe, in this case, this piece of jewelry. The correct usage is to be applied when the artist herself or himself created the entire piece from beginning to end by hand.  Making multiples or the high percentage use of premade or prefabricated metals and beads would make it a collage and not a studio piece.  Note here, if all the gemstone beads were to be removed, it would still stand alone as a scluptural, wearable piece of sterling silver jewelry.

The word "studio" should be retired from usage when the items are being made with mostly pre made materials, by the 1000s and/or by others for the designer.

Once this has come to pass, they have advanced to having their product be classified as designer jewelry. When artists must employ others to make or finish their designs, they have become designers. Let them be proud, let them own the new title of designer and rejoice. They have arrived. It is time to graduate and retire the "studio artist" word from their descriptions.

Designers please return that word to remain where it originated and that is at the original studio artist's bench.

This two piece sculptural necklace has taken me several years to complete. Why? Anyone who paints will tell you that they have dozens, in my case a few hundred, of paintings in progress lying about in their studio. So it is with many of my creative endeavors, be they paintings, jewelry, wearable textiles, etc...many years in progress.

When I owned my third and last store-gallery-studio, my clients were surprised at the accumulation of works in progress as they ventured into my artist's den. Back to this 2 piece necklace. Being completely self taught, errr, self learned, this was completely hand fabricated by me a few years ago and was never made available to collectors until now. This is runway material and has substantial heft, yet a very comfortable fit. If you are shy and dislike attention when you enter a room, this original may not be for you.

Finally, looking through my many years' accumulation of gemstones, I succumbed to my colorist's need to add color by "sewing or weaving" 90 vibrant lush gorgeous 4mm dark pink red faceted garnets and 20 peridots with thin gauge sterling. Others erroneously use the word "fine" to mean thin gauge, but "fine silver" should be used only to mean 99% or pure silver.

This piece reminds one of a lush red round fruit, yes? ...and so now I'm a child again and I can still see the pomegranate, fig and mulberry trees growing in our backyard...

For decades, I have been using wiremetal or thread to secure adornments such as antique buttons, beads, etc onto my collectible works. Actually as a child, it was bones and pebbles - how Flintstone - that I metalwired, sewed or wove in place on to my jewelry and clothing. Even now I wince remembering when once a month my mother would invite our lady neighbors over for sweet tea and to view not my work, but "what odd stuff this child makes" before tossing out my treasures as she rightfully exercised her neatnik "warden like" position in our home. She is no longer with us and if she could see the "unneatnikness" that I joyfully embrace, she would surely wring her hands in horror!

You see... This is why in the past my work was described in the 3rd person. Now you get War and Peace.