The A-Symmetrical Necklace

A couple of times a year I’m  waiting for my Mom to arrive from Maine to the sunny California coast. Its hard not to jewelry gawk at people who are really only struggling to find their luggage and get to their destination. However, I’ve been known to stop someone and ask where they got their fantastic jewelry from. This happened to me recently and luckily I got to chat with a nice person about their fantastic necklace.

The flower corsage necklace

She was wearing a two strand necklace where the strands met up with a single chain at her collar bones, and then where the strands met the chain there was a lovely silk flower attached. The strands were white pearls and clear crystals intermixed with silver beads, and the chain was a loopy chain that had a simple clasp on the back. The flower was white and delicate, about the size of a golf ball. Simple and pretty. Once I noticed this necklace, I began to notice them in other places, with other kinds of flowers.

The asymmetrical design

Off kilter, lop sided, unbalanced… call it what you want. The asymmetrical design has been around forever. And its very pleasing to the eye, to have one focal area amidst a field of predictability. That this design seems to always have a flower, no matter what the flower is made of, is even more interesting.

The silk flower

A visit to my local craft store overwhelmed me with potential posies. Silk flowers come in every size, shape and color. You simply need to find one that fits well into your vision for your design. Or perhaps you can start with the flower  and build the rest of the neck piece around it. It was obvious why silk flowers are so easily adaptable to the jewelry trade. You can sew into them so easily because they’re fabric, or you can wire around them. They’re versatile.

The metal flower

I love the industrial adaptation of this design. A metal flower paired with chain and silver beads creates a whole different atmosphere. Sort of feminine steampunk! I love it! Its can be elegant or funky, but all in all its totally contemporary. You know those fantastic metal daisy pins from the 1950’s? They would look so great in a necklace like this.

Multiple mania

How about a cluster of flowers? You could do an ascending order of flowers or a cluster of 3… or 5 if their smaller. I just realized how this so resembles the flowers that women wear in their hair. Soft and pretty and oh, so girly! Silk flowers attached to hair clips or headbands are fun and flirty.

Change it up!

Besides flowers, there’s tons of other focal components you can use, like this great dragonfly. A piece of filigree would be fun. How about some stacked metal flowers or a Swarovski crystal flower component? It’s a wide open design up for interpretation!

Beyond the focal point

Stacked vintage chains, strung beads, wire linked beads… mix and match this multi strand beauty into whatever combo makes you happy. Use a silk cord in the back, or as one of the strands. Silk knotting in between beads… there are endless options. Have fun with it!

“We watched a pirate movie the other night. It was an old one from the 40’s or something. When the part came where the chest was open and all the jewels were exposed, I gasped and thought to myself how easily I could have become a pirate back in the old days, if there were such a thing. I was entranced by the glitz, the jewels, the strands of chain. In my heart I’m a scurvy dog. Who knew??”  ~ Irma Sanchez, who left this message on my answering machine.  

Resources

http://www.etsy.com/shop/everydayfairytale

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27777550

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39727587

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40313274

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KikiBirdJewelry