This handmade bead embroidered collar is inspired by the famous porcelain and stoneware artist from the 18th Century, Josiah Wedgewood. His tableware graced the upper echelons of European drawing rooms for over a hundred years. The colours of cornflower blue and off white are inextricably linked with this artist.
My collar has the same colours (blue, off white, white, cream) and a shape that is very 1950s. That’s where the similarities end. My collar has as its focal pieces, lampworked American glass, dichroic glass, Lemon Quartz, Facetted Rock Quartz. One side features a genuine Madagascan Ammonite Fossil that is millions of years old. The other side has a handcrafted polymer clay bead that was part of a set that won 1st place in the Australian Bead and Gem show in 2007.
The collar is also replete with freshwater pearls, semi precious gems (howlite, mother of pearl, onyx, quartz and Swarovski crystals. The closure is a hand dyed ribbon that is tied at the back of the neck.
It is an heirloom piece, all hand crafted, each bead individually stitched (or in the case of focals, glued) onto backing fabric. The entire piece is then backed with ultrasuede, which is a beautifully soft but resilient man-made fabric that does not fray. The rings and connectors are all gold plated.
The reason this piece is significantly cheaper is that a design flaw resulted in it not laying completely flat against the chest at the front. It is not a deal breaker, and most people only notice once its pointed out to them. I, however, am a perfectionist with my own work. Thus, the reduction in price.