Blog: design, unique knot between the beads

A.R.T. Precious Collectible Jewelry, New Orleans, LA

A.R.T. Precious Collectible Jewelry http://www.beadbear.com designed by Anne Renée Timmons-Harris is featured this week at MUSES Shopping Magazine http://www.musesmagazine.com/

I enjoy the challenge of creating multi-strand necklaces. It doesn't matter whether it's graduated strands, or entwined, or braided. All necklaces are equations. The goal is for it to be balanced, hang the way it's supposed to and lay against the body like it's a part of the wearer. What's done on one side must balance the other side. Not necessarily mirror, but balance, just like a quadratic equation. I relish trying to give the illusion that the laws of physics have been defied.

I suppose my favorites are the entwined strands with lots of different sized and different shaped beads.
These necklaces can be particularly aggravating. They can take several attempts at laying them out and doing a temporary stringing. I don't do any knot-work until I have all the strands created, and I can see how it's going to hang.

The next part is to determine with what to string the final piece on. That has a lot to do with what is in the necklace: large or small-hole beads, glass or metal, the quality of the holes in gemstones (are they well-drilled or are the edges ragged, with nasty little holes?). I have about eight or nine different spools of small cord, various thicknesses of silk, and several types of kevlar. I think I've got about three different types on linen cord, too.

I have to file and smooth out the edges of the holes in some beads. I have a bunch of different kinds of bead reamers and pin-vise drill bits, probably fifteen or twenty. There are also several files of varying degrees of fineness. I have emery boards and a couple of diamond-grit nail files, just like are used for manicures.

Occasionally, I have to make to hole larger. This requires patience, and a steady hand, or a bead could be cracked. If they're precious stones, screwing one up is a costly mistake. Lots of swearing, cursing and praying occurs at this time. (If I've got a lot of that to do, then everyone gets out of the room! The cats go hide under the bed. My husband suddenly finds something very fascinating online.)

Of course, graduated strands can also be a pain in the ****. Nefertiti proved to be quite tedious. I knew exactly what the beads wanted. But it took over twelve hours, before I got it right. All the gemstone beads were so not the same size and weight. The serpentine strand damn-near killed me! And with Aventurine Dream, I actually had to get out my bead ruler, and measure some of the beads.

They call football a game of inches. This is a game of millimeters, or less!

Lariats are my signature pieces. I design them with pearls or other gemstones. Lariats are an American jewelry invention. A lariat is a long usually single strand necklace, that does not have a clasp. Initially popular in the late 1800's during the Art Nouveau Period, they reached their zenith during the Roaring 20's. It was said that Zelda Fitzgerald had a pearl lariat that was one hundred feet long. They were testaments to the American belief that ”anything worth doing was worth overdoing”.

Consequently, in the years that followed, they fell out of favor during the Great Depression. However, I believe that in moderation, they are the most versatile piece of jewelry a woman could possess. Initially, lariats were only a few feet long. However, if the length of the lariat equals the height of the wearer, it is the perfect length to be worn a variety of ways around the neck as well as around the waist.

Depending upon how it is wrapped around the neck, an outfit can look casual, business-like or dressy. Consequently, a woman could conceivably wear here lariat from work to a cocktail party, and still be perfectly attired!

If you halve it, and then slip the ends through the loop, and let them dangle to the right or the left, the look is quite sporty and casual. Wrapped twice around the neck and knotted in the middle you achieve a sophisticated image. Untied, and worn under the collar of a jacket, makes a powerful statement. Draped around the neck, and tied loosely below the bust, lends a dazzling appearance to an evening gown. Equally effective, is to drape it so that the ends fall down the back. A most alluring look with backless gowns and cocktail dresses. And of course, tied like a belt around the waist, elegant with a sweater dress, tied loosely and draped over the hips, is downright sexy; you'll look like a goddess.

Why do I design one of a kind jewelry? Because I’m not designing for everybody. I’m designing just for you. I want you to have something that speaks to your heart, that allows you to feel really good about yourself and whatever you’re doing. I want to make the piece that gives you the extra confidence to make that presentation, sing that song, argue that brief; make that sale, get that promotion. I want them to be absolutely wowed by you. I want to make your “magic amulet”. I want to have your precious just ready and waiting. I want to create your valued treasure that you can wear and enjoy for years to come.

I knot between the beads because I want it to last. It’s always so sad when I hear that someone’s favorite necklace came apart, and all the beads scattered, and they couldn’t find all of them. That’s why I knot between the beads. Yes, strung art does wear and break. But you don’t want to lose your treasure.

So that’s why I do it. That’s why I guarantee my workmanship. And when the inevitable happens, I’m there to make it all better.

To that end I want to remind everyone that I am happy re-string your broken treasures. I can make better, stronger. I can find the right bead or centerpiece to refresh and renew your necklace, and let the song return to your heart. So don’t dispair. Email me today. I care. I’ll listen.Let me help. It’s what I do.

Visit www.beadbear.com today

Wear you beads in good fortune!