String a Beautiful Necklace

Today's challenge is to string a beautiful bracelet or necklace and crimp away.  That is a simple challenge.  I brought out all of my personal stash of beads--things I bought for myself, for something I saw in a book, or beads that I bought at the Gem Faire.  As a rule these beads are for me.  I found many beads to make into jewelry and got so excited to start that I couldn't go to bed.  I just wanted to bead.   No housecleaning, no laundry, no cooking--just beading.

This is the first project that I think fits the challenge.  First to credit the inspiration:  The Book:  Bead Journey,  Jewelry from around the world, Bead Style Magazine Books, pg. 82.  Mexico:  showcase Mexican Fire Opals, by Lindsay Haedt.

I will never be able to afford Fire Opals.  I priced some at close to $300 per strand and this necklace took two and one-half strands of similar style beads.  I used some gorgeous faceted carnelian rondelles that I had in my stash.  I purchased them for  considerably less.  They are extremely handsome beads but  perhaps have less fire that opals.  I do love carnelians and was excited to get this necklace made.

(Side note:  According to my Brazilian friend, these are not the color of carnelians that come from Brazil.  She says that Brazilian Carnelians are darker and red.  I was not impressed be the red carnelians that I saw, but from Oriental Trading Company you can't expect first quality beads.  I wait to see some pretty red ones.)

The beads are simply strung together with random gold spacers.  I chose to use plain spacers because my gold beaded spacers were not shiny, but antiqued.  It was finished off with a gold plated magnetic clasp.  I used a heavy duty clasp because the carnelians I used were larger than the inspiration opals and would weigh a lot more. Stringing this many beads was tedious.  Then crimp, crimp it was done. 

Here is my necklace:

Somewhat ho-hum on the fabric I chose for March.  May fix that later.  

The necklace is 29 inches long and 7-8 millimeters across.  The earrings will be explained later.  They are another day's project.  I do like this necklace. It is perfect for all the orange clothes that were purchased last year when the Pantone Color of the Year was Tango Tangerine.  (Think "The Wiz" for an exaggeration of the COY--That was Ariane's first thought.)