Lizard in Iolite Necklace

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"Lizzie" (as her person named her) sat among my Zuni carvings for years. I was concerned that she would rotate belly up when worn. Then it occurred to me that the heavy 49-strand bead cable has a mind of its own, insisting upon twisting willy nilly. By harnessing that twist Lizzie couldn't help but behave. Lizzie is beautifully carved with inlaid turquoise eyes and black pupils, please check out the second photo to see her portrait.

The iolite nugget strand was one of those orphans that I couldn't help but adopt. The pebbles are slightly polished, with shiny bits against the rough. When a strategy for dealing with Lizzie occurred to me, the iolite virtually leapt out of its drawer and announced how perfect it would be for this necklace.

Karen Ovington makes the most unusual and amazing beads which blend perfectly with natural stones. People have mistaken them for ceramic beads, rhyolite beads, etc., but no, they are handmade glass. A little golden jade brings some color to the composition. The result is a casual, attractive and fascinating necklace in which each element has a story. Some would prefer a diamond necklace with stones cut by a robot, settings with stones cast in place, made by a machine, untouched by human hands. Would you?