Joie de Vivre jewelry

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w h e r e   &   w h e r e a f t e r

A long, beautiful strand of double-drilled labradorite gemstones was not to be missed, and I wanted to create pieces that captured the beauty of the collection of stones and maintained a high degree of wearability. A challenge with a trapezoidal stones is to string them in a way that enables them to lie flat; that usually means a greater degree of stiffness in the design than with round stones to ensure edges don't rub. The longer necklace with many gemstones has great geometry and interest, but a low degree of flexibility. The shorter necklace has great fluidity but a smaller accessory "punch" for an outfit. Each features the lovely stones, and each offers a different way to wear them - bold statement versus subtle accent. The "where" of an occasion says which is best first, whereafter the other can be used to dress up or down an outfit. Necklaces are designed to be worn together or separately.

Cost: $199.00 USD

Gift Recipient Name

g i f t   i n s t r u c t i o n s : 

If this item is going to be a gift, enter the gift recipient name in the text box when you add this item to your cart. If your entire order is going to one recipient (yourself or other), no other action is needed and you can specify the shipping address in PayPal checkout. However, if you would like multiple recipients in the same order, we can accommodate that! Before you check out, make sure to add a gift box to your cart for each gift recipient in your order. You will be charged $4.95 USD for each recipient other than yourself and you'll need to add the recipient name and address to the gift box text field. Also, each recipient can receive multiple items for the same $4.95 gift box fee; just continue to specify their name when adding items to your cart.

c a t e g o r i e s :

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M a t e r i a l s  &  C a r e 

Length: necklaces - 22", 24"

Materials:

  • labradorite gemstsone beads
  • Japanese glass seedbeads
  • sterling silver cones and toggle
  • sterling silver rectangle link chain and lobster clasp
  • sterling silver chain with freshwater pearls and hook & eye clasp
  • Soft Flex moderate duty nylon coated stainless steel cord (30 lb. load test)

Care & cleaning: Beading cord may be kinked or broken through hard jerks or severed through prolonged exposure to rough or sharp edges; store necklace flat when not in use to prevent stretching or kinking cord. Clean with warm soapy water and avoid chemical or abrasive cleaners. Use a soft jewelry polishing cloth to clean tarnish appearing on silver.

This necklace pair is unusual in that one of the necklaces (the strand of labradorite gemstones) can withstand determined tugs and pulls but the other necklace (with the delicate sterling silver chain) is likely to become bent or distorted with the same kind of tugs and pulls. Yes? No? Maybe? Kind of? The graphic "yes" refers to the longer necklace, but it's recommended to keep the shorter necklace out of reach. As with all beaded jewelry: do not let young toddlers chew on it.

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W h a t  t o  W e a r 

These long necklaces (22" and 24") are heavy on style but light on weight. Together, they are a strong geometric focal element to an outfit; however, the longer labradorite necklace doesn't have the same degree of drape and fluidity as the shorter necklace with sterling silver chain so it might be difficult to pair with a jacket or blazer. This same stiffness means the necklace duo looks terrific with a deep neckline, such as shown on the unexpected elegance page.