I love the depth of color in this piece. Green. My favorite color. Especially forest green. Thistle Beads sent me 2 different sizes of beautiful moss agate beads, and I wanted to give it just a little more earthiness by adding some large bloodstone rounds. The flecks in the bloodstone draw on the beautiful copper pieces throughout the necklace. This rich combination reminds me of the indigenous stone of new Zealand, Green Stone, with its own dark flecks in the stone.
The one here is carved in what is called Koru (unfurling fern fond). It means new beginnings, peace and tranquility --- which is everywhere in the New Zealand landscape. There are 190 different native fern species in New Zealand. The most famous one is the silver fern. The symbol worn on the All Black Rugby Team's shirts. It takes its name from its appearance as the bottom of the fern turns silver in the sunlight.
You'll noticed that the main focal of the necklace is a copper bead with a fern on it. I simply love the copper findings and beads that Thistle Beads sent me. They are gorgeous! And I had to find a way to put that fern bead front and center.I decided to call this piece Aotearoa, which is the most widely used Maori name for New Zealand. The word breaks down: ao = cloud, tea = white and roa = long. It was called the land of the long white cloud by the Native New Zealanders. My sister lives in New Zealand, and thus I have been there many times, and I love it more with each visit. It is lush, beautiful and unique with so many indigenous species both plants and animals.
THISTLE BEADS GIVE AWAY: I got my bead soup from a family-run bead store --- a mother daughter team, Melody and Shaylynn. And as we got to talking, we decided on a special treat, to joined up on a couple of give aways. This first piece is currently on display in their store (click here for location and store hours), and they will be taking names for the next week. So anyone living in the Connecticut-Rhode Island-Massachusetts area (or if you happen to be traveling through) all you need to do is stop in the store to put your name into the hat. For those readers that are not nearby, I will have another surprise giveaway on Wednesday. So swing back by for my website for a second giveaway!
I love these colours and the necklace is superb!
ReplyDeleteIt's really beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis looks very relaxed and comfy, I like the clasp, too ♥
ReplyDeleteI think "Babe" was filmed in NZ, all the gorgeous green hills were filling up the movie screen.
O, I love this one! So beautiful and lush!
ReplyDeleteThat's a gorgeous necklace love the moody colours and the fern pendant.
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia,
ReplyDeleteYour necklace is gorgeous I love moss agate and the fern pendant is perfect fit. That is a beautiful name for a beautiful necklace.
Therese
Nice :)
ReplyDeleteNZ is our friendly neighbour and after reading your post, forgot that there is so much inspiration from the landscape and culture. I still treasure the jade pendant my brother bought me - thanks for sharing and rekindling great memories!
ReplyDeletethe green pendant is stunning. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the moss agate and bloodstone -- both beautifully rich gemstones to work with! And anytime you'd like someone to help carry your luggage on a trip to New Zealand, I can carry more than you might think ;-)
ReplyDeleteAre you in the path of the storm? Stay safe!
So beautiful! Love the earthy colors! And what a great opportunity for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous necklace and what a beautiful name for it! The fern pendant makes it extra special! I like all of the greens :)
ReplyDeleteoh, I forgot:
ReplyDeleteyour comment earlier made me smile! I can vividly picture crazy Charlie doing the back flip :)
Cynthia, this is awesome! I love the hook in the front and the way the strands drape. I have looked at bloodstone before and been captivated by the colors. I hope you are staying safe!
ReplyDeleteLovely!!!
ReplyDeleteBesos, Marcela♥