Lost in Translation: The Bam-Bam Necklace

I'm in love with this stone -- it's called African Opal.  I saw it for the first time just before Christmas and it's been love ever since.  I used it in several bracelets:  one with goldstone, which bring out the rusty color veining.  And one with hematite, which pulls out the cool blues.  I also made a necklace 'straight up' with no accent beads because it is just such an interesting stone! Clearly, I'm in love. The funny thing is, I was looking for replacement beads for a necklace that I had re-strung for a friend at work.  As is typical with most of my projects for friends ... it all starts with a ziplock bag.

In this case a very large one with extra-strength reinforcement.  The beads she handed me were the heaviest 'suckers' I've EVER worked with.  They were some sort of recreation of a lava bead (below left), but could not be real as the paint on the beads kept flaking off in my hands as I re-strung them.  The color looked like poop ... somewhere north of brown, somewhere south of green.  Why on God's green earth someone thought a multi-strand necklace with these beads was a good idea is beyond me.

A bit of background.  My friend found the necklace while traveling through Spain and thought it was amazing (her words, not mine) and was so upset when the necklace collapsed in her lap in the back of speeding NY taxi.  Clearly the necklace had sentimental value as nothing else could explain why she would want someone to repair it. Thus, the beads were loose in the bag when she handed it to me. And so, to add a little excitement to the project I had to try to figure out what the original pattern looked like.

It seemed simple enough .... 2 strands, graduated, large bead connector ... bada bing, bada boom and that should do it. I began stringing it the following Saturday morning, and was still at it late Sunday. The f'ing beads kept pulling down on the wire and pulling apart the necklace. I don't usually swear, but these beads were a real pain in the behind. 
The beads have crevices which catch the wire and before you know it you've got gaps in the pattern. (insert swear word)  I strung the necklace at least 4 times before I could get the right wire gauge as it kept snapping from the weight of the beads. I finally doubled up the wire and then used clamps to hold the pattern in place so I could try to add the clasp. The beads shifted and I ended up with bare wire the width of about 3 fingers. (insert swear word) 

Sometimes design goes wrong, horribly wrong.  You know what I mean.  We've all had that idea for a project that was going to be big, bold and such a statement.  Yet the statement it makes is OMG take that off! It looks like Phyllis Diller dressed you.  Raise your hand fellow design friends.  I know it’s happened.  It's happens to all of us at least once.

We started to call it the "Bam-Bam" necklace.  Due to its general boulder-like appearance, color and well... you could just see Bam-Bam from the Flintstones pounding it on the floor and swinging it from side to side.  I'm not usually so dramatic, but I've never worked with heavier beads, and then the fact that this was a multi-strand necklace - just kill me now!

So what happened next is the most baffling part of this story.  I finally finished the necklace.  Hauled it into the office (insert swear word) and handed it back to my friend. She was thrilled (clearly sentimental).  She set the bag on the floor next to her purse, and I thought that was the end of it.  The next morning she popped up right next to my desk with a 'deer in the headlights' look.  She asked "you didn't take back the necklace did you? to do a little more work on it?"  ... God no (was what I was thinking), but said "um no, why?"  Apparently someone had stolen it.  Are you f'ing kidding me?!  The worlds ugliest necklace goes missing?  I can't tell you how many projects I've brought into the office.  This is the ONLY one that has been stolen. 

So perhaps you're asking what happened to the beautiful African Opal I was talking about?  Well I did feel bad.  She did really like that necklace.  I decided to surprise her by stringing a new necklace, but this time I was in charge of the beads.  

This is when I discovered the African Opal.  I might have walked right past it because large beads are not really my style.  But I needed to find something that was similar (at least in size) to the stolen necklace. I was looking for large beads (her's were the size of gumballs) and I wanted natural looking stones (preferably not the color of poop).  I settled on the opals and I'm so glad I did as I have found this to be a beautiful stone and changes depending on what you pair with it. The final design of this necklace is simple, and one that has grown on me. 

When I saw the African opal stone I knew I had found the replacement beads.  I brought it in to her and she just kept saying how beautiful it was.  I asked her to please tuck it in a safe drawer! I ended up loving the African opal so much, that I made a bracelet for myself and another one for my sister-in-law. One with sandstone (above right) for her, and one with hematite for me. They are quite different, but I love them both. And I pray I never see 'Bam Bam' stones again in my lifetime.

Do Overs: Dreaming of Summer

I mentioned a few blogs back that my Designer friend had been flipping through a Sundance catalog on our daily 90 min commute into to work each morning.  She saw a multi-strand turquoise necklace that she LOVED and really wanted to bring with her on an upcoming trip to the Mediterranean.

I recently went looking for a picture from the catalog but it isn't listed anymore. I did find this bracelet (right) that is a very similar pattern.


The conversation about turquoise jewelry is really where it all began, and how I became known as the Train Jeweler for my morning train crowd.  I was sitting with a few of my friends, and my Designer friend says she LOVEs, loves loves the turquoise necklace, but "does it really cost that much to make this?"  And I say "ooooh it is really pretty, but noooo it shouldn't cost that much to make a necklace like that." Her reply "could you make it for me?"  And so it begins ... the personal jeweler of my train crowd taking custom orders.  Next?

I never make any piece exactly like the picture, which is exactly how I cook.  I usually have 3 or 4 open cookbooks on the counter while I 'doctor-up' my own version of a recipe.  I got to work on the necklace.  Her request was 'please lots of silver' and could you add some suede.  Suede?  hmm, never tried that before, but ok. This is the same friend who lost one of her favorite silver hoops and her soon-to-be husband texted me a picture of the remaining hoop and asked if I could make a new pair.  

My Designer friend said that she wanted the necklace to wear in the summer with her long, simple tank dresses. Operative word in that sentence would be simple.  Really, I should hope so.  Simple has got to be the name of the game given how much silver and turquoise went into this piece!  I don't think you could wear it with a pattern, at least I'm not brave enough to try it.  

She was looking specifically for a style she would wear on the beach somewhere in St Tropez. This train ride can get REALLY boring, and yes we fantasize about getting away ... often.  Especially now in the middle of winter when our train tends to break down from the frozen switches and we play duck, duck, goose with which car will have no heat.   



What resulted was a mix of multi-sized turquoise beads, types of silver (including hill tribe silver), hand-hammered silver connectors and knotted suede. She wore it all summer with her her simple long summer dresses, not in St Tropez but regularly on the train to NYC. She is tall and thin with beautiful long dark hair. The necklace really looked spectacular on her. I had so many turquoise beads left over that I ended up making a few extra pieces.


There was a matching pair of hoops, a cute little pair of drop earrings and also the fun bracelet (left) that I added in a few heshi shell beads and white amethyst.  I picked up the amethyst in India, but you can catch that story in an upcoming blog.  


I must caution ... don't try wearing any two pieces together! It could result in a carni-inspired, turquoise studded get up.  I loved the story that her soon-to-be told me later.  He had emailed me on the sly and asked if I'd not only create the turquoise necklace, but could I include the few extra pieces (hoops, bracelet ... basically the motherload of turquoise).  He gave it all to her on Mother's Day which she promptly put on.  ALL of it!  And he responded ... "um, honey ... you might want to try it one piece at a time."

Covert Jewelry Making: Flash in Blue

If you've been following my earlier posts, then you know that I have a Turkish friend that has put me to work! She loves to scout the various vendor stalls through Manhattan's Grand Central Station and report back with what the best items are from her latest excursion. She shows up on the train with cute little bags, a new pair of gloves, the occasional purse (or as NYer's call it a pocketbook) .. and every now and again she'll report on a fabulous new piece of jewelry she loves.


One such report she tells my Designer friend and me that she has spotted a very cute little necklace at the vendor right around the corner from where we get off the train each morning. She describes it to us, but well, it's pretty hard to follow. She was attempting to describe this necklace to us and all I got is that it was "a simple necklace, single strand with those blue beads ... you know the Mediterranean color blue." "Oh, you mean turquoise?" No, no it's lighter than that. "Do you mean topaz?" She shakes her head and reconsiders and says that it might be lapis. "Wait so it is darker than turquoise?" And so it goes with my Turkish friend. We decide it might be easiest to just take a look at it once we're in the station. So we head around the corner that morning to check out the stall, but of course our 7:45 arrival each morning is too early for any of the stalls to be open. Apparently my Turkish friend kills time in the evening before her train by drifting through the stalls, or so she tells us after trolling through several rows of stalls. "Well ok then" I say. "How about taking a picture for me so I can understand what you are looking for." Problem solved. Off to work.

Day 2 of this conversation.  She's very excited and tells me that she has successfully taken a picture for me the night before while milling around waiting for her train.  She pulls it up on her new iphone and all we can see is literally a blurred flash of blue and she askes me "so can you make it?"   My other friend and I can't hold back the laughter as she explains her sleuthing involved holding her phone right at her waist to snap the picture.  She didn't want the shop keeper to think she was stealing his idea. Right.  She must have been a bit skiddish in her adventure and moved around a bit too much to get a good shot of the necklace.  Who knew jewelry making was such a secretive business.

Before I go on, I have to give you a little background on the iPhone purchase.  This is a saga in and of itself. A few weeks back she decides that she needs to catch up with everyone else and get one of these iPhones.  She buys it, but honestly can't figure out how to find much of anything that was pre-loaded for her at the store.

Our Designer friend kicks into gear and says she can set it up.  She sets the time, a few icons on the main screen, finds some nice wallpaper.  Bada bing, bada boom ... all set.  

The next day she is upset because all the apps loaded on at the store have run down the battery to the phone.  She tells us that really all she wants is to have a workable phone in case she needs to call her husband.  "What is all this other 'crap' on the this phone?"   I quietly say, "why did you get an iPhone if all you want to do is call your husband from time to time?"  She sighs, and says she thought she should get an upgrade like everyone else.  After several weeks of this, she tells us that she is through.  Through with this phone.  It is heavy, always seems to be 'dead' when she actually wants to use it because of the constant and arduous updating of all these apps.  She's going to return it.  Next day she is even more upset as it seems she needs all the packaging it came in to return it.  

Ok wait.  So you don't use a phone much, but think you need an iPhone.  You're not sure how to turn it on, but you pull it out of the box and throw everything away.  After roughly 3 weeks you're ready to throw in the towel.  And you no longer have any of the original packaging?  Let me just ask "have you ever purchased electronics in the US?"  You get that most people hold on to the packaging for a least a month or two --- just in case.  Or in the case of my husband a year or two.  Yep.  A year or two.  You should see the basement.  But that is another story, and another blog.

Back to the jewelry extravaganza at Grand Central.  At this point all I have is a blurred iPhone image, a semi-coherent description of a necklace and an idea of what she likes and wants to fix with this piece.  I figured it just made more sense to hunt down the vendor to see the pattern first hand. So we decided to catch the vendor that morning. And as luck would have it we were delayed.  We pulled in about 8:10am.  The shop keeper was just rolling up the garage-style doors and there it was.  The elusive blue necklace.  Since we were the only ones there, he came straight over and asked if we needed help.  My Turkish friend ask about a simplier version without a second strand.  At this point I knew exactly what she wanted.  My poor friend behind the counter was still working hard on the sale. He suggested that he alter the version she was admiring, and her comment back was "no thanks I have a friend that will do that for me."   Enter, Train Jeweler --- Stage Left.

I set off for my favorite bead store in Manhattan and quickly figured out that the blue beads were a dyed coral - a common use of coral beads these days.  I also picked up the focal bead she really liked in the piece ... a simple red glass bead.  But with a twist added a few silver spacers and an extra couple of red coral beads on the side of the focal bead.  I tucked it in to a zip lock, I told you this was a classy operation I run, and headed off for my early morning train ride.  My Turkish friend was delighted.  Yes delighted.  It was exactly what she had in mind.  She immediately put it on and asked what she owed me.  I calculated the raw materials and gave her the total of what it cost me.  I swear by not marking up anything I make for friends.  I don't want to mix friendship and business.

Now you might remember that I mentioned my Turkish friend had a thing for adjusting the length of a necklace.  I've called her Goldilocks of climate, but perhaps I should have done the same for the length of a necklace.  There is the back and forth ... "that is too short, don't you think?  too many strands?  hmm, perhaps just a tad longer."  In this case she came back the next day and said " do you think you could make it just 1 inch shorter?" "Sure" I say.  And the next day I show up with the same necklace, restrung, one inch shorter.  After about 1 week she comes back and says that while the clasp is very nice (I should think so since I specifically picked out a fancy sterling silver slide clasp) she says she really just wants a simple lobster claw.  "Would it be too much to switch it out?"  I know it seems like no big deal.  The thing is I have to restring the whole thing since the necklace is wired, then 'crimped'  with a clasp.  To remove the clasp you have to rewire the whole thing and re-crimp a new clasp in place.  Of course I do this .... take 3, or is it 4?  I'm losing count.

The interesting part of this project is that the train crowd witnesses this entire saga. They know just how many times I've reworked the piece. By now they know that I will customize it until you are happy. Another woman we ride the train with, decides she loves the necklace. She asks if I could make her one exactly like it. Well maybe not exactly. Do you think you could add pearls? Um, sure. And off we go to make another version of this necklace.

I think I've got this pattern down. I come back a day later and have an exact replica of the necklace, only with pearls instead of the red beads. She loves it. Puts it on, end of story. Right? nope

She decides that it is too short. My Turkish friend likes it just at the collar bone.  But our other friend likes it low enough to show off her cleavage.  Her exact quote was that she needed to flaunt it while she still had it.  So "could you add another 2 inches roughly?"  Well let's see.  I think I still have the left over beads I pulled out of the last version ... that should cover it.  I make the alterations. 

Yes I had to pull it apart and restring it.  But now it is one of my most popular patterns.  Our friend asked if I would make a matching pair of earrings with mostly pearls so she could wear them when her Italian husband came to visit.  Yes he visits.  No they don't live in the same country.  Again ... story for another blog. This one is too long already.

This is how it goes with being the Train Jeweler.  You get a little information, and you try to piece it together.  Then you re-group and I end up pulling it apart.  You'd think I'd give it up, but frankly that is kind of the fun of it all.  Call me crazy.  

Hammering Silver is a Wonderful Stress Release

I first met my Designer friend's soon-to-be husband as a way to surprise her.  He sent me an email, and I'm still trying to remember exactly how he found me.  


He told me that she had lost a hoop from one of her favorite pair of earrings.  Any chance you can make a new pair?  I'm always game to try something new, and I had never "made" hoops --- up to this point. I had only bought and adorned them like the ones I made for a friend at work.  This is a tough look to pull off.  I often see people who think they rock the hoops like Beyonce, but really look much more like Joy, the trailer-trash character from the TV show My Name is Earl.   



I took a look at what eHow Style had to say about The Reason Women Wear Big Earrings and they say it's because of a bad hair day.  Most women have a day when their hair will not conform to a style. Instead of just pulling the hair sharply back into a pony tail or bun, they include big earrings as a way to more look feminine. The large earrings replace the hair and frame the face in a flattering way. 

I gave the hoops with coral to a friend at work who has beautiful, long black hair and can completely pull this off.  As can her daughter apparently since I was informed that she had the earrings less than 24-hours before her teenage daughter took possession.  

But I digress.  My Designer friend was looking to replace some simple hoops that she wore all the time, but with a very bad closure.  They were constantly falling off.  While her soon-to-be was trying awfully hard to explain what they looked like, I finally just asked that he take a picture and send it to me.  I could just make out the shape from the somewhat blurred picture of the remaining hoop.  


I did the obligatory trip to my favorite silver store in Manhattan, Metalliferous to find thick gauge silver (15g) to hammer.  I did my own version of hammered silver hoops, and I have to say was quite a good release after a frustrating day in the office.  Highly recommended.  

It drives my husband crazy when I break out the chasing hammer and block to create a silver hammered charm.  It is like an army of tiny little guys clinking away with their hammers. If you check out the other pieces I've done for her, you'll notice that this is the simplest jewelry I've made for her.  She loves to wear complicated jewelry and she can pull it off since she is tall, thin with beautiful long dark hair.  While these are not exactly the same earrings as the hoop she lost, they have a closure that will not fall off.  By all reports she loved them.  She did wear them quite a lot last Spring.  The beading forum I post and share with always seem to like the more adorned version of everything.  Simple patterns usually get boo-ed Beading Daily. Guess my, the beading crowd leans toward bling.  

Weddings: Designer Preparations

So I'm just gearing up with a third post to my blog.  Still trying to decide exactly what my blog is about.  I think it is about jewelry since I'm clearly obsessed with it, but somehow it appears to also be about travel.  Is frequent train travel (aka commuting) travel?  It certainly feels like it when I spend 3+ hours a day doing it.  On the plus side, it gives you plenty of material to write about.  So thanks for reading and I'll try not to disappoint.


Let's talk a bit more about my Designer friend.  The one I mentioned in my first post who can pull off just about any outfit --- really.  Completely jealous.


Last Spring she was planning her wedding and she realized that I might indeed be able to make a custom necklace to fit the look she is going for.  I did say she can pull off anything .... and one would need this attribute for this particular piece.  So her description of what she wanted was a 3 tier necklace that hangs mid-length with varying sizes of pearls and plenty of bling.  Now when someone asks for bling you need to get specific with them because not all bling is created equally.  Are we talking Kardashian style?  or god help me .... Lady Gaga? or more subtle Cartier classic?  Her reply was "surprise me, I trust you" ... really? We just met, at least at this point in our friendship.

So I stopped at several of my favorite bead shops along the NYC-CT corridor and picked up a few items for several pearl variations, and then temporarily strung them.  I packed it up to show her on the train ride.  This is my usual 'office hours:' front of train, right-hand, 4-seater ... "one at a time please."  My train crowd is very active, and liberal with their comments about projects in the making.  Good thing I'm used to constructive suggestions --- and better to get the input for alterations addressed before I finish the project.  I brought in what I thought were 3 different versions on 3 strands for the "review committee." 

She took one look and said "this is perfect!"  I was confused.  Which one do you like?  She said all 3 of them. Ok, so which one do you want me to use as the pattern?  She said all of it ... um huh?  Wait, you want me to use all of this?  Are you sure?  I promise I tried to simplify the pattern and the use of bling ... my tendency is toward Cartier not Kardashian, but this seems to tilt the scales to the later --- at least in my opinion.  But who am I to judge, I'm just the Train Jeweler.  I merely create (and often restring until I get the green light).

She did look absolutely beautiful wearing this necklace with a very simple long off white strapless sheath.  I promise I'll be back with another blog on the wedding!  Beading Daily

Inheritance: How I met my Turkish friend

A friend of mine who grew up in Turkey asked me to give new life to strings of coral she had inherited from her mother.  The beads are simply stunning.  You can still pick up bits and pieces within that show the natural coral patterns.  

It all started with a train ride.  I take the train from Connecticut to Manhattan every morning where 'standing room only' is very common.  So if you can find a seat then you 'squeeze in' and attempt not to elbow anyone, get elbowed by anyone, or literally knock knees through your hour+ ride into the city.  Needless to say, if you ride the train daily you get to know people; probably way better than you expect.  Another fellow rider, now good friend of mine, was flipping through a Sundance catalog (highly recommend checking it out for those of you that like a little Southwestern style in your jewelry)  My Turkish friend and I were looking over her shoulder as she flipped.  Yes this was before we really knew each other ... but that is sort of how it happens on these train rides.

Our other friend, a clothing designer who works for Walmart --- yes that is a head scratcher, but she does have amazing style and can pull off just about any outfit. So our Designer friend points to a multi-strand turquoise necklace noting how much she wanted it and how lovely it would look with a flowing white summer dress for her upcoming trip to the Mediterranean.  Of course we agree, as long as it is her rock'n this outfit, but I notice the price and say wow it really doesn't cost that much to make a necklace like that.  And so it begins ... I am known as the personal jeweler of my train crowd.

The next day, or maybe it was a week later ... our time together blurs as the ride is pretty monotonous.  My Turkish friend shows up with a zip lock bag full of these gorgeous coral beads and says .. can you do something with these?   It's a 'classy' operation I run as the Train Jeweler.

I created a multi-strand necklace that starts at the collar and graduates the 5 strands. This has become an on-going saga about the length of the pieces I create for my friend. Anyway, for this version (yes I had to do multiple versions) I used diamond-shaped, flat connectors to graduate the strands. The color tones I used were inspired are from jewelry I saw all over India; including some coral tube beads I inherited from my mother-in-law who got them in India where she grew up. I did include a combination of beads from her mother and mine in this necklace --- thus the name of the piece. The neckalce is made from a combination of coral, orange agate, rust-colored jasper coins and carnelian (a very popular Indian stone seen throughout the inlays at the Taj Mahal), gold and gold vermeil Beading Daily

This version was completely taken apart, so the only thing left is the picture.  She decided that she wanted 3 simple long strands.  See Inheritance for the final version she now wears. Beading Daily