'Adornments by Aletha' Handcrafted Jewelry Sales Gallery

---

-Brazilian and Ghanaian Glass, Copper, Exotic Wood

-Copper and Antique Copper Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  16 3/4" to 29 1/2"

$67.00 - Set

The Story

Copper encrusted royal blue glass tubes, the showpieces of the necklace in this collection, were discovered in a massive market at the foot of the major cliff in Salvador, Brazil.  The jewelry designer combined these with copper beads from a shop north of San Francisco, California, added tiny copper-colored beads (man made) from a necklace comprised of orbs out of exotic wood found in Costa Rica, and finally incorporated  small-link copper chain from a necklace she had dismantled previously.  The accompanying earrings feature glass beads from the artist's favorite handmade glass bead factory near Krobo, Ghana.  The striking blue colors of the Ghanaian and Brazilian beads match perfectly and tie the materials, from a variety of countries, into this handsome collection.

     Materials collected from sister and during various travels 

2015 - 2018 

-Ghanaian Glass, Ceramic, Brass

-Antique Brass Findings

-Five Adjustable Lengths: 19" to 31 1/2"

$68.00 - Set

The Story

This  unusual  necklace and earring set is composed of ceramic and glass beads from different continents, though their color and tone appear as thought they were made to be displayed together.  Amber-colored glass beads from the jewelry designer's favorite handmade bead shop in Ghana are highlighted in the necklace.  Interspersed between these are fired clay beads and disks, all bargained for in the well-known 'Indian Market' in Lima, Peru.  Their variety of shapes is enhanced by their color, an earth-toned, brownish tan, which complements the Ghanaian beads.  Finishing the necklace are two brass decorative pieces, found in Cape Town, South Africa, though they are believed to have been imported from Zimbabwe.  A matching pair of earrings completes the ensemble.  The warm earth tones of this collection will reach across two continents to warm your heart.

Materials collected during various travels 2003 - 2017

-Serpentine, Limestone, Ghanaian Glass

-Antique Brass Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  17 1/2" to 29 1/2"

 $76.00 - Set

The Story

Tubular shaped handmade glass and mottled serpentine beads are featured in this collection.  Green, hollow glass beads, handmade in the Ghanaian classic style, were acquired from a bead-maker located near Accra, Ghana.  The tubular serpentine beads were found at the 'Lady of Cao' exhibit, north of Trujillo, Peru.  The exhibit honors a high ranking woman, from the ancient Moche culture, whose 'mummy' was just discovered in 2006.  Nestled between these beads are limestone, lime-shaded orbs collected at the artist's favorite shop for local stones and beads, port-side in Paracas, Peru.  These materials blend in a striking piece for those who appreciate the light green palette.  

Materials collected during various travels 2005 - 2019

-Ghanaian Glass, Ceramic, Exotic Wood

-Antique Brass Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  18" to 34"

$99.00 - Set

The Story

Unusual glass beads form the center for this handcrafted jewelry  ensemble, yet how all beads were obtained by the artist reveals the interesting tale at the heart of the set's uniqueness.  Small red and white ceramic beads were purchased in 1984 from a San Francisco Ghiradelli Square open market.  Two decades later, the square-tubular green and white glass beads were collected from a bead maker  near Accra, Ghana.  Ten years later, multicolored green, raspberry and white glass beads were procured in Bangkok, Thailand.  Small purple heart wooden beads originated in a Costa Rican exotic wood processing 'factory' and were obtained in 2015.  The journey for this set spans four continents and 31 years - quite a pedigree.

Materials collected from various travels 1984 - 2015

-Ghanaian Glass, Stone, Amazon Seed Beads, Camel Bone

-Antique Brass Findings

-Adjustable Lengths: 18" to 21"

$106.00 - Set

The Story

A striking ensemble with bold, contrasting colors, this jewelry is neither subtle nor subdued.  The large, white stones were obtained in Costa Rica, though it is more likely they originated in Mexico.  They join the coral-colored glass beads (obtained from the artist's favorite bead maker near Krobo Mountain in West Africa's Ghana) as the prominent colors in the overall design.  These two major components are juxtaposed against large black seed discs, gathered at the famous Indian Market in downtown Lima, Peru.  Smaller black seed beads  are from the Amazon River basin, found in a large waterside market in Manaus, Brazil.  Tiny black stone beads purchased in southwestern China are the final component, along with small camel bone discs with a South Asian origin.  The variety of colors and origins of the globally inspired set truly show that there is beauty in diversity, whether it be natural or cultural.

Materials collected during various travels 1992 - 2016

-Dalmatian Coast Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Decorative Brass Orbs

-Antique Brass findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  17 3/4" and 27 1/2"

$117.00 - Set

The Story

Materials from the Dragon Kingdom of Bhutan, the highlands of Yunnan Province, China, and the blue waters of the Dalmatian Coast combine in this one-of-a-kind, eye-catching, handcrafted jewelry set.  Seven mustard-colored orbs, encircled with accents of lapis lazuli and coral framed in brass wire, capture the attention of the viewer.  These orbs most likely originated in India's state of Sikkim, but were found by the artist in Paro, Bhutan.  They are separated by triads of two coral beads, from the waters off the Balkan States, and one lapis lazuli bead sourced in the hills near Xizhou in China's Yunnan Province.  Duos of lapis and coral finish the necklace, which can be worn close to the throat or longer on the chest.  This amazing collection of color and origin make an ensemble that will draw admiring glances from all who see it.

Materials collected during various travels 2015 - 2017

-Quartz, Rose Quartz, Ghanaian and Namibian Glass, Brass

-Antique Brass Findings

-Length: 18"

$128.00 - Set

The Story

This ensemble's name reveals its genesis, though not entirely.  Purple is the main color scheme of the set.  The round purple beads are from glass bottles discarded onto the beach of current day Cape Cross, Namibia, by seal rendering and sealskin workers at the end of the 19th century.  Found and collected by the artist, they were ground down and recast into hand-filled molds over small furnaces in southern Ghana in 2004. The purple and off-white oddly shaped beads come from the same locale.  Ten years later, the purple-casted quartz beads were acquired from a small shop on the shore of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.  The pink ' rosado' quartz Peruvian beads, which are from Huarez, though purchased in Paracas, also date from that time.  The brass bead accents were hand forged in Kumasi, Ghana. These lovely colored beads, glass, brass and quartz, recycled and hand prepared, honor both of their countries of origin in this unusually named necklace and earring set.

Materials collected during various travels 2003 - 2014

-Tibetan Turquoise, Garnet, Celestine, Silver 

-Silver Filled and Silver Plated Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  17 1/2" and 20"

$132.00 - Set

The Story

Pale white celestine discs, from Huarez, Peru and dark garnet (granate) beads from Nazca, Peru were both discovered seaside in Paracas from an interesting Peruvian former-miner turned gem-shop-owner.  Smaller garnet beads were bargained for by the artist in a stall alongside a Nepalese  trekking trail.  The most eye-catching stones in this necklace were purchased in the South Indian city of Kochi, in the iconic Jewish Quarter of Mattencherry, from a  Muslim shop owner.  These blue/white round Tibetan turquoise beads were the perfect souvenir from a truly multicultural site.  The stones from South Asia and South America are accented by small Mexican silver beads in the matching earrings.  This unusual piece reflects the Jewelry designer's love of her craft and world travel.  

Materials collected during various travels 1990 - 2015

-Jasper, Taqua ('Ivory Plant'), Ceramic

-Sterling Silver and Silver Plated Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  17", 18" and 19"

$117.00 - Set

The Story

An unusual junction of 'vegetal and mineral,' this bold necklace and earring set is absolutely unique.  Large and medium-sized reddish orbs of taqua (known as the 'Ivory Plant'), found in the Artisanal Market in Quito, Ecuador, are a highlight of the ensemble.  Two sizes of brown 'mookaite' jasper, found in a quirky gem shop in Cape Town, South Africa, enhance the plant products without dominating them.  Tiny white/raspberry ceramic beads from an outdoor market near Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, tie the two stronger colored components together in this stunning, handcrafted jewelry.

Materials collected during various travels 1984 - 2018

-Coral, Jasper, Decorative Mustard-Colored South Asian Beads

-Antique Brass Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths - 18 1/2" and 29 1/2"

$137 - Set

The Story

Central to the necklace in this set are the six eye-catching, mustard-tone beads, decorated with coral and turquoise held in brass wire.  Though probably crafted in Sikkim, India, the artist found them in a shop in Paro, Bhutan while a jubilant World Cup qualifying match crowd streamed by following the Bhutanese team's victory against Sri Lanka.  The Sikkim treasures are sandwiched between coral beads acquired on the Dalmatian Coast and yellow 'Mookaite' jasper beads found in a gem shop in Cape Town, South Africa.  Completing the necklace are smaller coral beads, also Dalmatian.  Finally, the first-mentioned connection to Bhutan is reflected in the yellow and red shades in both the necklace and earrings, the same colors

as in the flag of the Dragon Kingdom.

Materials collected during various travels 2015 - 2017

-Agate, Brass

-Antique Brass Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  20", 21" and 22

$138.00 - Set

The Story

Warm earth tones are featured throughout this unusual globally inspired ensemble.  Collected from three continents and repurposed by the artist, they meld to produce jewelry that draws attention.  The center stone of the necklace, a cinnamon-hued, triangular agate pendant from a disassembled Ghanaian necklace, provides a dramatic focal point for the entire set.  Apricot-colored agate columns, procured in Nicaragua, encircle the necklace, separated by cinnamon-colored agate stones gathered in Nepal.  Eye-catching square, hollow brass beads (purchased near Kumasi, Ghana at a roadside forge in which they were made) stand out in both the earrings and the necklace.  Additionally, Nepali round cinnamon-hued agate beads are accents in both pieces.  Stones and handiwork from three continents coalesce to form this fetching beauty.

Materials collected during various travels 1990 - 2014

-Ghanaian Glass, Wood

-Antique Copper Findings

- Two Adjustable Lengths:  21 1/2" and 30"

$143.00 - Set

The Story

This creation has strong Ghanaian influence and is derived from several previously owned items.  The brown-painted cylindrical glass beads and frosty teal glass beads were obtained in 2003 as a single strand necklace in a well-known market in downtown Accra.  Subsequently, this necklace became one of the artist's favorites to wear while living and working in Ghana.  Years later, the artist disassembled the necklace in order to 'harvest' most of the frosty teal beads to include in a creation for her older daughter.  Because she was so fond of the color scheme of the original necklace, she began a new project to replicate it.  She combined the four remaining frosty teal beads with the original brown-painted ones and added white/blue/yellow speckled teal glass beads (made in a village on the way to Okosombo, Ghana) as major components of the new, two-strand necklace.  The various wooden spacers were acquired in Cape Town, South Africa, while the copper-colored and teal glass spacers were recycled from previously owned family jewelry.  All-in-all it is easy to conclude that "Ghanaian Re-Creation" recalls the jewelry designer's time in that West African country.

Materials collected during various travels 2003 - 2005

-Freshwater Pearls, Ghanaian Glass, Bone

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

-Gold Filled Findings

-Adjustable Lengths: 17 1/2" - 20 1/4"

$144.00 - Set

The Story

Accented by blue-colored bone disks from India, this stunning hand-knotted piece pairs blue and white-flecked glass beads, prepared by hand in a tiny outdoor kiln in Ghana, with teal-colored freshwater pearls purchased on Komodo Island, Indonesia.  The combination of textures, hues, and materials make this gold accented necklace and earring set a lovely accessory for the woman whose life experience is as varied and interesting as her jewelry.  (The gold-filled chain allows for adjusting the clasp to allow for preferred length settings.)

Materials collected from travels 1992 - 2014

-Glass, Stone, Silver

-Silver filled and Silver Plated Findings

-Length: 18 1/2"

$140.00 - Set

The Story

Imposing spherical gray/white Costa Rican stones (though their true origin may be Mexican or Uruguayan) interspersed with smaller white Thai globes form the 'moons' of this handcrafted jewelry.  These 'shades of white' round stones are set off by hand-made purple glass disks from the artist's favorite artisan in Ghana.  Small Ghanaian round glass purple beads, accented by sterling silver, finish the necklace.  The Thai globes, Ghanaian purple discs, and silver beads are featured in the matching earrings.

Materials collected during various travels from 2004 - 2016

-Namibian Glass, Rose Quartz, Quartz, Agate, Brass

-Antique Brass Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  17 1/4" and 26 1/4"

$159 - Set

The Story

Travels to five states on four continents generated the materials combined by the artist to create this beautiful set.  The centerpiece is an oval mauve-colored agate obtained in Nepal.  It features splashes of copper-green highlighted with a flash of white.  Circling the necklace are quartz beads collected by the artist in Panajachel, Guatemala. Complementing the quartz are beads which were first obtained as broken glass bottles dug up from a former seal-products 'factory' outside in Cape Cross, Namibia.  Those bottles were carried by the artist to a bead maker near Krobo, Ghana, who hand-ground the glass, melted it, and created frosty purple beads.  Bargained for from the artisan who made them inside a tiny roadside forge near Kumasi, Ghana, four hand-casted brass-latticed beads accent the necklace.  Finishing the necklace and earrings are tiny rose quartz beads from Zadar, Croatia.  These natural and man-made beads from Asia, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe make a beautiful and understated 

handcrafted jewelry set.

Materials collected during various travels from 1993 - 2016.

-Faux Coral, Glass, Brass, Wood

-Antique Brass Findings

-Adjustable Lengths:  21"- 32"

$164.00 - Set

The Story

In the 8th Century, Guru Padmasambhava is said to have flown on the back of a tiger to high caves in Paro Valley in present day Bhutan.   There, he meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three  days and three hours before establishing Bhutan’s Mahayana Buddhism in a cliffside monastery, known today as Tiger’s Nest.  At the start of the foot trail to that monastery, the handmade red glass beads, resembling coral, were purchased and now highlight the “Sun Over Tiger’s Nest” design. The red beads are augmented by lost-wax method brass beads, observed during their casting just outside of Khumasi, Ghana.  Glass amber and brown beads, handmade near Krobo Mountain in Ghana, add more African flavor to the Bhutanese product.  Finally, wooden spacers obtained in South Africa and clay disks from Peru finish this stunning two-strand necklace, a dramatic melange of Asia, Africa, and South America.

Materials collected on various travels 2003 - 2015

- Amethyst, Old European Glass Trade Beads, Wood

- Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

- Gold Filled and Gold Plated Findings

- Adjustable Lengths:  20", 21 1/2", and 23 1/2"

$177.00 - Set

The Story

Collected  two decades and thousands of miles apart, the beads in this necklace  project a purplish cast.  Although the glass antique European tubular-shaped ‘trading beads,’ obtained in Ghana in 2004 at the artist’s favorite bead market, do not actually include the color purple, they do seem to give off that shade.  Amethyst, mined in Peru from near the Nazca Lines and sold in bead form on the Pacific coast in Paracas,  infuses the piece with its purple hue.  Bargained for as a sand storm  approached, these cloudy amethyst beads are a highlight of the necklace.   Finally, wooden spacers, recycled from a 1990 gift to the artist, complete the two-strand, hand-knotted purple ensemble.

Materials collected during travels 1990 - 2014

- Freshwater Pearls, Carnelian, Opal Caramelo, Agate

- Gold  Filled Findings - Necklace

- Gold plated Findings - Earrings

-Adjustable Lengths:  31 1/2" and 33 1/2"; Can be wrapped once as choker

$187.00 - Set

The Story

Dominating  this elegant handcrafted jewelry set are similarly-colored stones from two  similarly-massive mountain ranges and gathered over 20+ years in four  countries. Orbs of amber-hued ‘opal caramelo,’ mined from the Huaraz region of Peru, are joined by amber-colored agate from a necklace obtained in a crowded market in Kathmandu, Nepal. Comparable in color and chemical composition, these stones hail from the Cordillera Blanca range in Peru, which hosts Peru’s highest mountain, Huscaran, and the Himalayan range in Nepal,  which boasts Sagarmatha (Mount Everest), with the highest peak in the  world. Complimenting these alpine treasures are reddish-brown, faceted carnelian beads purchased in Dali, China and peach-shaded freshwater pearls from the artist’s time in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  This jewelry includes components from lofty mountains, high plateaus, and flood-prone plains, all skillfully joined to enhance their individual beauty.

Materials collected during various travels 1993 - 2017

- Tibetan Turquoise, Ghanaian Glass, Silver

-Silver Filled, Sterling Silver, and Silver Plated Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths: 20" and 23"

$188.00 - Set

The Story

In this set, blue/white Tibetan turquoise round beads (sourced from the Himalayas in Nepal and purchased in the South Indian city of Kochi) are blended with hand-made, cylindrical Ghanaian glass beads. The turquoise Ghanaian beads, accented with red, white and  yellow thin center stripes, complement the Tibetan stones and are joined  by decorative silver beads purchased in Costa Rica. The components of this lovely set meld together their various origins, South Asia, Africa and Central America, in this lovely globally inspired set.

Materials collected during various travels 2003 - 2016

-Freshwater Pearls, Rhodochrosite, Stone Centerpiece

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

-Gold Filled Findings

-Length: 21 1/2"

$189.00 - Set

The Story

Raspberry-purple freshwater pearls from Bangladesh dominate this elegant two-piece set. The pearls highlight similar shades within the six Peruvian rhodochrosite beads framing the Nepali oval stone centerpiece of the necklace. Smaller raspberry glass beads, obtained from the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, tie the earrings and necklace together.  Asian, Central and South American, as well as natural and man made components connect to create a stunning quality to this jewelry. 

Materials collected during various travels 2008 - 2014

-Amber, Tiger Eye, Malian Glass Beads

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

-Gold Filled Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  18 1/2" and 26 1/2"

$197.00 - Set

The Story

This  eye-catching ensemble's components were acquired from three, far-flung  locations. The comfortable, warm feelings exuded by the stones and glass create a piece that is both casual and sophisticated. The ‘honey’ comes  from three unusually-shaped glass Malian ‘wedding beads’ collected from Ghana, a West African neighbor. The ‘butterscotch’ comes from the numerous nuggets of Baltic Sea amber, originally purchased on the Curonian Spit, just opposite Klaipeda, Lithuania. The ‘eyes’ are, of course, the Tiger Eye beads, obtained in the quintessential Victorian-era Asian Indian ‘New Market’ (in 1874 anyway!) in steamy then-Calcutta (now Kolkata). Beautiful artifacts from around the world combine to make this 

one-of-a-kind set a special possession.

Materials collected during various travels 1991 - 2013

-Jadeite, Ghanaian Glass, Rose Quartz

-Gold Filled Findings

-Two adjustable lengths: 18" and 23"

$237.00 - Set

The Story

Jadeite beads in shades of green, some with hints of brown tones, are prominent in the necklace of this set. They are from Bangladesh and were gifted to the artist in 1992 at the time of her wedding in Dhaka. The white frosted 8mm glass beads were hand-made by a well-known artisan in Ghana. They were then fashioned into anklets and worn by the bridal party in the artist’s daughter’s 2004 wedding in Mexico.  The 6mm rosy quartz beads, found in a tiny shop in the ancient city of Lijian (in China’s Yunnan province), both complement and quietly contrast with the Jadeite gems as well as the white glass beads.  The love of the jewelry designer for her craft is reinforced by the circumstances of the components of this piece.  Jewelry infused with this much affection will shine in the eyes and 

heart of she who wears it. 

Materials collected during various travels 1992 -2017

-Lithuanian Amber, Ghanaian Glass, Freshwater Pearls

-Gold Filled Findings

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  18 1/2" to 27 1/2"

$242.00 - Set

The Story

Amber (fossilized tree resin formed in the Baltic region) and handmade amber-hued glass beads from Ghana, West Africa coalesce in this set of honey-golden globally inspired jewelry, and are  enhanced with white freshwater Bengali pearls. The amber was purchased by the artist in Lithuania, while the Ghanaian beads were selected by her from the artisan who made them near the village of Kpong, in the shadow of Mount Krobo. The white pearls were gifted to the jewelry designer during her years living in Bangladesh.  The history of the ensemble's components differ widely, whereas their shapes and colors are complementary and reinforcing.  The earrings and hand-knotted necklace form a golden-shaded prize set whose warm color and texture ensure it will be a cherished keepsake.

Materials obtained on various travels 1992 - 2013

-Amethyst, Ghanaian and Namibian Glass

-Silver Filled and Silver Plated Findings

-Length: 18" 

$261.00 - Set

The Story

This two-strand handcrafted jewelry set tells a tale that includes African creativity, customs of European sealers, and the geology of the Peruvian coastal uplands.  The mercury never approaches the freezing point where the components of this piece originated.  However, the combination of the texture, hue, and translucence of the naturally occurring stones and man made glass beads are reminiscent of a frosty panorama. The larger lozenge-shaped, bi-colored, frosted glass beads came from the artist’s favorite Ghanaian bead-maker.  That artisan described the atypical shapes as ‘old beads,’ which probably means ‘not new beads’ but is not helpful in determining their age.  The origin of the round, purple glass beads is a bit clearer. The artist collected colorful old glass toiletry bottles deposited by late 19th century European seal industry workers living on a salt and sand beach where a ‘seal factory’ near Cape Cross, Namibia was located.  She took her beach glass ‘find’ to Ghana, where she lived, and gave it to her favorite artisan, who  ground the glass and produced the beads in his wood-fed clay furnace. The deep purple amethyst beads interspersed throughout the piece were mined in Peru near the famous Nazca Lines, yet purchased in Paracas from a beachfront stone and gem merchant.  The bargaining for the purchase was lively and hastily accomplished due to a visible and impending sand storm.  A combination of African beads of unknown age and history, reformed discards of a vanished European/Namibian industry, and Peruvian semi-precious stones, “Frosty Illusion” is jewelry with a tale and beauty 

all its own.

Materials collected during travels 2004-2014

-Ghanaian Glass, Brass, Wood (Purple Heart)

-Antique Brass Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  19" and 24 1/2"

$82.00 - Set

The Story

This spectacular handcrafted jewelry set is beautiful and one-of-a-kind. Raspberry handmade glass beads, encrusted with blue, white, and yellow designs, set the tone for the necklace. Purchased at an outdoor hand-fired kiln near Krobo Mountain in southern Ghana, these beads are framed by Costa Rican exotic wooden beads from the Purple Heart tree.  Dramatic accents are provided by hand-forged, hollow brass beads from near the town of Kumasi in central Ghana.  Small seed beads from Nepal and brass rings from South Africa complete the design. The unique blend of glass, brass, and wooden beads make this ensemble a real "stunner." 

Materials collected during various travels 2003 - 2014

-Amber, Ghanaian Glass

-Gold Filled and Gold Plated Findings

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

-Two Adjustable Lengths: 19" and 25"

$232.00 - Set

The Story

The Baltic Sea region is known for its vast holdings of amber, fossilized tree resin, that nowadays wash ashore following storms. Some of this famed treasure makes it way to 

St. Petersburg, Russia, where the artist’s mother-in-law obtained the amber found in this elegant set. The amber-colored antique glass beads were obtained from a bead merchant and craftsman nearby the lower section of the Volta River, a massive waterway in Ghana, where the jewelry designer bargained for them. These two components, the golden-shaded amber of Russia and the amber beads from the land of Ashanti gold, combine in this lovely earring and hand-knotted necklace  ensemble, a fitting tribute to both exotic locales.

Materials collected on travels 2004 - 2005

Jadeite, Freshwater Pearls, Italian Crystal

Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

Silver Filled and Sterling Silver Findings

Two adjustable Lengths:  18" and 21"

$278.00

The Story

Eleven uniquely colored jadeite beads, shaded with green and brown tones, immediately catch the eye of all who observe this handcrafted jewelry set. The beads were obtained in Bangladesh, though it is more likely that they originated in neighboring Myanmar (Burma). They are connected by another famous product of Bangladesh, elongated, white, freshwater pearls. Four clear, flat crystal beads, collected by the artist during her post-college travel to Venice, Italy, complete this unusual ensemble. These products of two far-flung locations, known worldwide for their elaborate waterways (one natural and one man made) are joined in this lovely creation.

Materials collected during various travels 1964 -1992

- Aquamarine, Freshwater Pearls, Rose Quartz

- Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord

- Gold Flled Findings

- Two Adjustable Lengths:  20" and 24" 

$279.00 - Set

The Story

The jewelry designer combined shapes and colors acquired in three Asian nations in this beautiful set. Sixty “pink,” freshwater pearls from low-lying Bangladesh are the most numerous gems in this creation. Eleven rosy quartz beads, found in a tiny shop in the ancient city of Lijian (in China’s Yunnan Province), share and complement the color palette of the pearls. The nine large lozenges of aquamarine were purchased in India’s jewel center, the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur and offer a soft, exquisite accent to the dominant pink palette. This unusual necklace and earring set offers a creative combination of Asia’s bountiful treasures.

Materials collected during various travels 1992 - 2017

SOLD  SET- 03/11/2024

-Jadeite, Smoky Quartz, Quartz

-Gold Filled Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths: 18" and 21"

$284.00 - Set

The Story

Jadeite beads of a remarkable green and brown hue encircle the neck in this lovely handcrafted jewelry. Gifted to the artist as a necklace from a dear Bangladeshi friend in Dhaka, the jadeite gems probably originated in Myanmar (Burma). However, the color tones of the beads are pleasantly reminiscent of the variegated colors of Bangladesh’s rivers and countryside. Tiny faceted smoky quartz beads, from the famous gem city of Jaipur, India, connect the jadeite, accented by brown-colored quartz beads found in a small shop in the shadow of Jade Mountain, near Lijian, China.  These natural products of Asia effortlessly coalesce in this piece, aptly named “Asian Harmony.”

Materials collected during various travels  1992 - 2017

- Aquamarine, Freshwater Pearls

- Hand-Knotted on Silk Cord

- Gold Filled Findings

- Adjustable Lengths:  20" to 22"

$327.00 - Set

The Story

A country largely formed from the delta of Himalayan rivers, Bangladesh is known for its ‘pink pearls.’ Some are found in shore side stalls on the beaches of Cox’s Bazaar and others in more upscale surroundings. The freshwater pearls in this elegant ensemble are actually more ‘peach’ in color than the more usual pink, and were collected by the jewelry designer while she resided in the capital city of Dhaka. They are blended with lozenge-shaped, cool-green stones of aquamarine that were obtained in the renowned jewel center of Jaipur, India. These two very different creations of nature combine to form an eye-pleasing and mind-calming necklace and earring set that is both beautiful and inspiring. From opposite sides of the Indian Subcontinent, they blend into a keepsake of unusual beauty.

Materials collected during various travels 1991 - 2015

-Freshwater Pearls, Garnet

-Sterling Silver, Silver Filled, and Silver Plated Findings

-Two Adjustable Lengths:  16 1/4" and 18 3/4"

-Hand-Knotted with Silk Cord 

$102.00 - Set

The Story

When someone mentions ‘Bangladesh’ and jewelry, the common retort is “Pink Pearls!”  This piece has freshwater pearls obtained in the local markets in Bangladesh in the early 1990s, a time when Bangladesh Tourist Agency posters invited foreigners to visit “before the tourists come.” Gathered by the jewelry designer during numerous trips to southern Bangladesh while her spouse served in the American Embassy in Dhaka, the larger pearls have a faint peach or salmon tint, while the smaller pearls appear whiter.  They contrast nicely with larger dark garnet orbs, purchased from a shop (if a shop is a blanket laid upon the ground behind the shop-owner’s motor scooter) on the shore of Lake Khovsgul, the largest fresh water lake in Mongolia.  The artist has blended these two different “gems” into a lovely necklace and matching earring set that calls forth the natural beauty of the two, distinctly different, Asian countries of origin. 

Materials collected during various travels 1991-2017

SOLD SET - 03/11/2024

- Mediterranean Blue Coral,  Freshwater Pearls

- Sterling Silver, Silver Filled and Silver Plated Findings

- Two Adjustable Lengths:  15" and 16 1/2"

- Hand-Knotted with silk cord

$121.00 - Set

The Story

The waters of four seas and the world’s largest ocean bay touch along the lands where the three main materials of this remarkable jewelry set were collected.  The Mediterranean blue coral beads were found by the artist at a shop located on one of the the narrow streets in Nafplio, Greece, situated at the junction of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The uniquely shaped, teal-colored freshwater pearls were discovered in a rustic outdoor Indonesian marketplace on Komodo Island, which lies sandwiched between the Flores Sea to the north and the Savu Sea to the south.  The small white freshwater pearls were harvested and obtained in Bangladesh on the Bay of Bengal, the world’s largest bay at the northern edge of the Indian Ocean.  The swirling currents of these ocean waters can be imagined as the light glances off this beautiful creation.  The imprint of these five waters will serve to endear this ensemble to the fortunate one who owns and wears it.       

  Materials collected during various travels 1991 - 2019

- Smoky Quartz, Onyx, Freshwater Pearls

- Sterling Silver, Silver Filled and Silver Plated Findings

- 44 1/2” - 46” adjustable lengths 

- Can be worn as one long necklace, wrapped twice 

for 2 stands, or 3 times for a choker. 

- Hand knotted with silk cord

$165 Set

This elegant creation combines freshwater pearls with three gemstones related to earth-made fluids.  The onyx in the necklace and small black agate stones in the earrings were formed with silica-rich groundwater percolated beneath the earth’s surface and then deposited in voids or within rocks. In the set, the dark-hued onyx (collected from the bustling Mercado Artisanal in Quito, Ecuador) and the agate (purchased near the famous Three Pagodas of Dali, China) share a similar shade and luster.  This dark black color enhances the deep brown hue of the necklace’s smoky quartz stones (also a product of geologic forces) obtained by the artist at an eclectic gem shop near the waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa.  The contrasting salmon-white freshwater pearls are famous ‘pink pearls’ from the waters of Bangladesh.  The diverse gems from South America, South Asia, East Asia, and South Africa combine effortlessly in the lovely ‘Smoky Allure’ ensemble created by the artist.   

Materials collected during various travels 1991 - 2018

SOLD SET - 03/11/2024

 Version 1

Add drama to a favorite long dress or tunic! 

Version 2