Gorgeous Amber Shell Dramatic Summer Tribal Statement Bib Necklace

Sundrenched:

Sun-drenched tones of amber, gold and bronze are accented by shiny silver and earthy turquoise to create this glamorous one-of-a-kind sculptural style necklace. I created this necklace to be symmetrical and used geometric shapes of contrasting colors and textures to add movement and energy to the piece as well as to give the design an overall architectural feel to complement the simple clean cut lines of the totem pole pendant. 

Saturated tones of browns and yellows perfectly complement each other in both color and texture, with the shape and size variation adding the necessary element of contrast. These beads are carved from mother of pearl and dyed these deep, vivid colors. Mother of pearl is the iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells and is most commonly found on the pearl oyster from warm, tropical Asian seas. When a shell gets irritated, it coats itself with nacre (the same material as its lining) and after layers and layers form, a pearl is produced. That is why this lining, or nacre, is called the Mother of Pearl. 

The unique totem pole pendant was handmade in the United States from sterling silver and cherry amber. The amber is intricately carved with an authentic totem pole design and then inlaid in silver to create this perfectly uncomplicated and harmonious pendant. Totem poles are an ancient tradition of the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest in both the U.S. and Canada. Individual tribes would use a giant cedar tree to carve intricate designs to represent their unique family and heritage. From what I understand totem poles are still being made by American Indian artists today. 

Translucent amber tone rings and flat circles add an exotic and contemporary element to this original necklace design. These beads are hand cut from horn (usually water buffalo or sheep) and then dyed to obtain this translucent amber hue. The turquoise beads contrast nicely in both color and shape to the amber mother of pearl coin beads and add the blue water/sky imagery to this sun-drenched scene.