Tuesday I chose to spotlight a really incredible necklace by designer Jacquie Aiche, made of multicolor opal beads and featuring a blue-green tourmaline stunner as its centerpiece. I wrote about how people are adding beaded necklaces to their layers—a new invitee to the neck party—and now, I can’t stop thinking about these beads.
A number of necklace trends has seen us through quarantine, and they’ll carry well into the holiday season (they’d better, because they’re all still on my wish list for Santa). For me, those styles include the paper-clip chain, the super-sentimental engravable pendant, and a special talisman. There have been others, but I’ve got my eye on those, and now there’s one more for the list: a row of gemstone beads.
A consumer won’t be hard-pressed to locate the right piece and price for them, from plastic or glass beads to the real deal of gemstone beads, which will traditionally be lower-priced than faceted stones, anyway. It’s not often you find someone willing to make a bead out of a super-high-quality stone that would be far better suited to faceting.
Still, a row of gemstone beads is an impressive style, and one that adds a pop of color to the layers of silver and gold that decorate the necks of people going to work or working from home (or posting selfies to Instagram). While I once felt the bead necklace had an air of summer—it certainly does—I think it shifts well into any season, befitting the neckline of a chunky sweater or a sleeveless dress.
There are plenty of worthwhile options on the market, but these are some of my favorites.
Top: Necklace in 18k yellow gold with 480 cts. t.w. tourmaline beads, $29,770; Alex Šepkus
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