Of All The Beads
Newsletter
June '10
Hazel Brutsché
At The British Museum
During our
amazing trip to the U.K. last month, we spent a day at the British
Museum. It's hard to describe that place. Well, actually no, it's easy.
It's overwhelming -- 4 ancient civilizations make up the main
floor; Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Assyria.It's easy to lose yourself in
the enormity of it.
You probably
won't be surprised to learn that I found a common theme as I wandered
among those huge exhibits -- carnelian and lapis lazuli -- mostly in
necklaces, but also in rings, ornaments, head dresses, and carvings.
Here are some examples:
I seemed to gravitate from one
exhibit of carnelian and lapis jewelry to the next. What better way for
me to make sense of everything I was taking in?
So over the next few months, if you
see jewelry in this newsletter and on the website that seem familiar,
you'll know where I got the design inspiration.
Other Finds: I was
delighted to find a bead shop in Covent Garden, where I bought some
delicate pink coral, flat red coral, and chunky black lava:
Strolling in Bath, we happened to
walk past a bead shop where I found these lovely pink and gold glass
beads, purplish pyramids, frosty blue discs, along with the blue and
gold rondelles, painted on wood:
My favorite souvenirs from the trip
are these sterling silver U.K. shield charms, which I found in Cardiff,
Wales. They were popular in the '50s and '60s and I plan to put them on
a charm bracelet:
Have a great summer!
--Hazel
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I've got 2 custom
necklaces to show you. The first has a truly spectacular stone, which
I'll tell you more about in a future newsletter. It is natural purple jade,
and did I mention that it has a spectacular color? The beads in this
necklace are a darker shade called mahogany. The stones must be seen in
sunlight to really appreciate their depth of color. I paired the purple
jade with square, faceted black spinel, and a vintage cameo clasp:
Here's the
other necklace. It features four strands of sterling wire with various
shapes of garnets and a sterling spiral on a black onyx pendant:
And here's Wendy wearing her fabulous double strand of knotted aquamarines:
Of All The Beads » Hazel Brutsché