Handmade Gemstone Necklaces: A First Look
Why bracelets first, and why handmade necklaces now?
People ask me this all the time.
I started with bracelets because I love wearing them. They are expressive and personal, whether you stack them with fine jewelry or wear one on its own. So why necklaces now? Three reasons:
You asked. Current customers and people still deciding both told me they wanted necklaces.
It's the right time. A wider collection matters as Meashell Jewelry grows.
I finally got them right. I tested necklace ideas from the very beginning, and the results weren't what I wanted. So I waited, found the right stones, and designed pieces I knew I would be proud of.
Here's the first look at three of them.
Vert d'Eau
Vert d'eau is the French name for a pale water green. I couldn't describe this necklace any other way. How it started
Most of the time I sketch an idea first, then look for the gems that match. Sometimes the gemstones come first. This was one of those times.
I was browsing with a gem vendor (I often work with) when I saw a strand of green amethyst in a faceted oval cut. As the stones move, they sparkle with a hint of lavender. My husband was with me. He is also my very vocal design advisor (that story is in my Q&A). We started trading ideas right there. We knew it needed 14K gold. We also wanted it to stand apart from the other pieces, although every necklace in this collection has its own personality.
What is green amethyst?
Green amethyst is the jeweler's name for prasiolite, a green quartz from the same family as purple amethyst. It is pale and clear, closer to sea glass than to emerald. Naturally green stones are very rare, so most green amethyst starts as natural amethyst that is gently heated until the purple turns green. Mine is treated, which is standard for this stone. Like most quartz, it keeps its color best away from long hours of direct sun.
The details
Stone: green amethyst in faceted ovals
Gold: textured 14K solid gold beads between each stone
Finish: my signature shell charm at the clasp
Length: 20 inches
How to wear handmade gemstone necklace
Anytime, with anything. Over a tailored button-up shirt or with a spaghetti-strap black dress, it adds the right pop of color.
Bright Lights, Big City Like most people, I love diamonds.
I didn't grow up surrounded by jewelry. My mom received pieces on special occasions, and as a young adult I was given one here and there. That changed when I met my husband.
He has always been obsessed with jewelry: the design, the stone, the history of the designer, the reason a piece exists at all. I've always thought he should have been a jewelry designer instead of an architect. He reminds me he is exactly where he should be, and that he is happy helping me with ideas. He comes with me to vendor meetings and shows. He studies the gemstone beads and questions why I've chosen something. We sometimes disagree, though he trusts that I pick stones for a reason (and my instincts are usually right). The one thing we always agree on is diamonds. What is a diamond bead?
A diamond bead is a real diamond. It's the same stone, cut to be strung instead of set.
Beads are cut for glow, not flash. A brilliant-cut diamond is engineered to throw light back at you. A bead scatters it, so a strand shimmers softly instead of sparkling.
The inclusions are part of the look. The diamonds used for beads carry natural markings that give each one its own color and depth, so no two are identical.
Every bead is drilled. Diamond is the hardest natural material, so each hole is made with a laser, and that work is part of the cost.
They are made for every day. A strand sits flat against the skin with no prongs to catch, and diamond resists scratching better than any other gemstone.
How this one came together
I already use black diamonds in some of my current pieces, and in this collection I pair them with Murano glass. For this necklace I wanted something different.
I had London blue topaz beads I couldn't figure out how to use. Then, at a recent show, I found the most beautiful strand of yellow diamonds. I bought three strands, because I knew exactly what they were for.
When to wear it
I usually design pieces you can wear anywhere. This one is different. Bright Lights, Big City is a showstopper, the necklace you wear when you want to be noticed. The name says it: a night out in a big city, like San Francisco.
A Line and a Dot
Venice had been on my list for years. We have been all over Italy for weddings and to visit friends, and somehow never made it there until this summer. Wow. That is the only word I have. Winding canals, gondolas, St. Mark's Square, and Murano glass in every window, all of it designed to pull you in. Murano glass is the signature of Venice, and you can visit the island where it's made.
The boutique I was lucky to meet the owner of a very nice boutique. The window displays stopped me first, then the creativity of the pieces inside. He walked us through the history of Murano glass, how to spot a fake, and what he thinks about the beads he designs. He has been making one-of-a-kind pieces for more than 20 years, and you can feel it. He was kind enough to sell me the beads I couldn't leave behind.
How to tell if Murano glass is real
It comes from Murano. True Murano glass is made on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon. Ask where a piece was made, and by whom.
No two are identical. Each bead is made by hand over a flame, so small differences in shape and pattern are a good sign.
Look for the mark or the maker. Many workshops use the official Vetro Artistico Murano trademark, and a good seller can name the glassmaker.
The necklace The set of beads was inspired by modern painting: gold, a black line, a dot of red, a dot of green. I named the necklace A Line and a Dot. It pairs colorful Murano glass with black diamond beads and 14K solid gold accents. It is part of the Murano edit, with more pieces to come.
More handmade gemstone necklaces to come
These are only three of the necklaces. There are more than thirty in the collection, each one made by hand in San Francisco in solid 14K gold, pearls, Murano glass, and natural gemstones.
Which one would you wear first? Tell me on Instagram at @meashelljewelry, or reply to my newsletter. Replies come straight to me.
Information about new collections, etc. go to my email list first. You can join at the bottom of this page. Until then, the bracelets are ready now. Shop the bracelets.
About Meashell Jewelry
Meashell Jewelry is a fine jewelry online boutique, founded by designer Michelle Sauzier. Each piece is made by hand in San Francisco, using solid yellow and white 14K gold, pearls, and natural gemstones, designed to be worn every day. Meashell has appeared in British Vogue and Vanity Fair. Explore the collection at meashell.com.
Exciting!