I added a little somethin’-somethin’ to my Artfire Studio today. This copper choker has been sitting on the bench for some time begging to be finished. I bought these copper discs – no word of a lie – 10 years ago. I used to buy a fair bit of Estate sell-offs back when ebay wasn’t so saturated. I admit at the time, being new to the jewelry making game, I wasn’t aware of the size when I bought them. 15mm just didn’t compute in my brain as being on the large side. So when the lot arrived – almost 100 – I had no idea what to do with them. They seemed so big and flying saucer like…
So they sat in the supply pile for well, a decade. Then this summer I decided to pick up some copper headpins, and see if I could make one of my signature funky chunky bracelets.
(Oh and I decided to pair up the discs with a 3.3mm bicone copper bead to add some dimension…)
I wanted the piece to be really solid so I started putting the discs really close together on the links of dash dot sterling silver chain (I love this chain by the way – although it is expensive it is really heavy duty, perfect for projects like this). It definitely was solid…however by doing this it did not have much bend…kind of hard to make into a bracelet. Since I already started it, I didn’t want to dismantle and start again, and I knew I had a fair bit of beads, so I decided to turn it into a choker.
So I got the beads put on and then, there it sat for a very long time. About three months! I just couldn’t decide how to finish it. Although I had assembled the discs on a heavy gauge sterling silver chain, I did not like the way the sterling stood out against the copper for the extender chain portion of the necklace. I probably could have oxidized the chain, but I was lazy. Instead I found some really heavy duty vintage copper chain to finish off the piece.
I put a fairly long extender chain on it so that it can be adjusted to wear in a variety of ways. I also like the dramatic effect it has: the large beads at the front, and the slender sleekness of the chain trailing down in the back…I really love how it feels like a puzzle in your hands.
This is a piece for someone who wants to make a bold statement, and own a truly one-of-a-kind. I know I could never get these beads again. They are assumed “vintage” although I cannot confirm this…
Leilani Cleveland Deveau is a self-taught jewelry artist with over ten years of experience. Her main goal is to inspire others to find & follow their passion. Leilani welcomes jewelry requests for custom, wholesale or consignment orders, as well as questions or comments from other artists in the handmade realm. Originally from Nova Scotia, she currently resides in a suburb outside of Montreal. You can contact her by email: leilani@heavenlyflower.com.Tweet
I apply creativity to everything I do: it keeps what could be a mundane life fulfilling & exciting. Everyday is an opportunity for expression, growth & healing, and I feel that my true calling on earth is to inspire others. You can never have too many interests! Most of my expression comes out in my jewelry which I have been designing and selling both off and online for well over a decade. I also enjoy the textile arts, particularly spinning! I hope to inspire you to find creative endeavors that enrich your life as much as they have mine.
