I get many requests for custom orders, but a couple of months ago, I got a very special request: my friend, Timothea, asked me to design her wedding necklace. The happy bride-to-be is tying the knot in May and asked me to make a one-of-a-kind piece for her.
Timmie was open to any type of design, but did want me to include a purple stone because her dress has a purple sash. I showed her some different ideas and she chose a teardrop-shaped lavender focal made of crazy lace agate. The stone is dyed; the purple isn't its natural color, but she was more interested in its appearance over the purity. I used silver plated wire for the rest. Again, no materials were expensive, but beauty doesn't have to be costly.
Last year, I designed a bracelet and fancy headpiece to wear to my friends' wedding, but this was actually my first go at making a full-on bridal necklace. Before choosing a design, I studied a photo of Timmie's dress and looked at some pictures of other existing wedding pieces. Timmie's dress is pretty simple with a plunging neckline, so we decided to go for a longish Y-shaped piece to mirror the outline of the bodice. I eventually came up with this design:
Yes, I twisted and created every one of those curls in the filigree design. I don't even know how many Swarovski crystals were included, but I went through almost an entire pack of 144! I originally planned to use just one purple focal... but this is for a wedding. Why not go for two?
The biggest challenge was finding a way to center the stones in those filigree frames -- but to hang the stones in a way that they'd stay secure and not dangle and flop. I ended up threading the wire all the way through the stone and working that portion of the wire into the filigree design.
I have to say, Timmie was the most laid-back bride -- definitely NOT a bridezilla. I sent her photos showing her the piece during each stage of its creation and she kept encouraging me to continue. It felt good to have so much freedom and creativity.
The necklace is now safely in Timmie's hands as she counts down those final days to her wedding. Congrats, my friend! It was an honor to make this for you.
Check out more of my wire wrapped jewelry designs -- or request your own custom piece -- at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.
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