Lustrous Pearls

I often find it hard to pass by pearls when looking for supplies at a bead show. I love the lustrous surface and the variety of subtle colors that are available and have a preference for freshwater pearls because of the irregular shape. I frequently use pearls as accent highlights in some necklaces and bracelets, but chose to let them be the main feature in this necklace.

The primary pearls have what I would call a khaki-silver color. Each of these pearls was coupled with a small, hand-cut brass disc that I center-drilled and domed in my dapping block. I used enough force during the doming to slightly distort the circular shape thinking that would better complement the organic shape of the pearls. Each disc was then sanded to create a matte finish. The pearl and disc combinations were wrapped onto sterling chain with sterling wire that I had balled with my plumber's propane torch. Smaller, pale salmon pearls are interspersed for color accents.