by Tracy Cullen.
(Virginia)
Suits comprise my daily uniform working in a formal office in D.C.
The corporate look limits us to 50 shades of grey and black.
Men use neckties to add flare while women look to scarves and jewelry to add a pop of color and personality to an otherwise conservative outfit.
I love gemstones – big ones that make a bold statement.
Heavy gemstones are not meant to be worn 15 hours a day – so I combined a piece of braided, nylon cord used to secure my boat to our dock with a six inch strand of flex wire beaded with 40mm red coral.
To add the final touch of comfort and convenience, I decided to secure the ends with a magnet clasp. Voila – the perfect statement necklace for a working woman.
The collar length of 20-22 inches creates the perfect pairing with a suit jacket or cardigan. These large gemstone statement necklaces are well suited for a long day at the office.
Tracy Cullen
RivahSide Designs LLC
RivahSideDesigns on Facebook
beautiful designs!
Your wardrobe of these statement necklaces is fabulous, Tracy! I especially love the idea of using braided nylon cord from your boat for the back of the necklaces. The bold necklace size and colors are perfect for brightening up the rest of your outfit. Do you have more fun dressing for work now, since you can add this statement touch?
These are so beautiful. My autistic daughter and I make jewelry together. We both love big, bold beads. However, the weight could be a distraction at work methinks. This design would solve that, plus make the necklace more affordable. Sue with Anna
Thank you for showing us these beautiful big bold necklaces! Also for explaining your materials. What kind of 6 s
I have stayed in DC, Baltimore, and DC. I am constantly amazed at just how conservative folks dress in DC. compared to anywhere else. I would not last there long, as I love bright colors, big patterns, and oversized beads. Thanks for giving DC elegantly bold, fashionable designs that are comfortable and easy to take on and off.
I love these necklaces. Do you know where I can find the cord you used in the necklaces? I want to make some because I wear large jewels too.
These are fabulous pieces for the working women and anyone who loves a bold look, with some elegance. Just a thought…for women whom travel for work. What about making these convertible? If there are lobster claw clasps attached to each end of the beading cord piece with the stones and nice jump rings on the ends of the woven neck strap, then you could change out the beads and take only one neck piece in your luggage. I did this with earrings…one pair of large silver hoops and a variety of wire wrapped stones to slip on and off or wear in groupings. Travel light!
What terrific looks! And, Lynda, I had exactly the same idea too……
I have made large chunky beads from polymer clay, which would be lighter to wear, I think. I applied crackle glaze to a few on celadon green, ivory, bone, and antiqued the cracks with either black or sepia rubbed in then tissued off. A glossy glaze adds the pizazz.
Wow–thank you for the kind words. It makes me so happy to hear that you all like my newest creations. Rena, yes, dressing for work is more fun. In fact, I start with the necklace and select my outfit to match the jewelry. :0) I used 10mm braided nylon cord for these pieces.. Sue, search for dock lines or climbing rope, which come in a range of diameters. I found on Amazon. The challenge is matching the end caps with the rope size. I found the end caps with 10mm holes on Etsy, and they were made in Greece. I used E6000 glue to secure the cord into the end caps. Lynda, your idea for convertible versions suited to traveling women is fantastic–I will work on that next. I am also experimenting with colored cord in smaller diameters for spring/summer pieces.
Tracy,
Your necklace creation is a knockout. Great work.
BRAVO! Gorgeous working women accessory with Class! Love it!
Your necklaces with the big chunky beads are amazing. Where can I find some? I would love to try making one but haven’t been able to locate big chunky beads.