Show and Tell: Necklace Make-Over

I am so incredibly lucky.

I have a few people in my life who send me beautiful jewelry and beads to play around with.  My Aunt who is downsizing her jewelry collection so that she can move, for instance...  

Or my Aunt (a very good friend of my parents--technically not related, although she might as well be) who is sorting through the jewelry owned by one of her relatives.

Going to the mailbox is sometimes like Christmas.

Now, you can probably guess: this is one of these necklaces that I have remade.  

(Was it the title that gave it away?)

The original was sent to me by my not-related-but-still-awesome Aunt, my parents' good friend who I have known since I was a little little girl.

This original necklace was made of two long strands.  

One was made with creamy glass pearls, and the other with a pattern of pearls, amber beads, and large brass bicones.  (I, unfortunately, did not get a good picture of the necklace before it was dismantled.)

At the back, there was a gorgeous clasp.

When I went to remake it, I thought that it was a shame to hide the clasp.

...So I brought it to the front.

Now, I have to admit that the original pattern was lovely, but not quite my style... so instead, I focused on the glass pearls--using the amber beads and brass bicones as accents, tying in the colors of the clasp.

I added the three-strand dangle to add some elegant drama to the piece...  

And it really does look quite stunning when the necklace is worn with the clasp just slightly off-center, and the three-strand dangle cascading down.

To be honest, this style of necklace is not something I would have ever thought to make...  

I usually don't work with such elaborate clasps that demand attention, or really work with vintage-cream all that much.

This necklace--and the other jewelry sent to me--makes me tackle different color combinations, different designs...  

Challenging me to acknowledge possibilities that I might not have seen otherwise.

It's like my own personal Bead Soup, pushing myself out of my comfort zone to learn and tackle new things.

I even had beads leftover for a simple matching pair of earrings.

...I am so incredibly lucky.