ArtFire

When I first saw this rustic styled dragonfly pendant, I immediately fell in love with it and knew I had to make a necklace with it. After letting the Muses think about it for a while, DRAGONFLY DANCE was created. The necklace is carefully handmade with a one of a kind (OOAK) ceramic dragonfly pendant, picture jasper, pearls, waxed linen and sterling silver. The beaded necklace will definitely catch the eye of anyone who is not lucky enough to wear it! Carefully crafted by Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, DRAGONFLY DANCE will be a much welcome addition to the jewelry collection of the woman who loves unique jewelry!

The star of the show is the amazing ceramic dragonfly pendant that was handmade by the very talented Birgitta of AngelWhisperer in her eco-friendly studio located in Sweden. The dragonfly design was impressed into ceramic clay with a mold made by her. Leaving the pendant rustic looking, she then applied a variety of earthy colored, non-toxic glazes to the front and left the back natural. You can see her artist's mark on the back (see photo #6). The pendant was then high fired in her new eco-friendly kiln. What a stunning dragonfly pendant resulted - just look at all the detail and the 3-D design! The predominant color is a medium brown with a reddish tinge. The wings of the dragonfly have an almost translucent look to them when the light hits just right, a gleaming bluish color. I wish the photographs do the pendant justice. Believe me, it is exquisite in the hand! To continue with the rustic feel, I decided to tie the dragonfly pendant to the main body of the necklace with dark brown waxed linen cording. The linen cord was passed through the hole of the pendant three times before it was tied off in a secure square knot (with a touch of glue added). Then, to add even more interest, I wire-wrapped a single glowing brown pearl to the front of the pendant on one strand of the linen cord. The ends of the linen cord were left somewhat long instead of cutting them next to the knot for even more rustic appeal.

To highlight the lighter areas of the pendant, I chose earthy picture jasper in a rounded cube shape. The background color of the jasper is a light tan which is a gorgeous foil for the swirls and dots and blotches of the darker brown and black colors that add interest to the stones. Take a close look at photos #2 and #4 to see the great variety of pattern on the picture jasper cubes.

To add more texture to DRAGONFLY DANCE, luminous brown freshwater pearls were added to the body of the necklace. After every third picture jasper cube, a pearl was added, then one jasper cube and then another pearl. Three more picture jasper cubes and then the pattern repeats itself until the end of the necklace. Because of the incredible luster of the pearls, an amazing glowing quality was added to the necklace. The pearls were separated from the jasper cubes by oxidized 2mm sterling silver beads. The sterling beads add a lovely subtle glow themselves.

To finish DRAGONFLY DANCE, a textured sterling silver clasp with two sterling silver closed rings were used. The clasp was oxidized and then polished, leaving oxidation in the lines for a wonderful contrast. The closed rings were oxidized to a medium color. The clasp and rings were crimped to the main body of the necklace with sterling silver crimp tubes that were covered with sterling silver crimp covers that mimic 3mm sterling beads.

Dragonflies are important totems in many cultures. They symbolize traveling past self-created illusions that limit our growth and change and are a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity. Picture Jasper, which is actually petrified mud, is a stone of harmony and helps with the re-evaluation of life's issues. Pearls are used to spread loving vibrations; they promote sincerity, truth and loyalty. Silver is a metal of love and healing; it is a mirror to the soul, helping us to see ourselves as others see us.

Here is the important information for DRAGONFLY DANCE:

Dragonfly pendant: app. 54mm x 36mm x 4mm
Picture jasper cubes: app. 6mm x 6mm
Freshwater pearls: app. 6mm
Metal: oxidized sterling silver
Clasp: s-clasp; sterling silver
Necklace length: app. 18.25"/46.4 cm
Pendant drop: app 2.25"/5.7 cm

DRAGONFLY DANCE will come with two informational drop tags: one with the piece's name; the other lists the materials used in the necklace and the language of the stones and metals.

DRAGONFLY DANCE is a truly unique handmade necklace. The necklace is perfect for anyone who has a great love of dragonflies or who loves the creative care that goes into handmade jewelry. DRAGONFLY DANCE will definitely become a treasured necklace.

***Please be aware that not all computer monitors show colors exactly the same. The colors of the stones are extremely close to the actual color on my monitor. They may appear lighter or darker on yours.

Shadow Dog Designs
Unique Handmade Jewelry
for the Discriminating Woman

As I mentioned earlier, I fell in love with the pendant at first glance. Very quickly it was on its way to me from Sweden. The Muses weren't quite a quick as far as coming up with a design, but once they did, the necklace almost designed itself. DRAGONFLY DANCE was created (:

Here is the link for Birgitta's AngelWhisperer shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AngelWhisperer

handmade ceramic dragonfly pendant; picture jasper cubes; brown freshwater pearls; sterling silver 2mm beads, headpin, crimp tubes, crimp covers, closed rings and s-clasp; 49 strand jewelers wire

Carefully handmade in a pet friendly, smoke free studio (: