Step aside Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes, there’s a new trend in town that everyone can enjoy. If you’ve seen the Sex and the City reboot (And Just Like That), you might agree with me that Carrie’s layered necklaces were the best part of that show. These beaded lovelies are making a resurgence and they are a lot easier to wear than 4” heels. And in the same vein that Manolos aren’t just shoes, it’s not just any beaded necklace that will make your style pop this summer but beads knotted on silk cord.
What’s silk cord jewelry?
Silk cord has been used as a stringing material in jewelry-making for centuries. Silk cord offers the softness that natural silk provides. Jewelry designs made with silk cord drape are perfect to show off knotting techniques. Whether you're wanting to sport a simple strand of beads or knotted bead clusters to compliment your other statement pieces, a silk cord necklace is going to elevate your look.
What makes silk cord jewelry special?
These pieces may look simple and easy but the flawless end product is all in the material and execution. Silk is an incredible material. It is lighter than cotton and can be 5x stronger than steel. Paired with some of your favorite quality gems - (think turquoise, jade, opal, you name it really) and you’ve got yourself a long-lasting, gorgeous accessory. While you’ll find the cost of the silk cord necklaces is a bit more dear, but you’ll notice each necklace is absolutely unique, replete with copious gems and filled with the love a careful crafting.
The making process
First you must smooth and stretch the cord, and then proceed to stringing and knotting each carefully chosen bead, gem or finding does not make easy work. These little beauties can literally take hours to make, and there’s not a lot of room for error. If you’re ⅔ of the way done with a piece and a gem breaks, well then, I call that ‘feeding the faries’. Just like the ‘Spirit Line’ on a Navajo Rug which recognizes and honors the fact that we must make room for imperfection in our lives sometimes your necklace may have a spirit bead, perhaps a bit out of place or missing all together but it’s truly part of the mystical process.
Caring for your silk cord
To help maintain the color of the silk cord and the condition of the beads it’s best to take your jewelry off when you shower, swim, and during heavy duty chores. The best way to clean the silk is by hand with water and soap. The less soap the better. Then hang or lay flat to dry the silk straight.
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