Sterling opal is man-made and extraordinarily delicate — which makes the setting everything.
Sterling opal is lab-grown in sheets just 6 inches square. No two pieces are identical, and the usable cabochons cut from each sheet are few. This one has exceptional color movement — milky and pale in shadow, iridescent in the light.
For this piece I coiled purple-colored copper wire and hand-stitched it into a structural bezel that holds the stone the way a metalsmith's setting would, but without the metal. The result is that same substantial, finished look — warm copper tones framing the opal's shifting lavender, blue, and green — with the flexibility and detail only beadwork allows. Czech beads and sequins accent the shoulders, doing double duty as decoration and stabilization. The edge is finished in purl pearl.
The stone itself is the quiet surprise. Sterling opal catches light differently at every angle — milky and pale in shadow, iridescent in the light.
Strung on gold-colored wire with copper chain fringe and mixed bead drops.
Details
Sterling opal cabochon, one of a kind setting
18”-21” gold-colored wire
Pendant approximately 0.5" wide and 2.25” long
Sterling opal is man-made and extraordinarily delicate — which makes the setting everything.
Sterling opal is lab-grown in sheets just 6 inches square. No two pieces are identical, and the usable cabochons cut from each sheet are few. This one has exceptional color movement — milky and pale in shadow, iridescent in the light.
For this piece I coiled purple-colored copper wire and hand-stitched it into a structural bezel that holds the stone the way a metalsmith's setting would, but without the metal. The result is that same substantial, finished look — warm copper tones framing the opal's shifting lavender, blue, and green — with the flexibility and detail only beadwork allows. Czech beads and sequins accent the shoulders, doing double duty as decoration and stabilization. The edge is finished in purl pearl.
The stone itself is the quiet surprise. Sterling opal catches light differently at every angle — milky and pale in shadow, iridescent in the light.
Strung on gold-colored wire with copper chain fringe and mixed bead drops.
Details
Sterling opal cabochon, one of a kind setting
18”-21” gold-colored wire
Pendant approximately 0.5" wide and 2.25” long
