More Info and IMHO:

I hand knotted this years ago and just created the rest of the set this past week. If it's easy I get bored and can't be part of it. Every square millimeter of sterling was hand fabricated/ wrought by my two hands. No imported prefab metal components were used.

Please note the chain that I made myself as the necklace's extension, the earrings' stations and the bracelet's stations. Rare is the artist who makes each link themselves as it is too time consuming and hard on the hands. PS, who handknots these days? All others run their beads on a cablewire, yet I must continue with the old ways: knots between each bead to provide security against breakage and loss.

It would be much easier to use imported lovely little tribesmen silver beads/material from faraway lands, but my conscience just won't let me. Let's say that I purchased 1/2 foot of imported chain @ $19.35. The vendor/importer selling to me would have paid 1/6th that or less, which means some poor man toiled a 8-10 hour day for ~3.22/dollars or less. I will not be part of taking advantage of a third world worker.

Let us for a moment forget the geopolitical view and look at what this really means: you will be the proud owner of a signed 4 pc parure collectible made by an artist you know, who will guarantee her work and you will own the only one. That's another point: I buy just enough product, these beads are eight years old, to one piece create, but not to duplicate.

Aesthetics and just for fun: Oh glorious lucky red coral, the color of blood and symbol of the life force, used in ancient times on amulets to "ward off the evil eye".

More info and IMHO:

A word about using the word studio to describe, in this case, this piece of jewelry. The correct usage is to be applied when the artist herself or himself created the entire item from beginning to end by hand by himself or herself. That word must be retired from usage when the items are being made by the 1000s and/or by others for the designer.

If they are being made by others and/or sold by the 1000s, then they have advanced to being classified as designer jewelry. When artists, after years of hard work, have become so successful that they must employ others to make their designs, then let them be proud, let them own it and rejoice. They have arrived. But it is time to graduate and to retire that word from their descriptions.

Designers please be kind and allow that word to remain where it originated and that it at the original artist's bench.

For the first time ever, I will speak in the first person. Soon you will see why I have restrained myself these last several years, as verbosity could soon become my middle name. This two piece sculptural necklace has taken me several years to complete. Why? Anyone who paints will tell you that they have dozens, maybe hundreds of paintings in progress lying about in their studio. So it is with all my creative endeavors, be they paintings, jewelry, wearable textiles, etc...many years in progress.

When I owned my third and last store-gallery-studio, my clients were surprised at the accumulation of pieces in progress as they ventured into my artist's den. Back to this 2 piece necklace. This was completely hand fabricated by moi several years ago and was never made available to show or sell, until now. This is runway material and has substantial heft, yet a very comfortable fit. If you are shy and dislike attention when you enter a room, this may not be for you.

Finally, looking through my many years' accumulation of gemstones, again I succumbed to my colorist's need to add color by sewing or weaving 90 vibrant lush gorgeous 4mm dark pink red faceted garnets and 20 peridots with small gauge sterling. Others erroneously use the word "fine" to mean thin gauge, but "fine silver" should be used only to mean 99% or pure silver.

The result reminds one of a lush red round fruit, yes? ...and so now I'm a child again and I can still see the pomegranate, fig and mulberry trees growing in our backyard...

I have been using wiremetal or thread to secure adornments such as antique buttons, beads, etc on to my available for sale work for decades and decades. Actually as a child, it was bones and pebbles, how Flintstone, that I metalwired, sewed or wove in place on to my jewelry and clothing. Even now I wince remembering when once a month my mother would invite our lady neighbors over for sweet tea and to view not my work, but "what odd stuff this child makes" before tossing out my treasures as she rightfully exercised her neatnik warden like position in our home. She is no longer with us and if she could see the "unneatnikness" that I joyfully embrace, she would surely wring her hands in horror!