even designers need a re-do sometimes! what was frustrating was that the bracelets his wife wore every day kept breaking. they came to me to re-use the three bracelets in a new way so that they can be readily worn without the worry of breakage. the David Yurman-designed bracelets were sterling silver with carnelian beads from the spiritual beads collection.
the bracelets are indeed beautiful and worth the effort. carnelian is a crystal belonging to the silica mineral chalcedony family that has been used for beads since the neolithic period. the red to brown color is a result of its iron-oxide impurities. it is naturally found in Brazil, India and Germany.
i must admit, i agonized over finding a design that is “just right.”
the primary challenge for this project was to create a clasp that would display a sense of design and still accommodate the width and weight of three strings of beads without being uncomfortably heavy on the wrist. it took me a really long time to figure out the “simple solution” – the first two designs just would not work as i envisioned. it helped very much that he was a patient client and gave me free reign with the design. he is a kitchen and bath designer/contractor and has a fabulous sense of style; she is an executive. both are really down-to-earth folks, and they are a delight to work with.
the ginkgo logo offered the solution
i am a fan of the ginkgo and consider the leaf one of my signature design elements. i turned to it once again. a cutout ginkgo would eliminate the weight in a large clasp design, but then what would work as a proper closure? eventually i found the answer: a simple bayonet-style where the tongue feeds into the clasp from the top.
putting it all together…
the bayonet-style clasp was fabricated from the ginkgo cutouts and an existing clasp, both in sterling silver. it is safe without bulk, but admittedly it can be a bit tricky to maneuver by oneself. the carnelian beads have a range of red color that varies from strand to strand. i set the darkest as the middle strand.
i wore the bracelet to make sure everything worked. while i was aware of having it on, i was delighted that the balance was just as envisioned – the design of the clasp stayed on the top of my wrist.
- sterling silver bracelet with 3 strands of 8 mm carnelian beads has fabricated ginkgo clasp with bayonet-style closure.
- location: Bloomfield, CT
