A clear and shining example

Imbued with mystical and spiritual powers from ancient cultures like Aboriginal Australia to Chinese mystics, icy rock crystal is intensely pure. In the years following the First World War, transparent, clear, and colourless beads were called ‘pools of light.’ These smooth, solid, undrilled quartz beads were suspended in a decorative wraparound cage of understated metal wirework. The clear orbs had no annoying string visible to mar the internal purity and limpid clarity. Each in the series is joined to the next with delicate filigreed fetter and cable links. Theory has it that good luck can be captured within these spheres.

Terminals

A pair of shield-shaped diamond clips from the art deco period could be augmented with interchangeable carved ruby, emerald, or sapphire bead terminals. In the 1860s and ’70s, archeological and Etruscan revival pieces were often designed with a gemstone or gold bead terminal drop on each individual amphora that hung from the fringe.

During the 1920s, sautoir-style necklaces were often composed of multiple rows of small beads of ruby, sapphire, pink tourmaline, amethyst, coral, jadeite, or opal, and then gathered together by a decorative diamond cap suspending a tassel of similar beading and edging.

Even a very modest number of beads can be effectively used in a set of attractive cufflinks—gold chain linking adjoins the dominant feature, pairs of fluted emerald terminals carved to look like a melon crossed with an acorn squash, each accented with a tiny inset sapphire.

With the near-endless choice available—all the colours of the rainbow, shapes, sizes, and texture—beads are prime examples for adornment.

Ron Dupuis is a gemmologist and graduate jeweller with 32 years’ experience in the international auction market. He is president and CEO of Toronto-based Dupuis Fine Jewellery Auctioneers and can be reached at ron@dupuis.ca.