I've made several pieces of ladybug jewelry recently, and now when I'm shopping online or at the bead store I find myself searching for ladybugs.
I got lucky the other day when I found these handmade ladybugs of Thai silver. Thai silver is purer than sterling, which means it is slow to tarnish, and the pieces are handmade in hill tribe areas of Northern Thailand. (I've been to Thailand, and to Changmai in the northern part of the country, so I really love being able to get these handmade silver charms and beads.)
The ladybugs have a whimsical charm that is perfect for a mother-daughter set. Not too grown up for a little girl, not too childish for mom.
The mother's bracelet has a Thai silver ladybug that is actually a bell. Shake it and it has a lovely jingle.
I used five strands of gemstone beads for this bracelet: one of beautiful natural turquoise beads in a small tube shape, and four strands of Chinese chrysocola in various shapes: round, square, and small rondelles. The Chinese chrysocola is a mottled blue that goes perfectly with turquoise. The lighter areas of the beads are turquoise in color and the rest are a deeper blue.
The strands are gathered into cones of hammered sterling silver, and the toggle clasp is adjustable to fit wrists from about 6 to 7 inches.
The little girl's bracelet is a scaled-down version of mom's. It has three strands of beads instead of five, a small claw clasp for security, and a smaller ladybug. It is adjustable to fit wrists from about 5 to 6 inches.
The adult bracelet is $120 and the child's bracelet is $60, and this pair is only available as a set. The price includes taxes, postage, and insurance to U.S. mailing addresses.
If you want only one bracelet, please e-mail me: jeanne.sather@gmail.com
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Photos: Monica Strasen.
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