First off, I'd like to thank my lovely friend Irina. She donated her old jewelry & accessories to me and I have been having a wonderful time re-inventing these treasured pieces. I am fortunate that many of my friends, family members, and fans will occasionally send me things to upcycle. It is the greatest kind of support & it brightens my day. And best of all, I encounter pieces that I might not otherwise come across. So thanks to anyone who's ever donated materials to me. I truly enjoy breathing new life into old objects--especially classic or traditional jewelry. Here's a before & after look at one such piece.
Before
What I love about the original piece is its color contrast: the rich red against a muted silver. It's also reminiscent of a Indian style of jewelry.
After
In altering this piece, I wanted to stay true to the multicultural feel of the original. I added two grandfather clock gears, muted silver chain that closely matches the silver in the rest of the necklace, and the large metal cabinet decoration. In lengthening this piece, and by giving it a large textured focal point, it is more of a statement piece of jewelry. The disruption of the pattern is what really transforms this necklace into an one-of-a-kind piece. If you want to transform or update an old favorite, think about changing or even disrupting your necklace's pattern, introducing another color or texture, or even combining two favorites together to form something new!