The Birth of Azure Amour: A Tale of Beauty and Chaos by Caprilicious

Hello folks, how are you today? I've had a fabulous few days off work - lounging around the house in my PJ's all day, a bit of cooking, loads of TV and best of all, playing with beads again which is my happy place. While I couldn't stop working at the day job to play with beads full-time as yet, it's nice to have a rest. We had no plans to go anywhere, and it was too cold to go out shopping or to lunch so we didn't bother. The cat had us all to himself all week but I don't think he was that bothered - all he wants is a belly full of food, somewhere warm to sleep and a scratch under the chin when he presents it to us. 

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Azure Amour

There are some jewellery pieces that come together effortlessly—like a perfectly baked Victoria sponge, light, fluffy, and an absolute joy. And then there’s Azure Amour, which was more like attempting a three-tier wedding cake during a power cut. ​It all started with those stunning electroplated agate slices, shimmering like a mermaid’s dream. The moment I saw them, I knew they had to become something spectacular. Easy, right? Ha! Famous last words.

​First came the bead selection. Should I go for polished, matte, faceted? Gold accents or silver? I spent an embarrassing amount of time arranging and rearranging them, staring at the table like some sort of jewellery oracle. At one point, even Wilfred the cat got involved, swiping an agate slice across the floor in what I can only assume was a strong opinion against my choices - or was he playing hopscotch?

Now, let’s talk about those agate slices. Beautiful? Yes. Well-behaved? Absolutely not. They had a mind of their own, flipping, twisting, and generally refusing to lie flat like I’d politely asked them to. It was as if I were wrangling a school of rebellious fish. After much sighing (and possibly a little swearing), I finally got them to behave—only to realise that the necklace now had the structural integrity of a jellyfish.

After a few deep breaths (and a cup of tea strong enough to revive the dead), I reworked the layout so that the slabs fitted together perfectly like a mobile jigsaw, added stabilising elements, and suddenly, Azure Amour transformed before my eyes. It went from “random pile of shiny things” to a striking, shimmering statement piece worthy of its name. I felt the need for a focal element to break up the 'boredom' - if anyone can call this necklace boring! A Moroccan copper bead, planished and shiny, with an equatorial embellishment was deployed. I didn't think anyone would like 'jigsaw' pieces flapping around like little wings on the back of the neck, so some pretty electroplated druzy beads I knew were lying around from a previous project were hunted down.

When I finally finished, I held it up to the light, and it gleamed back at me in triumph. Was it worth the battle? Absolutely. Would I make another one? Let’s just say, give me some time to recover first.
​So there you have it—the story behind Azure Amour. A necklace that nearly drove me to distraction but ultimately is one of my proudest creations, if only for the engineering solutions that I came up with. 

That's me for this week, folks. Have a fabulous weekend and I'll catch up with you shortly.
Until then
​xx