SS301 Jewelry Artistry: Pearl Knotting

According to film director, Federico Fellini, "there is just one piece of jewelry that is equally becoming on everyone, lovely with every ensemble, appropriate for almost every occasion and indispensable in every woman's wardrobe. Long live the pearl necklace, from first date to last breath.' Style icon Jackie Kennedy concurs that ' pearls are always appropriate" and fashion designer Coco Chanel believed that "ropes and ropes of pearls are a necessity" for all women. Pearls have been considered the queen of gems and the gem of queens over the centuries due in part to their unique properties. Pearls are one of a kind, precious and quite delicate. Pearl Knotting was developed to safeguard both their value and their fragility. Pearls were strung on silk cord to give the allusion of floating on air and to maximize fluidity and were knotted to prevent loss should the cord break. Although ideal in some regards, the fragile nature of the cord makes restringing inevitable. This process can be both costly and time consuming if done by a jeweler when in fact, it is neither costly nor difficult to master. The same techniques you will learn in class can be used to make not only pearl necklaces, but also a host of other fashion forward creations. New shapes and colors of pearls abound so regardless of whether your style is classic or contemporary you'll find pearls will never go out of style, they are style itself.

Students can expect to:

• Learn about best practices of pearl knotting
• Learn how to utilize the tools and techniques to knot a string of pearls
• Learn how to apply these techniques to other contemporary designs
• Leave class with a completed pearl knotted necklace

About the Instructor: An avid hobbiest turned jewelry artist, Allison Wiley studied jewelry design and creation at many prestigious institutions and with prominent practitioners in her native New York before moving to Paris 10 years ago. She has taught jewelry classes at various locations to the expat community, authored countless articles on art-related topics for Expat Magazine, displayed her jewelry creations around Paris and continues to offer in-home private/ semi-private/group classes upon request.

Photo Credit: Allison Wiley