Chrysocolla Wire Wrapped Chain

This one-of-a-kind natural chrysocolla necklace pairs chunky blue-green faceted cube stones with hand-wrapped Argentium sterling silver for an easy everyday piece with lots of texture and movement.

• Materials: Natural chrysocolla and solid Argentium sterling silver
• Stone size: 8 mm faceted cubes
• Length: 19"
• Total weight: 31 grams
• Chain: Handmade Argentium sterling silver links
• Closure: Heavyweight handmade toggle clasp
• Silver hallmark: 940 with unicorn logo
• Stones are completely natural and are not dyed, color treated, or coated
• One of a kind + ready to ship

I was really excited about these chrysocolla stones because they’re a substantial 8 mm cube, and the drill holes were large enough to let me use slightly heavier wire than I normally would. That gave me a chance to go back to my wire-wrapping days and play with creating a spiral of silver that wraps around each individual stone. I loved how it looked, so I made every stone its own little wire-wrapped element.

Because the stones are chunky, I wanted the rest of the silver work to have enough weight to balance them. I connected the stones with large round silver links, alternating the direction of the wraps so there really isn’t a front or back. As the necklace moves, different parts of the wirework face forward and catch the light.

I wanted to add in other elements besides the stones so I created sections of handmade chain from heavy square silver wire. I formed that wire into oval links and spaced them throughout in a pattern of three stones and three links. I love the subtle detail of using square wire alongside the square stones. You might not notice it immediately, but when you look closely, it’s there. The open sections also give the necklace some breathing room and create a mix of heavier and lighter areas as it goes around the neck.

The chrysocolla is completely natural, with beautiful variations from soft green and turquoise blue to very deep, almost black turquoise tones. As I assembled the necklace, I intentionally placed contrasting colors next to one another, the lighter stones beside darker ones and blues beside greens, to make each color stand out even more.

I finished the necklace with a substantial handmade toggle clasp. At 19 inches long, it has a slightly shorter feel when worn because of the chunky stones and heavier construction, so it falls more like a thinner 18-inch necklace. I love how substantial and cool this piece feels while still being something you can wear every day.