I've always loved Egyptian jewelry, but the only way I'd seen to make a fancy broadcollar was by making bugle ladders, which I Despise. Then when I saw the South African double-faced scallop stitch in Beadwork magazine, Summer 1998, something clicked. This was the first broadcollar I made that summer.

This stitch has the most amazing texture. It's sort of a cross between netting and brick stitch. The stitch also makes it easy to incorporate beads that are larger than seed beads. This collar, besides using purple and gunmetal 11/o seed beads, uses a large mixture of 4-8mm glass and stone beads. The collar used up all my fancy jasper beads.

The cord and tassels lie over the back, providing counterweight to the heavy front. I made the 8-strand cord on a maru dai. I've since improved the cord placement. This collar is wearable, as long as you don't bend over. And there isn't any weight on the neck; it's all destributed on the shoulders.

Photograph by Marcia Albert of CatchLight Studios

26 June 2001