Asymmetric Brass Medallion Necklace with Bone and Teal Beads

• Asymmetric hammered brass medallion
• Mixed-bead strand in wood, glass, bone, and clay
• Antiqued bronze toggle closure
• Rustic hand-finished brass surface

The beads are natural materials and the brass disc is hand-hammered, so bead color, bead size, and the texture of the disc vary from piece to piece.

The medallion is cast using the lost-wax method — a wax model is shaped, encased in a clay or plaster mold, melted out, and replaced with molten brass. Once cooled, the caster hammers and files the disc by hand, which is why its edges and surface are slightly uneven rather than machine-perfect.

The technique comes out of the Baule and Akan brass-casting traditions of West Africa, in present-day Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where discs like this were worn and traded as adornment. The beads alongside it come from separate places: glass and clay from West African trade routes through Ghana, bone and wood from East Africa near Kenya, wood and bone from the Philippines.

The finished components are strung by hand in the USA, with a maker selecting and sequencing each bead by eye. The asymmetry is intentional — the differences in color, shape and material stay visible instead of being smoothed into uniformity.

• Technique: Baule brass casting, West Africa

Wipe with a soft dry cloth after wear. Store away from moisture, perfume, and other jewelry to prevent scratching or tarnish.