Painted Ceramic Bead Necklace in Cobalt and Black

• Hand-painted geometric bead motifs
• Alternating matte and patterned bead texture
• Ribbed and fluted silver-tone metal spacers
• 25 in length, worn alone or layered

Each ceramic bead is painted by hand, so the placement and stroke of the cobalt linework varies slightly from bead to bead and from one piece to the next.

The painted beads carry a fine cobalt chevron brushed freehand over white ceramic, set against unpainted matte black beads for contrast. Each bead is turned as the brush runs around it, which is how the linework stays even without a stencil.

Ribbed and fluted silver-tone spacers break the strand at intervals, adding structure and a bit of shine to an otherwise matte material. From a distance the pattern reads as machine-precise; up close the small variations of freehand work show.

Each bead is shaped and fired, then hand-painted with cobalt pigment before a final glaze firing locks the design in. The matte black beads skip the painted step. Once ready, the beads are strung by hand in sequence with the metal spacers across the full 25-inch length.

• Technique: Hand-painted ceramic beadwork

Wipe the beads with a soft dry cloth after wearing and store flat in a pouch, away from perfume, lotion and moisture. Painted and metal surfaces can dull with contact.