Painted Cobalt Bead Necklace

$42.00

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NI-N827

Deep cobalt beads alternate between glossy solids and painted florals — tiny turquoise blossoms with yellow centers, set into a mottled blue and green ground. Ridged silver-tone rondelles and melon spacers break the rhythm at intervals.

Material: Hand-painted ceramic
Color: Cobalt blue with turquoise, green and yellow
Length: 25 in
Origin: India
Metal: Silver-tone base metal

The 25-inch length sits just below the collarbone — long enough to read as a single strong line against a solid neckline. Look closely and every painted bead is slightly different, so the pattern shifts as your eye travels the strand.

Details

Hand-painted floral and abstract patterns
Glazed ceramic bead construction
Ridged and fluted silver-tone metal accents
Single-strand 25-inch drape

Each bead is painted and glazed by hand, so small variations in pattern placement and color intensity are part of the piece.

The Story

Blue pottery is a ceramic craft most associated with India, where it took root under Persian and Central Asian influence carried along regional trade routes. What sets it apart from ordinary glazed clay is the body itself — a mix of quartz powder, glass frit and a binding resin, fired at low temperature.

The cobalt that gives the craft its name comes from cobalt oxide worked into the glaze. The small floral sprays painted across these beads — blossoms in turquoise and green with a yellow center — echo the botanical motifs long used on blue pottery tiles and tableware, drawn from Mughal-era garden imagery.

Each bead is shaped and painted individually. A painter works freehand with a fine brush, laying in every motif before the piece is glazed and fired. Silver-tone spacers are made separately and strung between the pottery beads to set off the color and give the necklace its structure.

Craft & Care

Technique: Blue pottery

Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth and store flat or hanging, away from moisture and perfume. The painted glaze can dull with repeated contact with water or lotions.

Questions

What are the beads made of?

Ceramic — a quartz-and-glass-frit body rather than ordinary clay, hand-painted and glazed in the blue pottery tradition before firing.

Is the metal sterling silver?

No. The spacer beads are a silver-tone base metal, not sterling silver.

Will the painted pattern match the photo exactly?

Each bead is hand-painted, so pattern placement and color intensity vary slightly from bead to bead and from the photo.

How long is the necklace?

25 inches — a single strand that sits just below the collarbone.

How should I care for the pottery beads?

Wipe clean with a soft dry cloth and keep away from water, perfume and lotion to protect the painted glaze.