Diamond-Set Horn and Brass Bead Necklace

• Multicolor dyed horn beads
• Hand-knotted between beads
• Hammered brass accent beads
• Long single-strand silhouette

The beads are cut from natural horn and hand-dyed in small batches, so color, grain and shading shift slightly from piece to piece.

Horn takes dye and a high polish well and stays light on the body, which is why it turns up so often in Indian jewelry. The technique here is deceptively simple — flat squares strung corner-to-corner so each bead sits as a diamond — and it changes the strand from a row of beads into a rhythm of angles and color blocks.

The palette follows the range horn takes on once dyed rather than a single flat tone. Beads are dyed in small batches and sequenced by hand so the colors shift gradually around the strand instead of repeating in a fixed pattern.

Each bead is cut, sanded, dyed and drilled by hand, then knotted onto cotton cord one at a time with a knot between each bead to hold the spacing. The small brass beads at the base are shaped and finished separately before being added to anchor the strand.

• Technique: Hand-dyed horn beadwork

Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth. Store away from moisture and direct sunlight so the horn's color and the brass finish hold.