Fabric-Wrapped Bead Bib Necklace in Red, Crimson and Magenta

• Bib-style cluster of fabric-wrapped beads
• Mixed red, crimson and magenta prints
• Linked gold-plated brass chain
• 2.5 in adjustable extender
• Lightweight for its volume

Each bead is fabric-wrapped by hand, so color placement and print vary from one piece to the next. A bead that slips loose in transit can be slid back onto its link.

The beads are built by wrapping small squares of printed cotton around a bead core and stitching the seam flat, so the pattern sits smoothly across the surface. The technique draws on India's long habit of reusing garment and sari offcuts rather than sending them to waste.

Because each square is cut from a different bolt, no two beads carry the same print. Up close the cluster reads as a set of small paintings; from across the room it registers as a saturated wash of red.

The chain is made and plated separately, then linked to the finished beads at the assembly stage — textile work and metal work handled by different specialists and brought together at the end.

• Technique: Fabric-covered beadwork

Keep away from water, perfume and lotion, and store the necklace flat or hanging so the fabric beads and gold plating hold their color.