Black Bead Necklace with Brass Floral Plaques

• Multiple rows of black beads
• Brass inlay plaques with four-petal floral motif
• Brass and white seed-bead spacers
• S-hook clasp

Each bead is shaped and each brass plate inlaid by hand, so slight variation in bead size, color and plate finish is part of the piece.

The four-petal flower pressed into each brass plaque is a common motif in Himalayan metalwork, where floral and dotted patterns are inlaid into brass and copper to break up plain metal with texture and light. Against tight rows of black beads, the effect is graphic — dark beadwork setting off brighter metal at regular intervals down the length.

Multi-strand construction like this gathers several fine strands and re-anchors them at intervals with a metal segment. The piece drapes close to the neck while still reading as a bold, layered composition from a distance.

Each necklace is assembled by hand in Nepal: beads strung in parallel strands, then threaded through cast or hand-cut brass plaques where the floral pattern is pressed into the metal before the plate is fixed back onto the strands. The repetition — bead by bead, plate by plate — is why no two pieces come out quite identical.

• Technique: Tibetan-style brass inlay beadwork

Wipe with a soft dry cloth and store away from moisture to keep the brass finish from dulling.