Striking the Right Note

2: Lori Kaplan

When I design, I’m usually inspired by the gemstones with which I’m working. However, I’ve never worked with hexagon shaped stones before and they had me stumped a little at the beginning of this project. But then I went back and reread Sarah’s story and noted her love for visiting the Smithsonian museums. To me, this meant she has an affinity for antiquities, which made me think she would appreciate a piece that pays homage to an earlier time. I collect Victorian watch fob chains, and they inspired me to create a piece in a similar style for Sarah. (It also seemed fitting to create a bar-style chain necklace for someone about to take the bar exam!)

The pendant features the chalcedony, rubies, and blue sapphires. To echo the bar chain that the pendant will hang from, I added two gold bars to separate the stones. Each of the bars is really a hidden hollow pull clasp that will allow Sarah to wear the piece with one, two, or three stones hanging. Sh...