Beaded Collar Necklace, White and Gold, Handmade Kenya

A wide handmade collar necklace in white and gold seed beads, netted into an open diamond lattice that fans out from the neckline over the collarbone and shoulders. It suits a bride, a wedding guest or anyone who wants one statement piece over a plain neckline. The neckline is worked in close rows of white with a fine gold line running through them. From there the beadwork opens into a lattice of white diamonds, with a single gold bead at every crossing and a gold drop at each point of the lower edge, so the collar catches the light as it moves. It fastens at the back with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, which you can see in the first photograph, so it can sit a little higher or lower on the neck. The maker gives the neckline as 36cm around and the outer edge as 90cm around. Amani is the Swahili word for peace, a quiet echo of the store's own name: mulembe means peace in Lubukusu. Care: store it flat so the lattice keeps its shape, and keep it away from perfume and water.