Blueberry jewellery set

By a show of hands, how many of your are berry people? I am! I love berries – raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blue berries. While raspberries and blueberries are slightly uncommon in India, the other two are available in plenty. So I buy these dehydrated or as muffins when I can find them. If you are wondering why I am suddenly talking about berries, it is because blueberries are the theme of We’re all ears July. The inspiration image by Andrew Thorton looks really yummy, that I quickly pulled out my latest haul of beads and made a Blueberry jewellery set.

Before we move on to the jewellery, I must tell you where I was recently. Europe!! and yes those of you who follow Jewelsofsayuri on Instagram already know that. I visited Paris, Zurich, Venice, and Roma and did a lot of bead shopping as well. Look forward to detailed trip posts coming up soon. Since I used beads that I bought in Paris for this challenge, I thought that I’ll give you a little background on the place before revealing the Blueberry Jewellery set.

Bead shopping at Marche aux Puces

When I asked my Beads-L google group for recommendations on where to buy beads  and vintage jewellery in Europe, many members recommended the flea market at Paris. The The Saint Ouen Flea Market or the Marche aux puches is a collection of over 15 markets selling everything from home decor to designer jewellery. Don’t go by its name and think that it is a flea market. No, No, no, no, no – nothing here is cheap. Traders do not encourage bargaining as well. Well, everything in Europe is expensive to begin with and even more so if you keep multiplying the amount by 80 to convert it to Indian rupees.

I went with Karin of Ginkgo et coquelicot to the Vernaison market. Its impossible to find the place and navigate without a local’s help. I was glad to have Karin with me as I only had 4 hours to see the market, have lunch and get to Gard de Lyon to catch my train to Zurich. We saw large glass chandeliers, Jewellery from Chanel’s Byzantine collection, Vivinne Westwood’s punk clothes, Gucci bags and more. They had fine China dinner sets, painted ceramic boxes, lace, buttons, silver cutlery and ofcourse beads. I also saw Czech glass jewellery similar to what my Dad bought in Prague in 1980.

I went with the intention of buying three things – Beads (Lili & Daniels stand was recommended), Email (enamel) or painted glass/ceramic brooch/pocket watch/pendant, and chandelier crystals. My grandmom gave me loads of chandelier crystals as a kid but we lost them while moving cities so my first find was some crystals for 10 euro. Enamel pieces were super expensive and only laminated picture jewellery (porcelain) was affordable. After visiting some 4-5 shops, Karin and I found a brooch which had hand painting over the lamination from 1970s for 48 Euro. Wen then went to Lili’s stand (beads are sold by plastic cups here) but we mostly found only plastic beads. After a thorough picking I found some worthy beads to fill my 25 Euro cup.

Trade beads

I found a nice African antiquities store next door Objets Interdits run by Vilma, where we found a Mali wedding bead necklace. I had read so much about these beads influencing the east-west trade and the slave trade in Africa. So I had to get them. Thankfully Karin offered to split the pricey necklace and we each got 12 teardrops + spacers. Maybe you can get newer cheaper replicas in Etsy, but the seller assured us that these beads were made in Venice in the 1900s for trade in Africa.

Getting there – Metro – reach Porte de Clignancourt and walk to the market

Purple Lava beads

I love the texture of lava beads and was delighted to find some at the market. Upon seeing rhinestone connectors next to them, I instastly knew that I could make a set with them. It was just a question of time. So when I came back home and saw the We’re all ears challenge post, I knew they would be perfect.

Often I have written about how unmotivated I feel while making earrings and many readers suggested making sets. I have taken their advice to make the Blueberry jewellery set.

Blueberry Jewellery set

The set is inspired more by blueberry smoothies and muffins rather than the berries themselves. I feel that the coarse pores of the lava beads represent the foamy smoothie well. The golden ocher might look a bit far fetched but I  think that blueberry muffins sure look golden in colour next to the bleeding blue of the berries. The earrings are simple wire wrapped beads with varying size loops to create a contrast.

I couldn’t find any berry or leaf style components that would go with the focals. So I moved sideways and incorporated some grape elements into the set. To add a little oomph to the beads I wire wrapped them (not my best work though!) The end result makes me think more of grapes than berries. Though I am not overtly satisfied with it, making the set help me set my sleep rhythm straight after my trip. I am thankful for that.

The set is available for sale; please contact me to buy. This is a blog hop. So visit the challenge reveal post to see what the other talented participants have made. Also, do comeback in a few days for my next post on what to see and do in Paris.

I hope you found it interesting

Cheers