"Mocha Petals" by NikidaEve
NikidaEve has requested a critique on this from anyone who wants to give one, which helps, since I needed something to review to meet my goals for this week. I admire NikidaEve's work, and the more I look at this necklace and earring set, the more I like it. NikidaEve says in the comments below the photo that she wanted to "cross steampunk and elegance," and I think that's an accurate description. Metal chainmail flowers and antiqued bronze beads and chain links appeal to the steampunk aesthetic, while pearl beads do indeed create a touch of elegance.
The set uses chain mail, both hollow round links and solid elliptical links; beads made of crystals, pearls and other materials; chain; and beadstring or floss. Elliptical chainmail pieces create the focal part of the necklace: the chainmail pieces are linked together to form two flowers--a gold-yellow blossom, comprised of a layer of antiqued bronze petals atop larger yellow petals, and a smaller, antiqued bronze blossom.
I like the flowers most of all, which is good, seeing as how they are the focal parts of the necklace. I also like their placement on the right side of the necklace instead of at the bottom; it's an uncommon design, which makes it more interesting. NikidaEve refers to the orange and yellow as "offsetting" colors, and I agree with that. Without them, the necklace would be made entirely out of antiqued bronze, copper, and what looks like either ebony or dark fuchsia (it's hard to know which color from the photos)--all dark colors. The yellow flower, along with the orange crystals in the earrings, provides the only warm colors in the necklace and earring set; they bring vibrancy and life to the set. Without the brighter colors, I don't think the necklace would be as eye-catching, though it would still be an interesting necklace and I'd probably like it.
Round chainmail links join together the elliptical chainmail petals; the center of the antiqued bronze flower uses an inner ring of interlocked silver links and an outer ring of orange links, which looks good and brings attention to the intricate design. Only antiqued bronze links are visible at the center of the yellow flower, and the design there is, unfortunately, harder to notice.
Drops made of head pins strung with pearl rounds and other beads hang below both flowers, and they are an interesting touch. I would never think to put those in one of my pieces; I tend to be pretty 2-dimensional in my designs sometimes, but the drops in NikidaEve's necklace form an extra layer atop the bottom flower and will probably jingle as the bridesmaid walks, drawing further attention to the necklace and to the flowers. The three tiers at the base of the necklace look good, but due to a lack of bright colors in any of the tiers, my eyes don't focus on them for long before being drawn again to the bright yellow flower.
The necklace was made on commission for a bridesmaid. The description doesn't mention the style of the bridesmaid's dress, but I assume it doesn't have any flare on the right shoulder; otherwise, I'd think that the necklace's flowers would get in the way.
It looks like the necklace's lobster clasp is on the left shoulder instead of being located in the back. I wonder about the reason for that, since its current placement would mean it would be visible from the front (and visible in wedding photos). I also wonder how heavy the flowers are compared to the weight of the three tiers on the chain; hopefully, it's all balanced correctly so that the flowers stay on the right side no matter what, but I can't tell this for sure from the photos.
The earrings have no flowers, but they do use other elements also seen in the necklace: chainmail links joined together to form an intricate design and drops made of head pins strung with beads. I like the chainmail link portions of the earrings the most. I may just be biased due to my love of steampunk, but I think the chainmail portions aptly demonstrate the skill needed to make the earrings in the first place.
Bridesmaids typically carry flowers in the wedding ceremony. The necklace hangs low and ends near or above the stomach; I wonder if the bottom will be hidden behind the bouquet. It could possibly become accidentally tangled either in the bouquet or in the bridesmaid's fingers.
I've listed a few concerns in this review, but for the most part, I can't complain. I like this necklace and earring set, and I think it does a good job of blending together steampunk and elegance, which was NikidaEve's aim.
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