San Juan of the Philippines

Blue Buri Seeds, Exotic Wood, Unique Terra Cotta, Brass, Leather and Golden Horn Pendant Necklace

San Juan of the Philippines has been sold, but if you like this style, let me know! I would love to work with you on a custom-designed piece of jewelry. Just send me a note at kelly@xogallery.com and we'll get started!

Sold Price: $300

This tropical island-inspired necklace is an exotic combination of natural elements from different parts of the world and primarily from the beautiful islands of the Philippines. Five strands of vivid blue buri seed tubes are accented by pueblo style terra cotta beads from Greece and complemented by rustic brass and exotic wooden tubes. An earthy and rugged pendant of water buffalo horn, unique terra cotta beads and natural Greek leather balances the necklace by providing a subtle contrast of color, style and texture that harmonizes with the collar portion of this artisan necklace creating a wonderful combination of original elements.

The blue tube beads are made from the buri seed that comes from the buri palm which is native to the Philippines. These beads are dyed this vivid blue color and then lacquered to obtain the shiny finish. The black at the bead ends is the natural color of the buri seeds. Buri palm trees are abundant in San Juan of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines where buri weaving is a traditional industry in the town. The large fan-shaped leaves of this palm are woven into mats, bags, hula skirts, and other decorative items and San Juan wants to become known as "The Buri Capital of the Philippines." In fact in January 2007, the residents of San Juan held a buri mat parade where they celebrated their feat of making "The World’s Longest Buri Mat" at 2.4 km. I am not sure if San Juan is where these buri seed beads are created, but they are from the Philippines and since San Juan is famous for its buri weaving cottage industry, it seemed an appropriate name for this piece.

Also from the Philippines, the exotic wooden tubes add some surf and sand flavor. They look like they are little pieces of driftwood that could have just washed up on the shore of the islands. The horn donut is handmade from water buffalo horn in India. Both of the beads on the pendant as well as the pueblo-style blue beads throughout the necklace are handmade in Greece from a unique blend of volcanic terra cotta clays. The clays are hand-shaped and kiln-fired and then coated with thick enamels and refired creating these glossy and exotic beads. The natural leather is also from Greece.

Finishing the necklace ends is a series of brass elements including brass heishi from India, African brass trade beads from Ethiopia, antique gold finish pewter end bars and a raw brass lobster clasp and chain. This necklace is 15" in length and can adjust to 19" using the attached chain. The pendant portion of the necklace is an additional 4 inches in length.