Category Archives: Neckpieces

Brass Treasure Neckpiece

The triangle focal piece on this neckpiece is a piece of brass found during one of my rummages through a bin at my local scrap yard.

Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
Brass Treasure Neckpiece
by Annie Desantis

Hammered and pierced, the focal piece is wrapped in pure silver wire threaded with tiny recycled glass beads.

These tiny beads are made from ground recycled glass in Africa. A fabulous use of waste glass, but also these tiny treasures are their livelihood.

Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
Brass Treasure Neckpiece – closeup
by Annie Desantis

A tiny disk of hammered, patina’d hot water cylinder dangles off the bottom, and the piece is attached to a hand beaten chain made from recycled copper and brass with hammered blobs of solder.

Limeyellow Sari Silk Focal Neckpiece

This neckpiece is a collection of recycled elements! The lime and yellow sari silk in the centre focal piece, is factory waste that I buy from women in India. Some of the tiny treasures I have unearthed among the scraps are gorgeous.

Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
Limeyellow Sari Silk Focal neckpiece
by Annie Desantis

The silk is wrapped with enameled copper wire around a square hammered copper wire piece made from recycled electrical wire with a hammered solder bead (blob actually!)

Neckpiece closeup by Annie Desantis
Limeyellow SariSilk Focal Neckpiece (closeup)
by Annie Desantis

The lower circle is wound with teeny tiny wires I reclaim from old speakers, hammered, then partly wrapped in pure silver wire and hung with tiny recycled lemon yellow glass beads. These tiny glass beads are hand made in sand with fire from crushed glass in Africa. No fancy kilns or even electricity! Amazing how creative people always find ways to work, but more importantly these tiny treasures are their livelihood.

The dangle on the right hand side is a hammered piece of brass found in my local scrap yard, threaded with another tiny lemon recycled hand made bead.

The chain is made from individual hammered curly links, with a leather thong around the neck, attached with pure silver wrapping and two more tiny lemon recycled glass beads.

Blue Moon Neckpiece

Blue Moon is another neckpiece from my series “I used to be a hot water cylinder”.

Blue Moon Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
“I used to be a hot water cylinder”
~ Blue Moon ~
by Annie Desantis

The focal piece is cut, hammered and folded from an old hot water cylinder. It has layers and layers of pigments and wax giving it luminosity.

It is attached to hammered reclaimed copper, threaded with beads that have been cut and hammered from old refrigerator pipe, and coloured with pigments and wax.

Factory waste sari silk that has been wrapped in pure silver wire attaches round the back of the piece, and a focal bead of howlite, threaded with a silver nail hangs to one side.

Blue Moon Neckpiece by Annie Desantis - close up
“I used to be a hot water cylinder”
~ Blue Moon Neckpiece closeup ~
by Annie Desantis

Blue Dreaming Neckpiece

My series “I used to be a hot water cylinder” grew out fossicking round scrap yards and have one fabulous man “Hillbilly” who tucks aside interesting pieces of metal for me. I have a stash of old hot water cylinders which I cut, hammer, roll and shape.

Blue Dreaming Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
“I used to be a hot water cylinder”
~Blue Dreaming ~
by Annie Desantis

Blue Dreaming has a focal piece that is hammered and rolled from a piece of hot water cylinder. Then coloured with layers and layers of Prisma colours and pigments.

The beads are hand made also, hammered from reclaimed plumber’s pipe and coloured with layers of patina in several processes and waxed. Attached to hammered and soldered electrical wire, also hand waxed and coloured, around the back of the neck, factory waste sari silk that has been wrapped in pure silver wire (recycled of course!).

Blue Dreaming is embellished with smaller hot water cylinder pieces, and pure silver spirals.

Close up of Blue Dreaming Neckpiece by Annie Desantis
“I used to be a hot water cylinder”
~ Blue dreaming closeup ~
By Annie Desantis