ANDREA LI

LIMITED COLLECTIONS

Aura Rainbow Moonstone Choker by Andrea Li, a fine gold wire collar carrying a long spray of rainbow moonstone and pale pink, peach, green and blue gemstones

Tamar Second Light Studio Stories

Studio Stories

Tamar: Second Light

Second Light is the second chapter of my Tamar collection, a set of pastel gemstone pieces each made once and never repeated. These are the stories behind the necklaces: the stones, the bench moments, and the small accidents that made each one itself.

For Tamar, Andrea Li's tribute to the collector who named the weave

The woman this collection is named for

For Tamar

The collector who understood this work at a rare depth, and gave the weave its name. In her own words.

Read her tribute
  1. Blue Hour, a rainbow moonstone pendant necklace by Andrea Li, with the story title Why Moonstone Is Cut Smooth

    01Why Moonstone Is Cut Smooth

    A dome works like a lens where a facet works like a mirror. Eight marquis cabochons up one side of a hand-formed oval, and a gemstone drop that keeps the pendant hanging straight.

    Read the story
  2. Last Light kunzite necklace with a gold paperclip chain, pale purple gemstones, pearls, and editorial text on a white background.

    02The Last Kunzite I Had

    Growth tubes like fine parallel needles, healing feathers that read as faint veils, and a vermeil oval folded over a dowel so the stone could hang between two chains.

    Read the story
  3. Crest, a gold pastel gemstone bangle with a faceted pink stone and a pale cluster, with the story title Why I Made a Bangle Instead of Another Cuff

    03Why I Made a Bangle Instead of Another Cuff

    Two cuffs already in one collection, so the third bracelet had to be neither. A single asymmetric wave formed on a jig, carrying a cluster built for a different piece.

    Read the story
  4. Second Light earrings with pale gemstones, pink crystal accents, gold settings, and cascading chain fringe shown with editorial text.

    04Why Matching Earrings Are Harder Than They Look

    Both clusters are built at the same moment, every movement mirrored, so one is the other reversed rather than a copy. The three pairs that close Second Light.

    Read the story
  5. Alpenglow, a one-of-a-kind pink kunzite and baroque pearl drop necklace by Andrea Li

    05What Kunzite Looks Like at the Bench

    A stone like pale pink hard candy, striations shimmering as it turns, seated into a folded vermeil crescent because it had only one drill hole.

    Read the story
  6. Alpenglow Bracelet, a one-of-a-kind pale amethyst fabricated link bracelet by Andrea Li

    06Why a Link Bracelet Takes Three Days

    Seven hand-bent links, twenty-eight drilled holes that all had to align, and three days at the bench before a single stone went in.

    Read the story
  7. Close-up of a gold and moonstone statement necklace with luminous blue gems, overlaid with the title "Moontide: The Moonstone Necklace."

    07Moontide: The Moonstone Necklace I Was Not Sure Would Work

    The first piece of Second Light: a graduated fan of blue-flash moonstone, engineered a hundred moves ahead.

    Read the story
  8. Halo, a one-of-a-kind pastel gemstone floating choker by Andrea Li

    08Halo: A Beautiful Contradiction

    A shortage of 12-gauge wire became a floating pastel choker, given its spine by a clasp moved to the front.

    Read the story
  9. A pastel gemstone necklace by Andrea Li, with the story title How a Name Comes to a One-of-a-Kind Piece: The Fairy Dynamite Story

    09How a Name Comes to a One-of-a-Kind Piece: The Fairy Dynamite Story

    A pastel opal-and-topaz cluster, named by the community that watched it come together.

    Read the story
  10. A one-of-a-kind amethyst stalactite slice necklace by Andrea Li

    10The Stone That Sat in My Drawer for Years: An Amethyst Stalactite Necklace

    A Tucson geode slice, years in a drawer, grown into a one-of-a-kind pastel cluster.

    Read the story
  11. The Choker That Floats, a one-of-a-kind rainbow moonstone choker by Andrea Li

    11The Choker That Floats: A Rainbow Moonstone Story

    A rainbow moonstone cluster wound up one side of the base so it floats at the throat.

    Read the story
  12. A one-of-a-kind vermeil oval collar necklace by Andrea Li

    12The Ovals That Found a New Home: A Vermeil Collar Necklace

    Rehomed gold vermeil ovals, a mixed-beryl cluster, and angel-wing baroque pearls.

    Read the story
  13. A one-of-a-kind rainbow pearl lariat necklace by Andrea Li

    13Fairy Dynamite's Sister: A Rainbow Pearl Lariat

    A hand-bailed gray pearl lariat threaded through a gold vermeil oval, finished with an unplanned second drop.

    Read the story
  14. One-of-a-kind green amethyst hoops and matching three-oval necklace by Andrea Li

    14The Wire That Found a Home Twice: Green Amethyst Hoops and Their Necklace

    Orphaned square wire that found a home twice, as geometric hoops and a three-oval necklace.

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  15. Cascade, a one-of-a-kind amethyst stalactite waterfall-drop necklace by Andrea Li

    15Cascade: The Amethyst Stalactite Necklace That Falls Like Water

    A second stalactite set point-down, with three rows of chevron chain that waterfall into a triple drop.

    Read the story
  16. Ember, a one-of-a-kind amethyst stalactite cuff bracelet by Andrea Li

    16Ember: The Smallest Stalactite Became a Cuff

    The smallest of three stalactite slices, wrapped into a fabricated 14k gold-filled cuff with four stones threaded through it.

    Read the story

Go deeper into the stones behind these stories.

  1. Cover of Andrea Li's Moonstone Gemstone Guide: a milky moonstone cabochon with a blue glow
    The Moonstone Guide
  2. Cover of Andrea Li's Amethyst Stalactite Gemstone Guide: a slice of amethyst stalactite with a purple crystal rim
    The Amethyst Stalactite Guide
  3. Cover of Andrea Li's Opal Gemstone Guide: a white opal cabochon flashing color
    The Opal Guide
  4. Cover of Andrea Li's Pearl Gemstone Guide: a round cream pearl with a soft sheen
    The Pearl Guide
  5. Cover of Andrea Li's Pearl vs Moonstone guide: a pearl beside a moonstone
    Pearl vs. Moonstone

The Pastel Collection

Each piece is built once. When it sells, it is gone.

See Chapter One of Tamar