Part of the Tamar Collection Studio Stories
I'm Andrea Li, a handmade gemstone jewelry designer creating one-of-a-kind pieces from my studio in Denver, Colorado. Each piece I make takes me on what I call a "micro-journey", a unique creative path that can never be exactly replicated. This is the story of how the Pastel Gemstone Multi-Strand Statement Necklace from my Tamar Collection came to life.
This piece taught me about creativity, humility, and faith. Sometimes I have to fight an opposing force in order to bring beauty into the world.
The Confident Beginning
It began with complete confidence. I was so sure of the concept.
I imagined a necklace where the back would hold a secret, something only the wearer knows is there. A private flourish of gemstone clusters and intentional design, meant to feel like a hidden treasure resting at the nape of your neck.
I built the back first. I finished it completely, wire-wrapping Australian opal, pink tourmaline, and other pastel gemstones into an intricate cluster that cascaded down the nape. It was exactly what I'd envisioned.
And then I turned my attention to the front... and my heart sank.
The Creative Wall
What I had planned for the front looked entirely out of context. It didn't work. The front design felt hollow, thin, and disconnected from the bold, finished back I'd already poured so much into.
I stared at my bench for two full days, unable to move forward. The back was done. Beautiful. But attached to a front that betrayed it.
And that's when I hit a creative wall.
I had two choices: abandon the piece or reinvent it.
I chose the second.
The Micro-Journey: Building From Failure
I removed my first front concept completely. I even separated the finished drop necklace I'd originally made as part of the design, as it had become clear that the element belonged somewhere else entirely.
Then I started building again, this time with intention, flexibility, and no ego.
This reconstruction took approximately two weeks. I introduced multiple layers of larger circle-link chains, each one carefully measured to create proper drape across the collarbone and chest. The challenge was calculating exactly where to interrupt the chains with gemstone clusters so the necklace would flow naturally rather than bunch or gap.
I wire-wrapped each cluster individually, spinel, kunzite, pink morganite, and aquamarine, and added additional Australian opal accents, positioning them at intervals that created balance and visual rhythm across the multiple strands.
And slowly, something remarkable began to take shape.
When One Design Becomes Two
The result is a multi-strand necklace that flows from the back's original brilliance. Each layer builds on the next like a ripple effect, creating movement and depth that honors both the hidden back detail and the layered front presentation.
And the best part? That drop necklace I removed? It became a standalone piece, a delicate long-drop pendant that now lives independently in my collection.
From one failed vision, two beautiful designs were born.
This necklace isn't just a statement. It's a reminder that some of the most rewarding creations come not from perfection, but from persistence.
Technical Details
Materials: Australian opal, pink tourmaline, rose quartz, kunzite, aquamarine, 14k gold-filled circle-link chains, and findings
Technique: Multi-strand construction with calculated cluster placement for anatomical drape, signature gemstone clustering
Construction: Layered chains with gemstone interruptions at the front, hidden opal cluster detail at the back nape
Design Time: Approximately 2 weeks total (including failed first attempt and reconstruction)
Collection: Tamar Collection
Status: One-of-a-kind (available)
Your Personal Sky Map in Stone
No two Australian opals are alike, and it's not just the color that makes each one unique; it's the pattern, too.
Every opal's play-of-color comes from a hidden world of silica spheres arranged inside the stone like a microscopic mosaic. The size and arrangement of these spheres, typically between 150 and 400 nanometers in diameter, determine which wavelengths of light are diffracted, creating opal's signature color flash.
In some places within the stone, the spheres stack in perfect layers; in others, they twist, ripple, or break apart, creating signature surface patterns known as:
Harlequin - angular patches of color in a mosaic-like pattern (the rarest and most valuable)
Pin-fire - tiny, closely-set points of color
Flower garden - large, flowing patches of color
Mackerel sky - linear streaks resembling clouds
Straw - long, thin streaks of color
These formations are so distinct, they're often called opal fingerprints, or better yet, your personal constellation, captured in stone.
That means the Australian opal in this necklace isn't just rare, it's truly one-of-a-kind, with a pattern that will never be repeated. A celestial imprint. A talisman of individuality. A natural artwork formed not only by light, but by the chaos and beauty hidden within.
Why This Piece Matters
This necklace taught me that creative failure isn't the end of the journey; it's often the catalyst for something better.
As a one-of-a-kind jewelry designer, I don't have the option to return to a proven template when a design fails. I have to stay in the discomfort, trust the process, and rebuild from what I've learned.
The person who owns this multi-strand necklace is the only person in the world who possesses this exact piece, born from a failed first attempt, reconstructed with hard-won wisdom, and completed with the kind of persistence that only comes from refusing to give up on beauty.
That's the value of handmade, artist-made jewelry: singular vision, singular struggle, singular triumph.
Explore More Studio Stories from the Tamar Collection
Each piece in the Tamar Collection has its own micro-journey. Discover how other designs came to life in my studio.