Blue Corn Chain

I put this up on Pinterest, but it deserves a mention here.

Blue Corn Chain is a necklace I originally finished in 1999.

It’s a 37-link chain made of multicolored peyote stitch segments 6 beads wide and 24 beads long (before joining into a link). The colors are dark red, bright red, blue-purple, turquoise, teal, mint green, iridescent black, and translucent pearl white, grounded and bordered by amber-brown. Each link is slightly different. Instead of the clunky old button clasp that didn’t quite match, I wrapped a piece of bamboo toothpick with peyote stitch to make a new toggle clasp.

When I first designed the necklace, I referenced the colors of Indian corn from the Four Corners area, and the rich patterns and textures of Central American weaving. Like all my favorite jewelry it’s more subtle than spectacular.

I’d made it slightly too tight the first time. I wore it as a choker, then set it aside, then forgot about it for a decade. I dug it out of storage a few weeks ago. Since I’m already hard at work on resurrecting fossilized stories, I decided to give the necklace a try. I still had enough of the old beads to match, which was more of a miracle than you’d think.

Second time around, I’m much happier with this chain.