Red Sea Shoal Necklaces.
This series of necklaces evolved after a couple of memorable trips to Egypt including some diving at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh. I also included a number of visits to the Cairo Museum of Antiquities to study its awesome collection of ancient Pharaonic artefacts. The stylistic form of these objects so inspired me that I started modelling in wax, some of the fish I had encountered during diving. I wanted to eliminate extraneous detail and invoke the Pharaonic styling of the figures Horus and Anubis.
I also wanted the "Red Sea shoal necklaces" to reflect the diversity of the marine life and hint at the colours by the use of different precious metals. In addition, I was exploring a way to suggest the interrelationship these creatures have with their environment. This resulted in the shoal swimming under rock fragments or box like structures. These provide linking devices allowing each element to be suspended independently and to determine whether the shoal could be worn as a choker or a pendant.
The linking device in the first four examples allows the shoals to be worn as a brooch as well as a necklace. The fabric of the garment would need to be quite substantial like a jacket or overcoat, as these pieces can be quite large.
Large Red Sea shoal necklaces with brooch top.
These pieces can be worn as a necklace or as a brooch. The rectangular top element has a double brooch pin on the back which also acts as a retainer for the chain when the piece is worn as a necklace. When being worn as a brooch it is only suitable for use on heavy fabric like a jacket or overcoat.
Medium Red Sea shoal necklaces with brooch top.
These pieces can be worn as a necklace or as a brooch.
Smaller, pendant style Red Sea shoal necklaces.
These pendant shoal necklaces are usualy suspended on a silver Snake chain or Rope chain .
