***My jewellery has featured in Bead Magazine and Beads and Beyond.***

Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican tradition to honour and celebrate loved ones who've passed on to the next life. This is a wonderful tradition, where one day a year they celebrate the dead by building shrines both indoors and out. These colourful shrines are decorated with photos of the deceased, their favourite items, such as jewellery, food and flowers. Skeletons and brightly painted sugar skulls feature heavily. This is a day of vivid colour and celebration, and is definitely not a day of mourning.

I have designed this one-of-a-kind necklace on a 54cm, silver-plated 54cm chain. It is finished off with a lobster clasp, and has an 8 cm extension chain for length adjustments. The shorter chain in the middle is also adorned with beads and charms.

This necklace can easily be made shorter to wear as a choker style necklace. Any adjustments are done free of charge.

With this necklace I have tried to re-create the theme and mood of this lovely celebration using both new and vintage items. Charms included some of the items that would traditionally be found at the shrines and celebrations - glass beads, skulls, flowers, lockets, crosses, religious icons, an angel’s wing and even a coffin. These are all unused items although some of the vintage items may show slight signs of wear. This in no way detracts from the necklace.

Charms Included:

• Pewter coffin
• Vintage flower cabochon
• An ‘Honour thy mother and father’ Ten commandment disc
• Crystal cross
• Gold tone skull, with faux crystal eyes
• Glass connector beads
• Small silver plated skull with top hat
• Vintage St. Christopher disc
• 2 x large acrylic white skulls
• Vintage heart shaped locket, which opens to include a photo
• Love sign
• Crystal angel’s wing
• Small gold tone skull with top hat
• Religious icon pendant
• Genuine vintage 80’s glass beads
• 2 x cloisonné hearts
• Vintage gold tone cross, with red cabochon
• Aluminium flowers in red, gold and black

• Includes an organza gift bag

Certainly not for the feint-hearted, this necklace is not likely to be found in the High Street shops, and would definitely be a talking point amongst your friends. Why blend in with the crowd, when you can stand out in this one of kind piece?

So if you want something that is different, or you would like something to honour and remember somebody special, then this one is for you. Don’t forget it even includes a locket for a photo.

Note: Although I might design several pieces in a collection, these will never be the same. You can rest assured that yours will be a unique piece.

Special note: Please select insured postage, as I CANNOT be held responsible for items, which go missing in the mail. I always obtain proof of postage.

Photographs are always enlarged to show the individual detail of the item and not to mislead you. Please look at the measurements listed in the item description to establish the exact size. I make every effort to list items accurately.