Each Game of Thrones inspired necklace begins with some sort of spark, often while I’m trying to get to sleep. Sometimes the spark is a color (the case with Asha) or a particular bit of leather (how Arya started), and sometimes that spark is someone outside the studio mentioning how much they love a character (Margary Tyrell). Once that spark happens the gears begin to turn.
The process then goes one of two ways. Sketches are done, materials are gathered or ordered and work begins. Or, every material in the studio comes out, every bin is gone through, it looks like a bomb went off, and then sketches start. I know my partner wishes each piece was the former.
For a piece like Wolf Pup (inspired by Arya Stark), we spent a lot of time figuring out the gorget, it needed to fit properly on pretty much any size neck, as all of these pieces are adjustable from about 14-26 inches. With Wolf Pup there was a lot of paper mapping first. On many of the pieces we can move things around if they don’t hang right. But on this one we had to be sure where the holes went before we punched and riveted them. These are very Red Carpet event type necklaces, but we didn’t want to overload a character like Arya with crystal, so we went with muted colors and light faceting. Wolf Pup includes hematite, hypersthene, marble, and faceted labradorite.
On the other end of the spectrum we have You Win Or You Die (inspired by Cersei Lannister), part of the concept here was to put as much wealth and glitz in as we could. This one needed to be tastefully decadent. Many people associate Cersei with her lion head pendant, that was the inspiration behind the cluster of four large crystals in the center of You Win Or You Die. Overall this piece has 82 individual pieces of Swarovski and Czech crystal, including pieces at the clasps. All of the links and drops are made by hand and each piece is attached (sometimes more than once) to get just the right drape and sparkle.
For a necklace like I Have So Far (inspired by Tyrion’s companion Shae) we went a slightly different route to luxury. This necklace needed to evoke the lightness of her gowns, not heavy and embroidered like other ladies in King’s Landing. We wanted colors that seemed to be her favorites, and turned to the show for a palette. This necklace doesn’t have a lot of individual crystals, only 47 in comparison to You Win or You Die’s 82, but three of those are Swarovski crystal show stoppers. Paired with bright silver chain, it’s a sunny combination.
The first necklace in this style we did was We Are Not Men (inspired by Daenerys Targaryen). Her necklace was mostly built around the idea of having just stepped from the flames, so it was created in ember oranges and fire reds. But not wanting to overlook the other parts of her personality and character we also added in some storm blues; she is Daenerys Stormborn after all. This necklace was created with Swarovski crystal.
That first necklace inspired three of our most recent pieces, the Dragons. The Golden Dragon, The Winged Shadow, and Deep Woods At Dusk; each inspired by one of Daenerys’ three dragons. Viserion lent himself to golds and creams, Rhaegal to greens and coppers, and Drogon to reds and black. Each pair of dragon’s wings were custom enameled. The black in Drogon and the copper in Rhaegal were the only two colors that we did not mix custom. The custom cream and gold in Viserion have hints of glowing yellow and warm pinks, whereas some parts of the green in Rhaegal look as though they might glow in the dark if you catch it at just the right angle. Drogon’s reds were less custom mixing and more a matter of careful layers and washes, precise tilting and an extra helping of patience; but the deep red with streaks of black payed off. These three necklaces all feature both Swarovski and Czech crystal.
Another piece that let us play with different materials was The Black Wind (inspired by Asha/Yara Greyjoy), in this we used both silver and gunmetal to add to the stormy color theme, and in addition to the Swarovski and Czech crystals we added in 2 colors of blue Czech crystal pearls. These gave the piece a beautiful depth, and added another nod to the ocean.
The other pieces in this portfolio are; The Night Is Dark (inspired by Melisandre) and I Want To Be THE Queen (inspired by Margary Tyrell).
Credits
- Adrian Keith – Owner/Creator
- McHenry Keith – Owner/Creator
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