More knots than beads

[Valeria101]

I suppose these are examples of a Chinese style of knotted silk cord for suspending heavier pendants. The knots appear familiar from European lace knots (perhaps there's only so many ways one can tie a knot, LOL!)...but these are news to me too and thought you pearl knotters might like to see them.

The website these come from is about jadeite, with just a few examples of knotting (most down the links below).

A beaded rope with more knots then beads: with tourmaline HERE and another with contrasting knots strung with a pendant HERE. Another with clusters (those remind me of some traditional Spanish pearl trinkets) and large beads HERE... (Edited to add) a few more incorporating small carved beads on hard silk loops HERE. And a simple kind HERE shows the front-end hard loops used to attach the small-holed pendants (could something like this be useful for a guy's one-pearl necklace?)

The few examples make me think that somewhere, somehow must be a very well developed beading style in which the string and knotting is at least as important as the beads. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

 

[dkan 168]

I just found this website on Google, looks quite useful, and the pages on knotting are informative. It shows how to do one of the knots as seen in some of the pieces on that Chinese jewellery website (the jade pendant is gorgeous, unfortunately, jades does not agree with me ).

Shame to say I find it difficult to read Chinese writing nowadays

This site also has some pages on wire work I believe.

WigJig

I'll save this as a favourite for later

DK

 

[Valeria101]

That looks like a lead!

Shame to say I find it difficult to read Chinese writing nowadays

Same here. Google helps (not sure how removed from reality those translations are... maybe an entirely new language, LOL!)

 

[knotty panda]

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, Ana! I am particularly attracted to the tourmaline piece. I have some large holed, heavy amethyst which inspire me to do something like that. I'm not really sure where the dividing line is between knotting and braiding. The bracelet with the adjustable clasp is one I would call braided. The red beautiful long ropes remind me of the skate key necklaces we used to make. We also used to braid flowers into necklaces, bracelets, and crowns. Those were very pretty, and the bees loved them! Earthy colored hemps and such remind me of gorgeous tribal pieces. Lots of inspiration in those photos. Thanks again!

 

[pattye]

Valeria,

Those are lovely pieces of jewelry! The knotting truly becomes an important part of the design. Takes me back a bit to macrame days!! I certainly never made anything so beautiful--in fact, even using fine cord, it was quite stiff. What beautiful photography also! Thanks much for finding that site----

 

[kelluvpearls]

Valeria, thank you for the website. Have you bought from them before?

 

[Valeria101]

Valeria, thank you for the website. Have you bought from them before?

Once. Nothing too serious...
I'm looking for a bracellet & pendant set, loosely.

 

[barbie biggs]

This is all too timely! I had recently turned to Korean knotting as a way to keep my busy hands from the devils work. ie: not spending. Now here we are looking at ways to incorporate our pearls into all those beautiful knots.
Okay, first perfect the knots. Then add gold and pearls. Rubies and pearls.
Arrrgh.
barbie

 

[Valeria101]

'Braid' was the key word!

A search for 'braid an bead' dully turned out a whole book:

http://www.careycompany.com/beads-braids.html

- the author appears to be a braid-maker extraordinaire -

Aside traditional jadeite jewelry... those beaded braids are not too likely to turn up in a fine jewelry store anywhere else, are they?

The trail is getting warmer overall:

wish there were ore images of that one. The baids look afully familiar from handiwork shared with my mother quite a while back.


How about this:

LINK to Source

I remember similar things done with seed pearls as with the red beads in the necklace above... Not bad at all. I have no notion how hard or easy it might be to produce the type, not yet.