In my early days of collecting -- about 15 years ago -- I could see how this could get out of control very easily, so I made some rules. The basic rule is that the piece has to be composed primarily of beads. It's not that I have anything against rhinestones, but my life revolves around beads and it seemed fitting that I collect bead jewelry.
This is getting too wordy, so I'll just skip to the pictures of my latest acquisitions: these four necklaces that I found in antique stores in Scottsdale.
If a necklace is in poor condition (like the 2nd one, which broke as I was staging it for this photo), I have no qualms about deconstructing it and salvaging the beads for new uses. The aqua blue necklace is another story altogether. It's in pretty good shape and absolutely gorgeous. It will probably become a display item in my studio. And that's fine. I'll smile every time I look at it.
