
Atlantis
"Atlantis"
Battle Of The Beadsmith 2015 (Finalist)
Necklace featuring natural sea urchin shells
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“Atlantis” – Joanne Zammit (Malta)
Lost beneath the waves, the mythical Island Continent of Atlantis lies silent, gleaming softly with long lost treasures.
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This necklace is my vision of the legendary Atlantis as it lies still and silent deep under the waves. The sea urchin shells in my design represent the grand buildings shimmering gently with sunken treasures, the uniformity of the blue beads around each shell represent the watery depths. I worked the Dutch spiral on one side of the neck strap to portray the swirling underwater currents and used Jasper beads on the other side to represent the more solid seabed.
All the sea urchin shells I use in my designs are collected by my family and strengthened by myself to ensure they are hardwearing enough for jewellery and accessories. We take care to collect only shells from the sea, leaving live sea urchins undisturbed. In their natural state, sea urchin shells are very fragile and need to be handled with care. I wash each one carefully, then strengthen and protect in a way that the natural appearance of each unique shell is maintained.
More photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/JoanneZammitBeadwork/photos/?tab=album&album_id=800460710061283