How To Wear Statement Necklaces

 

We have touched on the topic of wearing embellished statement necklaces, in one of our past posts. To show you the practical side of keeping one; wearing a statement necklace can definitely change the look of an outfit, especially when attending special events and formal occasions. Do not limit yourself to wearing fine jewelry from top to bottom, and add spice to your outfit once in a while. It is wise to keep a few key pieces at hand and ready to wear.  

  

 Here are some styling tips to help you visualize how to wear embellished statement pieces.

Wear a statement necklace over your little black dress

A statement necklace can give added "oomph" to a simple outfit

Choose a piece that's comfortable to wear, even with casual outfits

Different statement pieces change the look of a dress

Choose pieces that will go with the majority of your wardrobe

Who says you can't wear a statement piece over a white tank top?

Here are some photos of our clients wearing their own Palamuti statement necklaces.

Muticolored Vinta Necklace

Amatullah and Aurora Necklaces

Reinventing Amatullah

Hiyas in Shades of Blue

Amatullah

Amaya Necklace

Lily of the Valley

Customized Tulip and Dragonfly Necklace

Bringing the Dolls Customized Necklace

Traditional Rosary Inspired Accessories

Being from a predominantly Catholic country, Filipinos are accustomed to purchasing religious-inspired accessories as gifts, or simply having something to hold on to to remind them of their faith. The most popular among these accessories are rosary-inspired pieces. They are given in any occasion; from birthdays to weddings or even as Christmas gifts.

Multicolored Rosary Bracelets

Set Rosary Necklace and Bracelet

Friendship Rosary Bracelets

Bag Accessory Rosary 

Rosary Bracelet Souvenirs with St. Benedict Charm

Wedding and Embellishments

Weddings by PJV

 In the Philippines, i's rare to see brides wearing costume jewelry for their wedding way. They often use traditional fine jewelry. There's a bit of bead embroidery done on the gowns and through their basic accessory- the bridal bag. 

But for those who are brave enough to think outside the box; they include costume jewelry, especially embellishments. Bead embroidered accessories are amazing pieces that give spice to your wedding gown and your entourage's outfit too. 

Weddings by PJV

We make it a point to promote practicality. You can hit two birds with one stone by investing in embellished pieces which can be worn when the wedding's done. Quel and Suzy decided to have embellished necklaces made for their entourage. A practical choice for today, it is common practice to include the cost of everyone's gowns as part the wedding preparations. Adding beads to clothes will incur more cost, particularly when you include the "Thank You" gifts for your entourage. This couple incorporated accessories to the entourage's wardrobe; embellished necklaces which can be worn after the wedding. 

Weddings by PJV

Wedding Piece: Pureza by Novie Katimpo

Novie has been one of our first in- house artisans and has been with Palamuti for two years. She was sent from Ilocos Norte to help support her family by working as hired help, but we were able to recruit and train her to be an artisan instead. In the time that she has spent with us, she has developed into a highly skilled bead embroiderer, while becoming one of our product models for her quintessential Filipina looks. Her Pureza Wedding Necklace was inspired by a painting from a client’s art collection. She dreams of getting additional schooling in fashion and design, and to one day design a whole collection of her own.

We have also been promoting to brides to have embellished pieces made as an option for the wedding. Instead of spending thousands for the gown, which will only be used once, we suggest costume jewelry, specifically embellished pieces. People percieve bead embroidered pieces as being part of the dress! Adding a special piece to your daily accessories after the big event, is a unique way of looking back on your special day. 

We have a new blog focused solely on weddings and debuts. Visit http://www.weddingsanddebutsbypjv.blogspot.com  

    

Back to Basics

" Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. The actual value of a natural pearl is determined in the same way as it would be for other "precious" gems. The valuation factors include size, shape, color, quality of surface, orient and luster.  "

Fresh Water Pearls Necklace

There's an exotic quality about pearls that draws every woman to it. They aren't up to par with diamonds, but with that said, ideal pearls cost just as much as diamonds. Pearls exude elegance and sophistication, in its own rite, which can raise the level of a simple outfit.

The history of pearls is one of being sought after by diving  into perilous conditions for thousands of years, especially in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. During the Han Dynasty, the Chinese began their hunt for these precious sea gems in the South China Sea. If you look at paintings of Chinese royalty throughout the ages, you will discover that the pearl is valued as a sought after possession, on a level with precious metals, gemstones, and jade.

Today, people have found ways to cultivate and culture pearls in specialized farms, to meet demand.  Imitation pearls, also known as faux pearls, are widely used in costume jewelry.

"A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusc. Just like the shell of a clam, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers."

Faux pearls were used for this single strand bracelet

Faux Pearls as a design element in our gift wrappings

Costume Jewelry

Elegance and Sophistication

Faux Pearls in Costume Jewelry

Faux Pearls Wedding Headband

Faux Pearl Wedding Headband

Koi Visions

Love for accessories has inspired me to take up designing as a new career. Creating beautiful things from scratch, with my own hands, has always been a passion and accessory making has become the main outlet for my creativity. Nothing makes my soul feel right than waking up, knowing that its a new day to make new designs. Last year, I promised myself to make my very own embellished necklace. I came out with Koi Visions using bead embroidery. I then added rough cut stones, since I'm attracted to asymmetrical pieces.

Koi Visions by PJ Valenciano

The process of making this piece is pretty much the same as our other embellished pieces. I started by sketching the Koi, or the main design, on black felt cloth. The key to every piece is a combination of choosing the right colors with the proper usage of materials. The most important facet of all though; knowing how to maximize these elements can make all the difference. 

I based piece's color on what goes with my wardrobe, from casual to formal. I wanted a piece that stands out, but at the same time, I tried to avoid committing the mistake of making something which I wouldn't be able to pair with basic casual outfits. Choosing the rough edged stones gave the piece balance making it easy for me to pair it with my general outfits. It has always been my vision to create accessories that, not only makes a statement wearable art piece, but are pieces worth keeping and collecting, and proactively takes a step in changing the "throw-and-buy" attitude of shoppers.

Starting with a sketch

Bead Embroidery

Koi Visions by PJ Valenciano

The Lotus Necklace

No Mud, No Lotus

"The lotus flower represents one symbol of fortune in Buddhism. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower’s first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment."

http://buddhists.org/buddhist-symbols/the-meaning-of-the-lotus-flower-in-buddhism/

Palamuti specializes in customization, and one of our latest custom made pieces was commissioned by Dr. Barza. Upon seeing our Bella rose necklace she asked us to make her one, but instead of a rose, she wanted a lotus inspired neck piece wherein we used our core technique: bead embroidery. Every time we make a customized piece, we think of the wearer; for every piece has a story to tell intertwined with her own.  In addition, our clients get to name their custom made pieces.

Lotus

Close up of the Lotus

Preview of our Black Lotus which is part of the UTOPIA Collection

 

Beading Clothes

The core technique used in making our accessories is bead embroidery. Some of our clients kindly asked us to do some on their clothes. The first project that we worked on was for a wedding, wherein we stitched beads on the flower girls' gowns. It was followed by a restyled blazer, coupled with this white blouse. 

You can breathe life into old or boring clothes just by adding some beadwork. You don't have to invest in  buying new beads, as you can reuse parts from old accessories. You can apply lace appliques, to add drama and flair to your clothes.

Restyled Blazer

Restyled Blouse

Close up of Restyled Blouse

Celebrating International Women's Month

We were given an opportunity to celebrate International Women's Month's with East Avenue Medical Center, with an exhibit organized by the hospital's Public Health Unit Team. The exhibit ran from March 20, 2013 until March 22, 2013, which featured some of our products and the designs made by some of our beaders: Tes, Novie, Kriz, and Pearlie. Here are some of the photos from the event. Feel free to check more photos on our Facebook fan page!

Palamuti's new signage

Exhibit area at EAMC's Main Lobby

Our beaders and their work

Meet our in house beaders

Prior to the exhibit, we had a short workshop on making accessories

Accessories on bottles

How to make Kanzashi

Novie assisting some of the participants in making their own Kanzashi flower

Everybody had fun and looked forward to more workshops

All of the participants took home their own Kanzashi flower accessory