The World Trade Center is an unpretentious building in Dallas that houses the world's largest wholesale merchandise mart. On the seven floor expect to see the walls dripping with stones, women swiftly threading thousands of tiny pearls into hundreds of necklaces and the hushed words among the vendors spoken in foreign languages. Over the years i've fallen into the habit of asking Annie (a close friend and vendor) to show me her most unusual pieces. It may sound funny but when i'm talking to Annie I feel like a little girl looking at all of her grandmother's treasures, I especially love the pieces that have a story behind them. She has shown me buttons from emperor's coats (which I made into charms in the past) and ornate antique silver bells mother's used to tie to their children's feet so they could hear them running through the house (great pendants). I once asked her about a strand of bronze (pictured above) and she explained that each piece has been re-molded from African antique bronze and then handcarved into a the intricate beads they are today. I decided to make them into a necklace with leather, cream jade and touches of gold. I love how these little additions create a defiant juxtaposition of practicality and adventure.
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