When I was a teen, a friend of mine gave me a gorgeous lacquered rose petal necklace. The color was so rich and beautiful, I absolutely loved it. Over time the petal faded through the thin glaze of lacquer and I have always been on the lookout for a piece that had that stunning rich scarlet hue.

So needless to say I was thrilled to find a similar item on NOVICA, the “Timeless Dancer” Natural Orchid Lariat Necklace. This necklace is absolutely stunning. I’ve never been a huge fan of lariat necklaces (I have no idea why), but in the choice between the lariat option and the pendant option, it was a no-brainer to choose the lariat. It is as if the dangling lariat ends are the stems of the flower.

When the description says “Natural Orchid”, it means just what it says. The artist takes a real Ascocentrum Orchid and hand lacquers it in enamel to highlight the natural beauty of the blossom. And since no two flowers are the same, each piece truly is unique. The back of each blossom is plated in 24 karat yellow gold.

The chain is truly gorgeous as well. It is adjustable to 34.5” long, so it is a statement piece that, at the same time, is incredibly delicate looking. The orchid can be adjusted to any point on the chain, so you are able to position it wherever it looks best. The chain is brass bathed in 24 karat yellow gold and matches the beauty of the orchid. On the whole it truly is a stunning piece.

I really love the story of the artist, Danai Leosawathiphong from Thailand. He studied Business and went to England to pursue his interest in Engineering. That is where he met his wife, Ilkay. She was studying Polymer Science (let’s hear it for women in STEMs!) They moved back to Thailand and planned to work in the engineering side of mining. His partner’s father suggested that they use the lab to create something representative of the area. They decided to cover exotic flowers with copper. After many, many experiments (as tends to happen in engineering), they came up with an entirely novel form of electro-plating flowers to preserve their natural beauty. This is the difference between why my rose petal faded over time but this orchid won’t: the electro-plating is a better preservation technique than a simple clear lacquer.

Danai and his partner provide employment to many in an area that has few job prospects. Admirably, they employ many women who would not otherwise have a job prospect. They strive to be a zero-waste lab, which is impressive when dealing with chemicals. From engineering to stunning jewelry: quite an amazing adventure!

I truly love this necklace and it really is an amazingly stunning piece!

 

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this necklace at a discount in exchange for my unbiased review. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to answer it!