Raffle Necklace for GGE

I recently received an email from Mandy Van Deven, the Associate Director/Community Organizing Coordinator for Girls for Gender Equity in NYC, asking for items to be included in a raffle for a fundraising event that's coming up in July.



From the website: "Girls for Gender Equity is committed to improving the physical, psychological, social and economic development of girls and women. Through education, organizing, and physical fitness, Girls for Gender Equity encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determined lives."

I did a little research and checked out their website to see what the group is all about: afterschool leadership programs, basketball, soccer, boxing, self defense classes...The list goes on. This is a group dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of young women.


So, I decided to send a piece to be included in the raffle. This is one of my newer necklace designs, incorporating stained glass into jewelry. I soldered the lotus/fuschia-inspired flower pendant with Silvergleem, a lead-free, super-shiny solder composed of tin and silver, added Czech fire-polished Aurora Borealis beads, and finished with a rubber "chain" and sterling silver components.
I made the necklace 17" long, but since it's for a raffle and whoever ends up with it may need a longer length, I added a chain extender to each clasp (there are two). So, the necklace extends to approximately 19".
This is the first necklace that I've incorporated chain extenders into, and I like the outcome. They add a little extra flair while serving to make the piece more versatile. I'll definitely be adding this technique into future necklaces.