Elizabethan-Inspired Necklace

Something that I take great joy in with surprise gifts is soliciting feedback from the intended recipent directly. It makes the reveal so much more entertaining when they realize that at some point I had almost directly asked them for design input without their knowledge. 

I'd procured several different slabs of material as candidates for the central pendant. We knew that we wanted to do a large teardrop shape, and I wanted Ffernfael's take on which gem to use. I figured I would bring them to Roxbury practice so he could see them himself.

However, Ayla was unexpectedly also at practice that night. I was able to disguise my assembly of the settings and chains as "just an A&S idea I'm experimenting with", and I asked her which of the stones she preferred. She instantly zeroed in on the red tiger's eye, and when I asked if she though it "might make a good pendant, possibly in a teardrop shape?" she enthusiastically agreed. 

Ffern and I agreed that it was a lovely choice, indeed. He picked black onyx and carnelian as matching stones and we were off to the next stage of the process.