Josephine

For the woman who embodies the extraordinary instrument she is — and tunes herself beautifully.

Josephine is named for Josephine Baker — dancer, singer, Resistance spy, civil rights activist, and the most electrifying presence on any stage she ever graced. She performed with a live snake draped across her body like jewelry, made the Folies Bergère her cathedral, and moved through the world as if joy were a physical force. She left us this: “The violinist had his violin, the painter his palette. All I had was myself. I was the instrument I must care for.” That is the whole philosophy. That is this piece.

Every material in this necklace was chosen for what it carries. Gold hematite chevrons were placed together by hand to evoke the shimmy and shimmer of snakeskin — percussive, alive with motion. Silver shimmer obsidian — the ancient truth-teller — mirrors the unflinching honesty at the heart of Baker’s art. Amber lampwork glass pillow beads glow as if lit from within — the warmth and fire of her stage presence made tangible. Rose gold hematite spacers hold the composition together with understated precision.

At the center: a black glass snake pendant with a subtle amber shimmer, found in a box at an estate sale — unremarkable among ordinary things, until the moment it wasn’t. Set into a 24k Art Deco-inspired bail, it became the centerpiece it was always meant to be.

Materials: Silver shimmer obsidian · Amber lampwork glass pillow beads · Rose gold hematite · Black glass snake pendant with amber shimmer (estate-sourced) · 24k Art Deco-inspired bail · Handmade gold hematite chevron chain · 18k gold-plated sterling silver findings

A tribute to a singular age — and the untameable women who made it.