Pearl choker, 'River of Beauty'

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers. River pearls bring their colorful allure to this luminous design by Sandra and Lily. The gem possesses both water and lunar elements. Joined with ornate beads of alpaca, an alloy comprised primarily of copper and zinc, they form a necklace of exceptional beauty. Artisan Info: Sandra and Lily Indacochea are a mother and daughter team. Joined not only by family ties in common, they share a passion for art. They are both self-taught. It all began as a game, when Sandra's little boy (Lily's grandson) was sent to fine psychomotor therapy. They both became immersed in the manual training until they realized that it had become more than a game they shared with the little boy. They realized that if they let their imagination run wild and allow their talents an expression, they could create original works of art. Sandra and Lily also recognized that in the process of creation they found peace and satisfaction. Lily recalls that when she was a child she developed an unexplainable fascination for all kinds of stones. One day, when she was playing with other kids in her parents' ranch in the Nazca valley she cut herself with an arrow. She kept the piece in her hand and treasured it for life, not knowing the stone's true name obsidian. Now, many of her designs mainly feature obsidian. Lily loves to transform gemstones by giving them life through her designs. Sandra always