Metal Diamond Pattern Rectangular Through-hole Spacer

The lozenge is the easiest pattern to draw and the hardest to make look well. Four equal sides, one diagonal across and one down, crossing into a field of diamonds; spaced tight it reads as netting, spaced loose as patching. The points of one diamond must meet the next, because half a step out and the pattern is a mess. The density follows the size of the piece: on a small one, three rows fill it. And the corners need to be sharp. Sharp has spirit; rounded, it becomes a grid of squares.

A rectangular spacer gives a strand a place to pause. Round beads strung for a while make a single line; put a square among them and the line stops. A square piece has corners, and the corners must be rounded or they grind the cord. Rounding has a limit: too far and nothing square is left. Do not make the rectangle too flat in proportion, because flat looks like a tablet and hangs badly on a strand. Leave a narrow border round the pattern so that it stays contained.

The depth of the lozenges should be constant. Cut deep and the hearts go black; cut shallow and light flattens them. The better approach leaves the heart flat and raises the edges, so light runs along the ridges and the pattern comes alive. The edges must be straight, since a shake of the hand shows. The hole goes dead centre, because off-centre the bead sits crooked on the strand. And the thickness should not exceed the main beads, or it looks like a brick wedged in among them.

The hole runs through the middle of the long edge, so the bead does not rotate. Chamfer both ends of the channel and the cord bends less sharply. Metal is dense, and one rectangular spacer will pull the weight of a strand downward, so it hangs heavy on the wrist. On a light strand, one is right; on a strand that is already heavy, do not add another. Antiqued, the lozenge hearts go black and the pattern reads clearly; pair the dark finish with dark wood, and the bright with pale beads.

This piece does not pick a subject, and either sex can wear it. With dark wood, the geometry comes out; with vivid stone, it looks hard. Buy by the diameter of your main beads: a small difference does not matter, a large one looks bad. The antiqued finish wears better than the bright, since the shadowed side of a lozenge ought to be dark anyway. It suits old beads, where new ones are too bright to carry the metal’s weight. Cheap bought singly, and it only shows its effect once strung. Buy two at a time, lay them side by side on the counter, and the difference in scale and depth becomes plain.