The brass beads are the reason this piece exists.

They are Tibetan-style inlay beads, made in the Kathmandu Valley — brass formed by hand and set with turquoise and coral in geometric patterns, each one slightly different because each is individually assembled. They have been made this way for generations, and they are the single most recognizable bead in Himalayan jewelry.

Here they are spaced along a long strand of black onyx, with faceted black rectangular beads between them. The black does exactly what it should: it isolates each brass bead so the turquoise and coral read clearly instead of competing.

The length is opera — long enough to pass over the head without a clasp, long enough to double if you prefer a shorter look.

This is the piece that starts a conversation. Someone will ask where the beads came from.