Swift Creek Pipestone and Copper necklace. This piece incorporates a traditional design from the paddles that a group of potters from the mound builders known as the Swift Creek potters used to paddle clay into pots.

Their paddles were wooden paddles that they carved with these designs. They then put the clay over a gourd or rock and paddled it to create a bow or pot which would then have those designs overlapping over the outside of the pot.

I find these designs to be very interesting and thought that they would make wonderful pendants.

For this particular necklace I took a piece of catlinite which is the traditional indian pipestone used for making ceremonial pipes and I carved it with one of the swift creek paddle designs. I then used copper wire to make a setting and chain for the piece that also incorporates the circles and spirals of the piece. I used copper for two reasons.  First it is a metal that was used extensively by the ancient ancestors for their jewelry. They used it because it was a metal that was found in a workable state and it is soft and easy to make into beautiful pieces even with their limited tools. I also chose it for the beautiful warm color and how it matches well with the stone.

Later on in 2010 a tutorial for this necklace was published in Step By Step Wire and I began making these Swift Creek designs on cabs of Native Clay which I dig myself and Porcelain.   Swift Creek Necklace and Chain Tutorial  You can find the cabs to use in this design in the Native Section of the Bead Shop