Sometimes a single bead is so beautiful that it can almost stand on its own. When incorporating it into jewelry, you want to be careful to create a simple backdrop so that the bead can take center stage.

That’s how I felt about this exquisite vintage glass bead, which was made in Czechoslovakia.

It’s a mouthwatering shade of sapphire blue with a pastel flash of aurora borealis that takes my breath away.

The bead is a bold 14mm in size and because it was machine-cut, the faceting is gorgeous.

I decided to make an uncluttered choker style necklace to highlight this vintage bead and used tiny Sapphire AB glass seed beads with Swarovski crystal accents.

Are ya proud of me for resisting the urge to add purple? 😉