Lesley McIver is a glass artist living and working in the Nelson region of New Zealand. She makes lamp-worked glass beads from Italian Murano glass which she turns into stunning pieces of jewellery. Only the finest quality materials are used to augment her glass and may include Swarovski crystal, sterling silver New Zealand Paua and pearls.
Lesley’s work is influenced by nature and the people she designs it for, and each piece is always designed with the wearer in mind. All aspects of this relationship are explored, from the practical aspects of comfort and usability to fashion and even colour therapy. Her work is all of the highest quality – all the glass beads are kiln annealed and extremely strong, and components are chosen carefully to ensure a lifetime (or many lifetimes) of joy.
HAND MADE GLASS JEWELLERY
EACH PIECE OF JEWELLERY IS AN ORIGINAL WORK
Dotty About Beads
Yup - just plain crazy! From faintly formal to flippin' funky...
Hearts and Flowers Beads
By now you will know how much I love these shapes! For every romantic...enjoy!
Calla Lilly Beads
Round beads with eight lily "flowers" in the glass. The centre of each flower is a trapped bubble of air which gives reflection right back into the centre of the bead. These beads make a lovely piece of jewellery, or are equally lovely hung in a window.
The Roses
I have been a gardener since I was a child, so it seems logical that the flowers I love in the garden come alive in the glass. My "Roses" are a simple swirl of glass - sometimes in a single colour, and sometimes in many colours. The necklace roses are threaded hanging down with Swarovski crystal beads in their "throats" and "stems", a small sterling silver bead between, and finish in a single hanging flower at the centre. A very elegant and flattering style on any one, it can even be worn in your hair for special occasions.
Chakra Meditation Beads
Chakra Meditation and Worry Beads These beads are known by different names throughout the world – komboloi in Greece, mala by the Hindu Buddhists, masbaha by the Muslims (which means “I recite”), tasbih in Islam, komposkini by the Greek Orthodox church and the rosary in the Roman Catholic Church. Or just worry beads… These beads are made to represent the chakras, or seven healing or power centres of the human body – each chakra is represented by a colour, and it is said that having these colours around us keeps the body in balance. They can be used for meditation, too, and will help you to stay focused.
The Spice Beads
Spice BEADS, not girls...silly! These cube beads have lovely 'raku' spots - they look like they've been rolled in spice or little stones. The cube 'drop' style is very flattering and the flat cubes feel lovely and smooth to wear.
Lace Beads
This was the only word I could find to describe this pretty design. Subtle, elegant, feminine...it's all of those, but somehow it just feels like one of those designs I would have embroidered a few years ago!
Flow Beads
Flow beads are made with the flow of the molten glass. Built up in layers, the glass doesn't mix in the same way that paint does, so the different colours colours of glass flow as and where they will. The flow of the glass is so like water, which was my inspiration. All of my bead backing boards are made of New Zealand Rimu and measure 60mm x 100mm. The beads are finished with Swarovski crystal and sterling silver and are hung on organza ribbon.
Lazy Daisy Beads
Jazz up your day!
River Stones Beads
We spent a lot of time swimming in the river over summer - those long hot lazy days when the crickets are deafening! When I looked down through the water to the stones on the river bed, the multi-coloured stones just looked like a mass of beads.
Chakra Lotus Flowers
Like little lotus flowers, these beads are made up of five layers of glass to create interlocking "petals". The colour mixes are gentle and can help the chakras that the colours represent.
Doris Daze
I just love the fun and retro style of these beads. They just remind me of an old Doris Day movie! I've made them in lots of colours, so "click on the collection" to see them all.
Ocean Watercolours
A subtle blend of many colours of glass, these beads reflect what I saw when looking into the sea. Greens, blues and purples combine to make a very wearable piece. Small sterling silver beads link the glass with New Zealand Paua shell nuggets.
The Samplers
This collection is based on the old embroidered samplers that would be made to practice all of the different stitches. So I have taken a maximum of four colours of glass and just made beads with whatever techniques come to me at the time. The result is a softly textured piece giving loads of interest and subtle variations in colour.
Inclusion Beads
These beads have had something added to the glass - it may be another crushed glass, sterling silver wire, a cubic zirconia or some other embelishment.
The Can Can
These beads are named for the movement of the cancan skirts in the dance - the rim of colour appears to "dance" and the colours are such fun!
Swirls
Round beads with a coloured central core, heavily encased in clear glass then “written on” with colour, which is left slightly raised. The beads are spaced with Swarovski Crystals and small spacer beads in the core glass colour.
The effect is light and dainty – the transparent glass and crystals sparkle.
Bullseyes
I should have thought of some more romantic name for these beads, but that’s what they are – Eye beads with a twist!
The set is graduated in size from the five larger focal beads to quite small beads nearer the clasp.
Landscape Beads
These beads are like tiny paintings using only glass – I’m often asked if I’ve painted a glass bead – but, believe me, they are all glass. Built up slowly in layers I’ve come to know what to expect from the fiery glowing glass, and aim to place the glass to make small New Zealand scenes – always coastal, ‘cause that’s how I live. They always have blue skies, too, ‘cause I’m a “Pollyanna”! The centre of these beads begins with dense opaque glass and ends with soft transparent colours on the outer, so they have a feeling of depth and perspective. One of my signature bead styles.
Floral Beads
This is an internationally recognized style of glass lampworking – I’ve built up layers and layers of dots on a central core bead, then picked a cavity which I’ve then filled with transparent glass giving the effect of tiny flowers trapped in the bead. They always remind me of antique china, of which I’m very fond.
Moeraki Stones
These beads should really be called “Moeraki Boulders” as they are inspired by the magnificent and enormous boulders at a small area on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. There it’s as though a giantess has scattered her huge (house size) beads along the beach.
People often find it hard to believe that these are made of glass – they are made using earth coloured glasses that react with one another to make a veined “sandstone” effect. They are beaten and etched, so have a matte finish.
Cubes
These flat cube beads have a coloured core which is heavily encased in transparent glass then little “floating dots” are added to the outside of the bead and melted in.
Flat beads are amazing to wear – you get the full impact of the tactile glass bead – a warm and sensuous surface against the skin! They are really light and easy to wear too.
Spaced with Swarovski Crystals and etched spacer beads.
Paua Shells
The first of these were created in one of those magical alchemical moments in the studio – I had been playing with ivory and a grey/green glass and just for fun I decided to create a few cavities and fill them with transparent glass…and LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! All three glass colours have reacted together to form the look of Paua (rather like North American Blue Abalone, only more complex in colour) shells strewn on a Golden Bay beach. Check out the opalessence – this is a dream come true for me – I have been obsessed with Paua shells for years!
Tiger Beads
A core of two colours of twisted glass is encased in lots of transparent glass in smallish round beads – the effect is rather like an animal print – only I’ve played with the colours. My tigers are pink, purple, green….. Each bead is spaced with a small clear spacer bead and the pieces are finished with tiny Swarovski crystals so the beads appear to flow together.
SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL & STERLING SILVER JEWELLERY
Rainbow Chakra Crystals
A fabulous colour run through the chakras in Swarovski crystal cubes bordered with sterling silver and tiny diamond crystals. As well as holding you in balance, this collection can be worn with anything - anywhere!
Heather
The "Heather" design is made up of Swarovski Crystals in the diamond shape strung together on jewellers wire with large floral sterling silver beads. The clasp is my simple but elegant sterling silver toggle and bar. The overall effect is one of strong colour and sparkle. This is a design that can be worn day or night - for business or evening.
Helen
Named for my dear friend Helen, who helped put this design together to go with her grandmothers Swarovski crystals, the "Helen" collection is a simple and stylish combination of large (8mm) Swarovski Crystal Cubes combined with tiny bicones and curved liquid silver tube beads. This understated and elegant style will take you anywhere.
Available in Crystal AB, Jet (Black), Siam (Red), Light Rose Pink, Peridot (Soft Green, Erinite AB (Soft Greeny Blue) and Sapphire Blue. "Helen necklaces are usually made at 420 mm or 45mm – check the sizing and ask if you need another size.
Rock Candy
I just love that movie “O Brother Where Art Thou”, and there’s a song in there called “The Big Rock Candy Mountain”...a parody of on old Shirley Temple number…anyhow here lies paradise for grown ups with more…shall we say...worldly tastes.
So these come from the Big Rock Candy Mountain – where girls get all their desires fulfilled!
The coloured styles are a soft mixture of three colours and are quite soft and subtle.
Total Swarovski Crystal sparkles finished with a gorgeous crystal button and loop clasp - Delicious!
Denise
This style is named for Denise – a gorgeous woman and dear friend who wears this style. 10mm faceted rounds of Swarovski Crystal spaced with bicones and silver balls finishing in a dropped loop – a very flattering style. This one is a little longer and a more relaxed fit.
Glitz Art Glass 
