Robert Ebendorf is a master jewelry maker in America today. His work is famed for his imaginative combining of disparate materials. In this neckpiece, Ebendorf marries gold, silver, ebony, and amber in a colorful display. There is a boldness to this neckpiece that is typical of Ebendorf's aesthetic. At the same time, the piece is light-years from the tradition of fine jewelry making that uses sumptuous gemstones and precious metals for glittering effect and enhancement of social status. Ebendorf's work is the antithesis of ostentation and conspicuous consumption.