After extensive cartography research, and several virtual trips around the world, I’ve created a Latitude & Longitude Necklace Series for Chain of Being depicting land, water, and cities along selected Latitudes of the globe. This series of necklaces and bracelets forms a wearable map, with each bead measuring roughly 50 miles / 80.5 kilometers.

Latitude 45 North Necklace - Distance measured in Beads

Each string of beads shows a “slice” of the world,
crossing through a diverse selection of terrain and civilizations.

Distances are roughly proportional,
with each bead representing approximately 50 miles / 80.5 kilometers
of Great Circle distance.

Water, Land, and Cities are marked on the necklace,
creating a wearable map:
a bare-bones geolocation device built with stone-age technology.*

Northern Hemisphere Necklace Series - Distance measured in Beads - Latitudes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 North

Water is represented by shiny deep blue glass beads.

Land is a combination of frosted green glass,
in spring green and evergreen shades,
with natural stone beads marking the mountains
and changes in elevation.

Cities are marked with shiny dichroic glass beads:
this necklace includes densely-populated cities
on or near each Latitude.

A magnetic clasp snaps the necklace together at Longitude 180,
the International Date Line over the Pacific Ocean.

*Not for use in actual Land or Sea Navigation.

This necklace series was extremely fun to research: so easy to wander off and get lost in the details of maps, terrain, civilizations, and geographical information. Super thanks to Moses Wolfenstein, Ph.D. for advice & brainstorming on this project!