Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Diamonds are also very commonplace in the world of jewelry.

That is why opting for jewelry that is one of a kind, like a piece by local designer Margaret Gordon, can sometimes be especially meaningful.

Gordon's atypical collection is on display at the Artisan Connection Gallery, 206 S. Allen St.

"Gordon's jewelry is completely different," said Linda Thiel, who acquires art for the Artisan Connection.

"Her jewelry is hand-woven and very original."

Gordon's collection is described as being "wild, wonderful and deliciously colorful," according to the press release for the display.

"She uses vintage beads and a broad, colorful palette," Thiel said. "Gordon's beaded bracelets, earrings and necklaces are very unique."

Gordon's color palette is one of the most unique things about her collection.

She said she puts random colors into her pieces instead of picking a set color scheme, to make them original.

Gordon is a designer with her own ideas about her form of art.

"Jewelry is changing," Gordon said. "It is no longer just about gold and silver; there is more variety now. Jewelry is intimate and can be very fun. I like to surprise people with my work by playing with color, texture and technique."

Gordon, who has a background in watercolor and pottery, began designing jewelry about 12 years ago.

"I was teaching children how to bead in a Native American school," Gordon said. "Beads seemed like the perfect medium for me to work with the elements of design."

Gordon's work was featured last summer at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Her work has also been featured in several national art shows.

"I do larger, more complex jewelry and sculpture pieces as well," Gordon said. "I love to play with color and be unexpected. My work is very slow and takes time, so I let it evolve as I work on it."

Michelle Vaughn, the manager of the Artisan Connection, said she was pleased with Gordon's work because customers can choose to have the jewelry customized to their taste.

"This collection is very versatile," Vaughn said. "Pieces can be added to bracelets to create necklaces."

The Margaret Gordon collection is on display until Jan. 29 and focuses on many different types of jewelry.