Ideal background color

I could use some recommendations.  I am trying to take a picture of a braided leather strand with beads on it.  The beads are not really a problem to photograph, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting the leather color to show up well.

It is somewhat shiny, half black and the other half light blue and dark/medium purple.  The purple is what doesn't want to show up - it wants to be too dark and/or too blue.

Often I shoot these sort of things on a light blue background, but that doesn't seem to work as well for this one.  Can anyone give me a better idea?

This is just for me, documenting some artwork of mine - I am an amateur.  Using a D7000 btw.