First of all... amazing work. That is lovely and I'm envious of your talent. :)

I don't know what your friend would prefer but I like the version of it with the cord running through the rings. I think it drapes well and it's more "Steve" to me than with the beads. Also, I noticed that I look at the beads instead of the pattern of the shield. They might pair better with the chain mail if they were of a similar material so they kind of blended into the metal.