Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Sterling silver ring with malachite

Sterling silver, malachite. I made this during the course of my last four silversmithing lessons. The soldering took me a long while, this was a stubborn one! The design was etched in acid - a very interesting process.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Dragon skin


Dragon skin
Originally uploaded by Isabeau_bijoux
When I got the amazing green dragonskin jasper pendant, I knew I had to make something to emphasize the connection to dragons. I wanted to work on it for the longest time, but stalled, since it was so much effort, lol! :)
The necklace is made of black agate and onyx stone beads, interspersed with sterling silver Bali beads. Peridot chips are woven with glass and seed beads to imitate dragon scales. The necklace is finished with a sterling silver toggle clasp.

Monday, March 3, 2008

"Sedna" bracelet


"Sedna" bracelet
Originally uploaded by Isabeau_bijoux
It was really hard for me to think of a name for this one, but I finally settled for "Sedna", since I wanted something dark-ominous-sea-goddessy-like. :))) Anyway, in Inuit mythology, Sedna is the sea goddess of the marine animals, especially mammals such as seals. She lives in and rules over Adlivun, the Inuit underworld. The legends that speak of her all give different versions of her fate, but all agree that she descended into the depths of the ocean and became the Goddess of Sea Creatures. As such, she became a vital deity, worshipped by hunters who depended on her goodwill to supply food.
The "Sedna" bracelet is made of freshwater peacock pearls and iolites, nested between Abalone shell nuggets, all wrapped with sterling silver wire.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Silversmithing

The lessons are going great. I really like it, though it's rather hard work, very physically demanding for my weak arms and fingers.
This is what I made in my first two lessons. It's a "bombay" style ring, made of 1 mm thick sterling silver sheet and hammered gently on the outside. Size 14 (US 6.5).
Right now I'm working on a silver ring with a stone cabochon and some engraving.
The only downside is that it is a very expesive venture. I will need lots of jeweller's equipment, including a special desk, a burner and various tools, not to mention the raw materials.