At last, a finished piece!

Finally, after weeks and weeks of work in progress, I have actually got a finished piece to show. And it is not one of the works in progress I have previously shown you!



I would like to introduce the Serpent Bracelet.



In 2006 while studying I did some snake scale inspired press forming. The pieces were put together in a glo-mesh style configuration. While I loved the look, the overall construction was flimsy. I decided to put my 'snake skin' into the partial box for later use.



The sample has been given new life as often happens. They sit in the 'partials' box waiting for inspiration to strike. The tabs have been removed and each scale is now joined with a jump ring.



The surface of the soldered bracelet has been brushed with a brass brush to give a soft finish. Then the whole piece has been very lightly oxidised, just enough to give the fabulous range of colour you can see pictured.



The Serpent Bracelet is available now in my Etsy store.

Peppermint Crisp - A new work in progress

I had a couple of setbacks this weekend which has resulted in me putting aside the pieces I was currently working on and starting a brand new one. I generally like to have a few pieces on the go, but hopefully I may get to finish something before I start anything else!

The topaz pendant I had planned to work on this weekend will hopefully get back in motion next weekend, after I pick up some more silver. The piece I had planned to use was not quite big enough. Sadly the sqaure cut amethyst that was to go in the knife edge ring met an unfortunate end, I will need to put that one on hold until I order some new stones.

So on to the new piece! This one had a name from the moment I started, inspired by the gorgeous octagon cut 1 carat green tourmaline I am using.



It reminds me of those crispy mint pieces you get in some chocolate bars, mmm chocolate...



This one will be paired with a nice solid sterling silver ring with champhered edges reflecting the cut of the stone.



It will be set in a nice little basket which I am yet to make.

Hello Bella Moon!

Today I have dropped off a number of pieces, including many of my one of a kind works at a gorgeous new store in Brunswick.

Bella Moon
Shop 2, 341 Sydney Road
Brunswick, Victoria, 3056


It was an absolute pleasure spending a couple of hours with Marti this afternoon getting the stock all setup nicely, she has given my work a wonderful position right in the middle of the front window. It was great to see people stop and look!

The shop is beautiful and bright and inviting, everything is presented beautifully. As well as jewellery Bella Moon sells other products like Handbags, scarves and hats. Marti also makes some of the jewellery herself. It's well worth a visit!

Outsourcing

It has been a little while since I showed you the bezel settings I had been working on. Whilst I had the best of intentions the last few weeks ahave been somewhat hectic and I didn't get to spend any time at the bench.

Last weekend we were blessed with some fabulous spring weather, which would have been perfect to get some work done. Instead I pottered around the garden.

I also hit a small roadblock after sketching the design for the topaz pendant. After coming up with a design I was happy with I needed to convert this to a nice symmetrical and geometrically accurate design.... Hmmmm, grade 10 geometry, I don't remember any of it!!!

Luckily I was able to outsource this task to my wonderful hubby. Equipt with a compas and protractor and various other vaguely familiar looking implements he transferred my design to a usable template. And all it cost for his labour was a thankyou kiss!

Taking shape

My mission for this weekend was to make two bezel settings, one for a round blue topaz which will go on a pendant and one for a square amethyst to go on a ring.



I started with the 'easy' round one, first bending up the bezel wire to the approximate diameter of the stone.



Once cut to the approximate size and shape I used my bezel mandrel to get a nice round form.



The bezel was not quite snug enough (you can see a gap at the left of the photo below), so I used my saw to carefully shave off 1-2mm at the join.



Ready to solder I used flambe (a mix of borax, boracic and methylated spirits) which gives the bezel the crusty white appearance and then some flux at the join. These will help keep away fire scale meaning less filing later.



Once soldered and into the pickel I began the square setting. To get nice crisp corners it is necessary to score the inner corner. This is done by first creating a shallow cut with the saw, then using a square needle file to make a 45 degree channel.



All bent into shape and soldered the square bezel was ready to go into the pickel for cleaning.



Back to the round bezel it was time to make the inner sleeve which the stone will sit on. The process is pretty much as per the outer sleeve, once it fit snugly I soldered it in.



The square bezel now clean from being pickeled can now have a light file.



At the moment it is a little tight for the stone to 'drop in', but I will use a burr later to help it in.



The square bezel is going onto a knife edged ring which I made earlier. I filed a groove so the bezel could drop down onto the ring for soldering.



Happy with todays progress, and developing a headache, it was time to call it a day. With any luck I may be able to complete both pieces, we'll see.....

They're back....

Back in June I deactivated Etsy listings for a number of one-of-a-kind items so that I could put them in my cube at in.cube8r. Today I vacated my cube and picked up what was left over.

Some of these items will be destined to go on display in a new store in Brunswick in October (watch this space). So if there is anything that you are really in love with I suggest you grab it now while you can ;)

Some that have returned and are now available on etsy:

black seed pod earrings



trilogy pendant



gooseberry pendant



art deco opal ring

Four seasons in one day...

Perhaps the very first 'wearable' piece of jewellery I made when I was studying is my "Winter Moon" pendant.



The winter moon pendant was hand carved in wax and cast using the lost wax method. Later in 2006 I made a matching ring which was sold at a fund raising auction for our graduate exhibition. My friend Tamara was noticed admiring the ring at the South Melbourne Market, and the wearer told her the story of how she bought it at auction and her name means tree. Tam laughed and said "my friend Erika made it!".

I have kept the winter moon pendant and always receive compliments when I wear it. Earlier this year I decided to build upon this concept making a range of seasonal jewelery based on winter moon.



First cabs off the rank are another winter moon pendant, and spring blossom ring featuring a rubellite blossom. I have purchased a number of tiny leaf shaped garnets for autumn leaves and leaf shaped sapphires for summer leaves. I also have a nice collection of tiny round tourmaline 'blossoms' for a spring pendant.



Sadly I no longer have access to casting equipment, so these will have to be professionally cast. I am hoping to have the first two done in the coming months.