From Concept to Soup to Graphite to Metal

20 Jan From Concept to Soup to Graphite to Metal

I found a sweet little stone in my collection.

It had been there for a while. It came to me from another artist years ago. It rested in my gemstone cabinet until the time was right.

I held it in my hands for a while. I “put on my eyeballs” (my magnifying optivisor) and examined it closely. It was a fully polished slice of pietersite with rich blues and browns that mingle throughout. I was struck by the shape of the slice, and the subtle play of light within its rich constitution.

I made a little stone soup in the palm of my hand, holding it with other faceted stones to see which resonated.

Step No. 3 – pick up a pencil

Then I picked up a pencil.

Sometimes I could swear the pencil guides itself. Not because the sketches are the best most wonderful drawings ever created. They’re not. But they are a guideline for me of how to proceed along lines that surprise even me.  I have long known that creativity is a collaboration with a force beyond me. If my work were to be limited to only my ideas, I would have gotten bored a long time ago.

Basic Sketch

So, when the sketch feels complete, I move to the metals. Of course, the 3D making process often presents even more design developments along the basic guideline outlined in the sketch. In the case of this piece, I made the chain much longer than I expected.

SHE Collection

I also changed the plan a bit from setting the topaz in the pendant and earrings in full gold bezels to encircling the sterling silver bezels with thin gold rings.

I fiddled quite a long time with the wrap and rivet for holding the pietersite in place. I had to drill through the stone to create a channel for the rivet. And, normally a single rivet is not recommended since the stone could pivot as if the rivet were an axis. But drilling the stone and aligning three rivets was sure to be such an ordeal that I developed an alternate plan. I built up a metal rail on the inside of the metal band, and then cut a corresponding groove in the surface of the stone. Problem solved.

After that the process of making SHE moved right along. In the end, I like her.

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This set is available in the shop. Learn more.

SHE in Pietersite, London Blue Topaz, Sterling Silver & 14K Gold Accents