Savanna's Ring - Process Photos

Another commissioned piece I finished couple of days ago.  The red to red-brown iron oxide crystals in this lepidocrocite seem to have suspended in quartz, frozen in time.  Due to the faceted top, a simple straight silver bezel is used to capture the stone.

Lepidocrocite Ring

From left to right, top to bottom:
1.  Here are all the materials I used - recycled sterling silver sheet, and rectangular wire for the band, recycled fine silver for the bezel, and the lepidocrocite.
2.  I made the bezel and soldered it to the flat sheet to create a cup for the stone, and I soldered the rectangular wire for the ring band.
3.  The parts are prepolished.
4.  The ring setting is now soldered onto the band. 
5.  A look at the back where I signed the piece and stamp the metal fineness.
6.  I blackened parts of the ring with an oxidizer.
7.  Some of the darkened areas are brushed away, and the brushing created the final texture
8.  The inside face of the band is polished to a high shine.
9.  I set the stone and pushed the bezel down so it will hug the stone.

And here's the finished ring.  Ta Da!!!

Savanna's Lepidocrocite Ring

Savanna's Pendant - Process Photos

This is a commissioned piece for Savanna.  I visited her in downtown San Francisco on the same day that Vice President Joe Biden decided to come join our party.  Well he was in town for a fundraiser lunch, which of course caused major traffic jams and detours.

Savanna chose this picture type jasper where it looks like someone painted some red blooms across a gray canvas.  So pretty and definitely unique.  With the long rectangular shape of the stone, we decided to reiterate that shape with rectangles and squares.  Placing the toggle clasp in the front not only reflects the organic shape of the brick red inclusions, but also makes it more convenient to wear.  I promised Savanna I will take progress pictures so she can see the step by step process.  Below the photos are some general, less technical descriptions:

From top to bottom and left to right:
1.   raw materials - recycled sterling sheet, recycled fine silver bezel wire, and the jasper cab
2.   measuring and fitting the bezel wire for the stone and solder the ends together
3.   solder the bezel onto a piece of the sterling backing that I cut from the big sheet
4.   I then sawed out part of the back because I want to have the back of the cab showing
5.   here it is, back is cut
6.   I have to keep checking to make sure the stone still fits
7.   and this is how the stone looks from the back
8.   I file the sawn edges smooth - first the inside rectangle on the backing
9.   then I use a larger file for the outside edges
10. cut the decorative square holes
11. drill a hole for a jump ring to later attach the ring part of the toggle clasp, and sand the metal smooth
12. looking from the back
13. toggle and chain attached, patina applied
14. signed the piece and quality stamped it with "STER"
15. all ready to set the stone and pushing the bezel against it
16. voila - finished

Here's a closer look at the finished pendant:

Front 

Back

I will be making her ring next.  She chose a lepidocrocite quartz with faceted top.  Come back in a few days and I will post those process pictures as well.  :)

FAM 1/12 - Candy Colored Rings

A new design challenge on flickr - Four A Month, or FAM in short.  We come up with 4 related designs each month.  This will push us to think in terms of series or sets, or even beginning pieces of a full blown collection for future explorations.  By the end of each month, we post our work on flickr to share with others.  Here's the link to check out what everyone else makes.

Wide Band Candy Colored Rings - available in my Etsy store

For January, I came up with some rings.  I was just dying to try to make some wide band rings, and I managed to find some delicious candy colored stones for them.  The stones I used are (from top to bottom, left to right) blue chalcedony, lapis lazulli, amazonite, larimar, rainbow moonstone, chrysoprase, and tangerine orange chalcedony.  What do you think?  I already got a custom order to make a round amazonite ring (center) at a size 7.  YAY!

Forging Communities, a MAGSF Symposium

Just a quick shout-out about this very exciting event.  If you are a local artist in San Francisco, it is a must!  Here is the schedule (starting as early as next Thursday, November 20, 2011) and description:

Remembering MAG

Lireille Gallery, Oakland

October 20 – November 13, 2011

Opening Reception Oct 20, 5:30-8:30pm

Live music by Brandon Mei

3980 Piedmont, Oakland CA 94611

www.lireille.com

Remembering MAG is an invitational exhibition in celebration of the guild’s 60th anniversary and coincides with MAG’s November 12th symposium, Forging Communities, at the Oakland Museum. Selections from the MAG Permanent Collection will be shown alongside work from founding members Tex Gieling, merry renk, and Florence Resnikoff. The exhibition will also showcase past MAG Presidents work from the era they were president as well as a piece that represents their current aesthetic. Historical documents and photos 
tracing MAG’s early years will be part of the exhibit.

Conspicuous

California artists in collaboration with Anzfer Farms

Monday Spaces, San Francisco

November 10-21, 2011

Opening Reception Nov 10, 6-9pm

2441 Balboa St @ 26th Ave, SF CA 94121

www.mondayspaces.com

Conspicuous, hosted by Monday Spaces in collaboration with MAG, is an intimate exhibition that speaks to jewelry and how we can put it on view in our personal settings. Conspicuous is a collaborative exhibition with Anzfer Farms who respond to the featured jewelry by creating interactive, custom displays for showcasing the work in a personal setting. Their interest is in exploring these objects as a visual experience and the role played when they are taken out of a functional context.

MOveMENT 

California artists embracing the movements that define the Bay Area

724 Studios, San Francisco
November 4-19, 2011
Opening Reception and 11-11-11 Celebration Nov 11, 6-10pm
Live music by Ramshackle Romeos and DJ Nicky
724 Valencia St @ 18th St, SF CA 94110

The Bay Area has been defined by the many movements that have come through it, and often sets the stage for the rest of the country to follow. California metalsmiths respond to the theme of MOveMENT in this juried exhibition. Jurors Julie Muniz (Curator of Decorative Arts, Oakland Museum), and Harriete Estel Berman (artist, creator of The Professional Guidelines).

 

11-11-11 Celebration
Nov 11, 6-10pm
FREE
An Artist Reception for MOveMENT as well as a Pre-Symposium Party , the evening will kick off with live music from Ramshackle Romeos and hors d’oeuvres and drinks made by mixologist Scott Beattie from SpoonBar (Healdsburg). MOveMENT jurors Julie Muniz and Harriete Estel Berman will be present to discuss their selections for the show. MAG will recognize a dedicated, long-term member with a special award for their commitment to the field of jewelry and metals and the Metal Arts Guild. Party kicks into full gear with dance tunes by DJ Nicky  in 70s power pop/glam and 80s punk/pop/garage rock. Local food cart vendors will be selling their bites well into the evening. An event not to be missed!

Plus see work by Forging Communities presenters:

Lola Brooks and Andy Cooperman

and work by Amy Tavern: This is How I Remember it

Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco
November 2-30
Opening reception for symposium artists Lola Brooks and Andy Cooperman, Nov 12, 7-9pm
Opening reception  for Amy Tavern, Nov 4, 6-8pm
2015 Polk St, SF CA 94019
www.velvetdavinci.com 

New Jasper Pendants

Been neglecting this little blog of mine lately.  Now that summer months are almost gone, I'm getting back into the show circuits.  Here are a couple of pendants using some new materials I got recently.  I was immediately captivated by their vibrant yellow and orange striations.  This jasper came from Indonesia.  Aren't they cool?

Right:  Large Oval Jasper Pendant
Left:  X-Large Long Oval Jasper Pendant

The large one (left) is huge, about 2-5/8 inches long.  The shorter one is about 2 inches long.  Both are set in heavy gauge recycled sterling silver for a strong sturdy frame.

RAW 52/31 - Black Tourmaline in Quartz

Here's a ring where I used a quartz that has black tourmaline inclusions.    According to Wikipedia, Tourmaline is a crystal boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. You can see the roughly triangular outline of the elongated crystal structure.

Tourmaline in Quartz Ring