Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Cattails and Dragonfly Necklace

I really want to make jewelry that's unique - not mass produced - something that can't be purchased on sale at a local department store. By practice and trial, I've learned a lot of things about metalwork over the past year. And I'm trying to put what I've learned into practice.

I made this setting a few weeks ago. The stone is prehnite, one of my favorites. The clean green color always reminds me of sun-drenched water from steams and ponds, and I wanted the setting to reflect that feeling.

I surrounded the stone with cattails. But the pendant was missing something. I thought long and hard about it. And then it came to me - a pond always has some water life around it!

I remembered a dragonfly stamp that I had seen and thought it would be perfect. It took a couple of weeks for me to get it, but I finally got it last night and stamped the design onto the pendant.

To complete the pendant, I offset it with some prehnite beads and a handmade toggle clasp, and finished the entire piece by antiquing it. I'm so happy with the results..

Overall, I think it has somewhat of an art deco look to it!

I have a lot of new pieces I've been working on and will be posting about them in my blog this week. Come back and check them out.



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9 Comments:

  1. Anji Gallanos said...
    Gorgeous piece. I love how you placed the toggle in the front.
    MrsMartinez | xoxoMrsMartinez.com said...
    very creative! xoxo
    Teddy Started It said...
    Very pretty piece. I love the asymmetry of the three beads and the toggle.
    Contrariwise said...
    Thanks! I like to add a little asymmetry to necklaces, I think it makes them look different - as does the toggle in the front.

    BTW, this was the first time I ever made a toggle! The only thing I didn't make on this necklace is the actual chain - but I oxidized it and polished it to bring out the detail of the links.
    BaldyLocks said...
    Very beautiful. I love how you incorporated the colour of the stone with the design of the cattails. And it also reminds me of art deco, simply gorgeous!
    ShinyAdornments said...
    gorgeous! I love prehnite and the stamp was the PERFECT accent. :-)
    Contrariwise said...
    Thanks! I just got into stamps and they are addicting - it did take me a bit of practice to get them just right.

    And remember, the necklace was complete BEFORE I stamped the dragonfly on it. Can you imagine how nervous I was! One slip and the entire necklace would have been ruined!
    hopestudios said...
    your work is so creative and always thoughtful. nice piece!
    Marion B. said...
    I love the pendant, since I am a new beginner at silversmithing/metalwork (I don't know the difference in English) I have to learn a lot and following your blog teaches me a lot. But these pendants you show are realy georgious and the kind of work I dream of making sometime. For now I am just watching, reading and learning.

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