ART 1040
Wire Project
This sterling silver pendant was inspired by the billiard game "nine-ball", which I try to play often with friends. The idea behind the silver wire design was to evoke the spherical nature of the nine ball. This was accomplished by creating an outer ring that was filled with individually curved sections to create the stripes that surround a planished number 9. At the end, a dapping block was used to give the final 3D, spherical appearance.
Working with wire was challenging as the pendant was a small puzzle with 11 solder joints. I enjoyed soldering and wire bending, and they are techniques that I can develop and practice at home with a small torch set up and common hand tools.
Plate Project
This sterling silver ring was inspired by my fascination with Lapis Lazuli's stunning blue, gold and gray patterns. During a trip to Chile, I saw the stone sold everywhere as jewellery because it is commonly mined there, so it left a lasting impression. This ring was crafted using plate silver for the shank and the gallery, and gallery wire to finish the stone setting. The shank was decorated using a diamond pattern and the rolling mill. The final touch was adding my personal name initials in the inside using stamps.
I enjoyed this project because I felt in full control when shaping the metal. Since silver is relatively soft, using the jewelers frame saw to cut the desired shape is easy, efficient and very precise.
