|
My hand fabricated
crocheted chains can be
worn by themselves, with
pendants, and as
bracelets to create a
strong, wearable piece
of art. The chains are
crocheted using a single
fine-gauge precious
metal wire and using a
straight long needle.
The process is very slow
and tedious and requires
several steps to obtain
the finished chain.
This type of chain
cannot be duplicated
using machines as in
most chain making. I
hand make them out of
14K yellow gold, or .999
pure silver.
|
Mokume Gane is an ancient Japanese technique of
metalsmithing dating back to the 17th century. The
technique was used for making samurai sword handles and
sheaths. Mokume Gane (moku=wood, me=eye, gane=metal)
is known as a wood grain metal.
Different metal
combinations are alternately layered and fused (not
soldered) together. These layers are then twisted
and forged to create unique, one of a kind patterns in
the metal.
You can find beads, rings and pendants I have made
using the uniquely patterned Mokume Gane.
|
Precision and patience go hand in hand when
fabricating hollow beads. Utilizing age-old techniques,
I completely hand fabricate the hollow beads. What
starts out as an ingot – formed from molten metal – goes
through a variety of stages and processes that use the
rolling mill, saws and files, hammers for smithing,
dappers for shaping, and numerous finishing and
polishing compounds.
When it is completed, the bead is a one-of-a-kind piece
of jewelry ready to be worn or added to other components to
make a more complex piece of jewelry. Shapes,
sizes, metal combinations and textures are limited only
by creativity, patience, and precision that I apply
to each piece.
|
,%20Pnk%20diam%20(.25),%20wht%20diam%20(.18)%20(1).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
