First 2 pieces of 2010 [view desc]

This is a just quick snap pic of the first two pieces I've made this year; the ring on New Years Day, and the pendant on the 2nd and 3rd. Both are just for stock.

The ring is 18k white, hand-fabricated with about 24 gold solderings, and set with a 4.56 ct rhodolite garnet.

The pendant is mainly 18k white with yellow and rose shot, or granules. The smaller rose gold granules are about 1/3 mm diameter. They're a bit of a cow/fun to solder to the yellow shot, which in turn are a bit less of a cow/fun to solder to the white shot. There are 61 gold solderings in the fabrication of the piece, so it took me two days to do, but that's also largely because, as those of you who know where I work realise, I run an open studio in Salamanca Place, so am constantly stopping to serve, etc, while I work - and Hobart is full on at this time of the year.

All these tiny towers of shot are arranged radially to the centre of the stone, adding to the sense of vertigo to the stones culet, when you look at it face-on. The stone is a 14 ct topaz, radiant cut to a point instead of a keel, so you just fall into it visually.

My daughter, Bronte, cut the stones. I started teaching her faceting a couple of months ago, because she's had a baby and needs to work a bit from home while she's out of the paid workforce. She's a psychologist.

Well, I wish all Caboodlers Health and Happiness - all else is a bonus.

Let's all apply ourselves to our max potential: we're a long time dead...

Cheers,

Phill.