The Jewellery making course continues and we have recently finished the most amazing pendants. I really love this design. The first week we were shown three examples of this square, textured pendant in various sizes. The photograph shows different textures – a leaf and a sort of honeycomb pattern, and a further botanic pattern. It is such a simple and elegant piece with no fiddly findings or holes in the piece. The chain just fits between the layers. I bought enough silver bullion produce one larger and one smaller pendant. Nick chose to make the smaller one for his daughter Charlotte, so I decided to make the larger one for myself.
Before we started on the silver pendants we were supplied with some copper squares to try out different textures before committing to our final design. The textures are created by pressing a firm object into the metal, under pressure.
The rolling mill is a very nice old machine that you feed the metal into, closely aligned with the material you want to create the texture with. It’s a bit like a mangle that we used to squeeze the water out of sheets and items we were washing at home.
I used wire, feathers, leaves, lace, linen, paper clips, netting and fine sandpaper cut into shapes. I was keen to try to achieve something sewing related, getting quite a nice effect with linen and lace. After a while of trying all these different effects both Nick and I went for natural forms – feathers (me) and leaves (him).
The pendant has a front and a back so it is possible to do two different textures. When the pieces come out of the rolling mill they were quite distorted and no longer square. It was necessary to file them down so that they were square and matched. We used a set square to achieve this effect. Then they are curved by bashing them into a mould, silver solder is applied to the four corners of each piece and finally they are heated so that the solder melts and bonds the two pieces of silver together.
The soldering process is quite delicate so our teacher Paul helped ensure we didn’t over do it. Then the pendants go into a barreling machine that polishes it to a high shine. It includes water, soap solution and small steel ball bearings (shot) and other particles to polish the silver. It is possible to use a blackening material to bring out the detail but we liked the shiny silver appearance.
I am loving the course and finding it such fun. I really enjoy working with Nick, Jo and Jeanette. I am keen to do another term to embed my learning and to get to designing my own things. We still have three weeks to go and the cabochon stone set ring awaits.
Jill
Hi I am so glad you are enjoying it
It seems like you have the jewellery bug now.
Nice pictures
Annieloveslinen
Fascinating. I’d love to make a pendant and you’ve explained the process well. There’s so much scope for individuality your pendants look distinctively different.
Demented Fairy
These are gorgeous- I love that feather pattern. Really interesting post, thanks Kate!
Anne
These are beautiful pieces. I enjoyed reading about the process, thanks
Su
They look lovely- it’s so interesting to read about the creation process.
Elle
Lovely pendants you’ve made. You’re so fortunate to have all these learning resources close at hand. What a wonderful city you live in!
Wendy
Beautiful pendants! I love that your husband is taking the class with you too.
Rosemary
beautiful work.
I took jewellry making at night school years ago, so much fun.
Bunny
These are positively wonderful. What a satisfying craft to pursue! I hope you go for the second term just so we can watch the fun!
Brenda
Wow! I ca see how this has captured your imagination. Your feather design is quite lovely.
Vancouver Barbara
Beautiful. Both the feather and the leaf make a wonderful pattern. You say these have two sides. Can you put a pattern on each side and have two pendants for the price of one?
fabrickated
Yes! I stuck with feathers. Mine twists a little when worn so the sides just change themselves. Also the price is low. I think the cost of this item was about £6.
Vancouver Barbara
The copper tests look very interesting too. What will you do with them?
fabrickated
I kept all the copper pieces in the hope of doing something with them. Perhaps for the house? A little box for a tea light? A pendant?
ceci
The contrast of the delicate feather or leaf and the hard solid metal is especially interesting. I wonder if there is a metal button application in here somewhere?
ceci
Kim
How wonderful to be able to wear jewellery that is so special to you because of the thought you put into the design. It’s gorgeous Kate. Enjoy wearing your pendant ?
Joyce Latham
Lovely! Great post