Tag: Variscite

New Pendants and a Prototype of a Christian Cross Design Now in My Shop

I add four new pendants to the shop, including some fresh new designs.

I spent most of the week working on projects in my garage, but I did get to spend a few days in my jewelry studio making new pendants for upcoming shows and my online shop.

Ruby In Zoisite
Ruby in Zoisite cabochons on hand stamped and pierced sterling silver. Buy it online.

The first is a variation on a design I’d done in the past for a triangular stone. In this case, I’ve got two Ruby in Zoisite (or ruby-zoisite) stones bezel set into a pierced and stamped sterling silver back plate. I do all the cuts and stamping (and related filing and sanding) by hand, so there’s a lot of work in this one. It came out great (in my opinion) and although it comes with a sterling silver chain (like most of my pendants), I plan on making a beaded necklace for it that combines ruby in zoisite, garnet, and sterling silver. Look for it soon.

Ribbon Variscite
Ribbon Variscite on sterling silver. Buy it online.

Next up is the first of two “ribbon” stones. The first is ribbon variscite, a relatively rare and costly stone that I picked up two years ago at the Tucson gem and mineral show. The variscite appears in a vein like a ribbon it its matrix. I did a simple back plate design for this one that has evenly spaced cuts around the bezel setting.

Bio Chrysoprase
Bio Chrysoprase on sterling silver. Buy it online.

The other ribbon stone is bio chrysoprase, a rare form of quartz with a great green color in a line through the stone’s matrix. It’s an almond shaped stone and I used a design similar to one I’ve done before, framing the stone in a hand-textured sterling silver structure and setting it with prongs. This design is a lot of work — there are 10 individual solders! — but I think it’s so worth it.

Copper Cross
Copper cross with Kingman turquoise cabochon. Buy it online.

And finally, something completely different for me — by request: a Christian cross. I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to make this piece and decided to try a prototype in copper before I dive into silver. The design requires thick sheet metal — 18 gauge — which, in silver, can be quite costly. So I experimented with copper to get the right shape, stamping design, and cabochon positioning. I think it came out nice and I will be making more of these in sterling silver over the weeks to come. Until then, if you like copper, you can get this one at a very reasonable price.

I’ll be at Leavenworth art in the park for two consecutive weekends starting on August 24, so if these pieces don’t sell from my online shop, you can find them there — along with any other new pieces I create over the next 10 days.

Segmented Ring Sterling Silver and Copper Pendants

Several riffs on the same basic pendant design.

Ring Onyx Pendant

Ring Turquoise Pendant

Ring Variscite Pendant

Three versions of the same basic design: Sterling Silver ring with Onyx stone, Copper ring with Kingman Turquoise Stones, and Copper ring with variscite stone.

Inspired by a photo in the now defunct Lapidary Journal magazine, I’ve completed three riffs (so far) on a design that combines silver, copper, and small gemstones.

I start by making and texturing a sterling silver or copper ring. Then I hand cut, texture, and solder on sterling silver and copper circle wedges or halves. I add bezel cups for various sizes of small gemstones such as turquoise or onyx, as well as a ring and hand-formed bail. After applying patina and polishing, I set the stones and the piece is done.

I like making these because they’re all subtly different and the combinations of shapes, textures, metals, and stones is limitless. They range in size from a diameter of 1.7 to 1.8 inches with another half inch at the top for the bail.

I’ll be making custom beaded necklaces for each pendant — provided I have the coordinating beads — that will be available separately. (You can see the one I made for the piece with the onyx stone in the first photo.) The pendants will come with an 18″ sterling silver chain if you prefer not to buy the beaded necklace.

What do you think? Care to sketch up a variation that you’d like to see and wear? I’d love to make your designs a reality and this is a great piece to make variations of.