In the continuing brooch saga there have been a couple of heartbreaks recently...
Brooch # 8, is a very lovely piece of malachite/chrysocola with a wonderful undulating surface. Paired with a very pretty south sea pearl and fabricated in sterling and 14kt gold...
love that movement!
took the time to pierce the back...
measures just over 2"
This week's brooch, brooch # 9, I've been working on all weekend, about 15 hours worth.
It features a piece of Sonoran dendritic rhyolite with a little amethyst up top and a baroque pearl drop. The metal is sterling, 14kt and 18kt gold.
I designed a little converter that slips onto the pin stem and allows it to be worn as a pendant.
pretty cool!
So the heartbreak in the story is the fact that both stones developed a crack after they were finished, or at least I only noticed them after they were finished...
I spent a little bit of time wallowing in self pity, took a walk and listened to my husband remind me that 99 out of 100 pieces end up unbroken! Maybe I don't have to go find a job at the local grocery store bagging canned goods.
Well, the first brooch had a very happy ending. I offered it in my etsy shop at a reduced price an it went to a very good customer who will love it and wear it.
I haven't decided what will become of brooch # 9. It could go as a second, the crack is hairline, but I don't want to be offering seconds in my shop on a regular basis, I mean, how would that look? She can't be trusted not to break her own jewelry??
I could use it as some kind of prize for a drawing to get more facebook likes, or what?? What should I do with it? All suggestions would be appreciated, and considered with proper gravity...
they are both so beautiful, crack or no crack. I think 'perfection' is a strange standard, but then again, I make very imperfect scrappy hares and I relish unique imperfections so to me I would be highlighting this as a feature. It depends on how comfortable you would be with it Betsy. Your work is always so beautiful, but in that 'perfection' I see alot of scope for such uniqueness to shine thru. Who says stones must not be chipped or cracked or uneven or rough in spots? Sorry, I'm not much help with your quest am I? perhaps you could experiment and add some metal on it somehow to highlight this new feature? a rivulet of gold running thru? .......
ReplyDeleteAnnette, I like the way you think! Fortunately both brooches have since gone to people who will love them! A rivulet of gold though... that is very intriguing!
ReplyDeleteso glad they have both found loving homes :)
ReplyDelete