laurieopal

I've just examined 2 bronze pendants that are now cast. One design will be set with a chacapyrite from Russia and the other a miramumba tiger eye from southern Africa. The preliminary patinas look very interesting.

I'm also working on a group of small pendants for Boskone.


This remarkable piece of Fordite was brought to me by Louise Waugh. It took a long time to figure out the best way to design it and I think it worked out dramatically well. It's in sterling and the other stones are yellow and blue sapphires and lapis lazuli. Size is about 3.5".

Fordite is "...also known as Detroit agate or Motor Agate, is old automobile paint which has hardened sufficiently to be cut and polished. It was formed from the buildup of layers of enamel paint slag on tracks and skids on which cars were hand spray-painted (a now automated process), which have been baked numerous times."(Wikipedia) It is often cut into cabochons and this shape and colors are spectacular.

I loved the challenge of designing it.

I just finished an abstract wax for a turquoise and brown Turkish collawood cabochon that also will be set with a few turquoise and cinnamon diamonds.

And a somewhat lacy patterned silver design with a small lovely watermelon tourmaline is cast, and now I need to polish it.

For a necklace with antique Chinese beads among other elements, I've just finished polishing some dark bronze beads (with a little iridescence) with a papyrus pattern. This is the second time I've created this iridescence in bronze so I'm a little more confident of being able to duplicate it.

I'm also finishing a wax for a brilliant stone with big flashes of copper ore that will have a dark bronze setting. It's a large very flamboyant looking design.

I'm workiing very hard getting work ready for Worldcon.

Photo is of a sterling pendant set with fordite and an art deco pink synthetic spinel. These spinels are the only time I have made an exception for synthtics. They came from someones grandfather who had been a jeweler in the 1930's and are very special.


Size is about 2.5 inches.  From the collection of Nancy Cobb.