02.15.16 Love Tokens

One of the great joys of writing this blog has been learning how many of my friends share my love of and interest in jewelry.  Over lunch late last year my friend Mary Casas and I were comparing jewelry notes, and I asked her if she would be willing to write a guest post (or two) for this year.

Happily - she said yes, and we agreed that the subject of love tokens is perfect for February!  Here's her Valentines gift to me - and you.  Enjoy!

Charming talismans from the past as vibrant and as meaningful today as in the height of their popularity in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s

What is a love token you may ask?  It is an artistically altered coin, typically made of silver ore, which has been smoothed on at least one side and engraved with the name of one’s beloved, or images, or poems.

People were quite sentimental in the Victorian age and love tokens are an enduring testament to those feelings.  According to the Love Token Society website, which is an excellent source of information and images, there are 2 basic requirements for a love token:  First, the engraving must be on a legitimate coin (i.e. a coin of the realm)  In the United States, the liberty seated dime of the late 1800’s is the most common, likely because it was softer and thus easier to engrave than say the nickel, and a more valuable gift than a nickel or the lowly copper cent.  Second, the engraving must be done by hand.  Love tokens are not unique to the U.S.  They were also made in significant quantities in Great Britain, Germany, and Canada.  Smaller quantities were also made in numerous other countries.

I discovered love tokens in the fall of 2014, quite by accident, and have been drawn to them as a collector ever since.  I was looking for a unique gift to mark a special milestone and exciting moment in the life of my daughter, Madeline.  She was 14 at the time and had been cast in the role of Clara in Ballet Austin’s 52nd production of The Nutcracker.  As I searched online for a jewelry memento related to the ballet that I could give to her at the end of the show’s run, the results were exactly as you’d expect.  There were myriad nutcracker charms and even a charm in the image of Clara with outstretched arms holding the nutcracker while gazing at him admiringly, but something told me to keep on looking.

Finally, out of desperation and in an attempt to cast the net wide, I simply typed the word “clara” into the search engine and was amazed by an image that appeared.  It was a delicate and lovely silver coin engraved, Clara, with what looked like an elegant swish underneath the name, which I have since learned is referred to as a “bale.”

The coin had a very thin gold frame that encircled the perimeter of the coin and the effect was lovely: simple and timeless.  I ordered the Canadian love token coin and found the lightest of gold chains for it and took a deep breath.  I was pleased with the one of a kind memento I had discovered.  Since then, I have become a collector of sorts and must admit the thrill of the hunt keeps me coming back for more.  Over the past couple of years, I’ve put together several love token necklaces for family members and friends, all containing the names and/or initials of children, grandchildren, and other loved ones. 

The antique quality of a genuine love token is definitely part of the allure of these charms.  The patina silver acquires over at least a century lends depth and richness to these treasures that captivates the imagination and transports us to another time.  The idea that someone took the time to hand work and engrave a coin to perfection for a loved one over 100 years ago, only makes the gift have more depth of meaning when given today.

Happily, I found myself in the market for another love token engraved Clara, when Madeline learned she was cast as Clara for a second time in 2015.  Somewhat remarkably, I was able to find one with a beautiful inscription of Clara once again.  No two love tokens are identical of course and that is what makes them so beautiful.  The love token I found this year, a U.S. liberty seated dime from 1883, is a bit bolder and more nuanced than the first, just as I found Madeline’s performance to be her second year, so the congruity of this particular find was not lost on me.

As I type this in my kitchen on December 27th, Ballet Austin’s 53rd annual production of The Nutcracker has very recently come to a close and Madeline ducks into the kitchen to get a snack.  She walks over to say hello and sees what I am writing.  She smiles and touches the latest Clara pendant she’s been wearing since receiving it at our celebratory dinner with family at Uchi on 12/23 after the company’s final performance of the season.  With that simple gesture, I know the experience itself and the love token remembrance will both be treasures to her always.

My thanks to Mary for sharing her wonderful story and beautiful photos.

Until next time.

02.08.16 Thunder and Lightning

When I first saw this stone I had two thoughts...first, that I HAD TO have it; and second that it made me think of a Texas thunderstorm.  The shape is a perfect raindrop, and the color really is like the dark gray of a storm with flashes of lightning.

With that in mind, this piece sort of named itself - I called it - "Thunder and Lightning".  I was anxious to get into the studio with the stone and get started...

The benefit of going to open studio one or twice a week - every week - is that doing things over and over makes you better.  Sawing is one of those things.  I don't know anyone who likes to do it - but I am finding it to be one of the most valuable skills in my repertoire...now if only I could break fewer sawblades...

My best sawing effort to date - I was especially pleased with how my lightning bolt and bezel turned out, and at this point I was planning to list this pendant in my Etsy store, then a couple of things happened...we lost David Bowie and Alan Rickman...and somehow I just couldn't let go of this one.

As I continued to work on the pendant (it took three open studio sessions to complete) I thought a lot about both of these great British artists, and the impact they had on the lives of my generation, on that of my children.

Photo credit: Brian Duffy

Not only did David Bowie create amazing art - he made it safe, even cool, to be different.  His personas were gender fluid and ever changing; in his personal life he married a woman of color and was a devoted husband, father and mentor.

Alan Rickman, in his role as Severus Snape, brought the dark heart of the Harry Potter books to life on the screen.  I remember driving carpools full of middle school girls around as they sang "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape...Dumbledoor!" until I thought my ears would fall off.  Rickman gave Snape humanity - and taught us all that you can't judge a book, or a wizard, by it's outward appearance.

Photo credit: Harry Potter Wiki

I guess I could have put the pendant up for sale (so far there's only one piece in my Etsy store), and made my thoughts part of the story I told in the listing - but instead - I'm keeping it as a reminder that not only is there beauty in the things we see when they are finished...but there is value in the process, in being different...and in weathering the storm.













Until next time.

02.01.16 Leap Year

Well, he's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape.
- Guy Clark

Thinking about 2016 being a leap year made this refrain from the Guy Clark song "The Cape" start playing in my head.  This isn't the first time I've started a post with his lyrics - and it probably won't be the last, because he is one of my very favorite songwriters.

...and now I am going to leap into my second year as a blogger and a jewelry maker...it was one year ago this past weekend that I took my first class - and what a year it was!  Can't believe I'm a month into year two!

Since it's February, I'm going to focus on amethyst, this month's birthstone.  There are no February babies in my immediate family, but it's still one of my favorite stones.  The use of amethyst in jewelry dates back to ancient times - it has been found in both Egyptian and Greek artifacts.  It has great color and was once considered to be a "precious" stone, however, when large qualities were found to exist, it was downgraded.  The demotion to "semi-precious" makes it very affordable by comparison to many other colored gems.

It seems appropriate that the first piece of jewelry up for sale in my Etsy store (another "leap" this year) is an amethyst.  It's a large stone, and but I was able to purchase it at a good price - probably because it does have some visible inclusions.  However, it has great color, and seemed perfect for a statement piece.

After putting the heart on the back of my Fordite pendant, I decided that every piece of my jewelry would have a "story" cutout on the back.  I thought about this one for quite a while, and decided that I would call it the "Violet Crown"...a name used to describe the City of Austin since the late 1800s.  Also, because purple has often been used as the color of royalty, it would make a great gift for someone who should be treated like a queen!

I decided from the beginning that I was going to sell this pendant - I can't keep them all, as much as I'd like to - and I'm hoping it will find its way to a happy home some time this month.

I have another pair of emerald cut stones that belonged to my mom - from a pair of her earrings - that I do plan to keep.  I'm playing around with ideas for them right now.  One of the most important take aways from my fabrication classes and time working in the open studio (with an instructor always available) is that I can't just go to the bench and let the stones "speak to me".

Some people can do that - but I am (and have always been) a planner.  I want to make the most out of my studio time (which is expensive), and the best way to do that is to go in with both a design and work plan sketched out in my notebook.  I have a Pinterest board - Inspiration to Fabrication - where I've pinned both ideas and finished pieces.  If you scroll through I suspect you'll see the seeds of some of my work.  I also have a board devoted to amethysts, for those of you who ARE looking for February birthday inspiration.  

Whatever your take on this leap year - make the most of your extra day this month!

Until next time.

01.25.16 Fabrication (part 2)

Honestly, now that I have learned the basics of stone setting, I could spend all my time thinking up new things to make, and working in the studio…but I’m getting ahead of myself.  You will recall that I started thinking about this part of the class months ago – and started looking at cabochons for the two pendants I would make in class.

I had a very clear mental image of how I wanted my Fordite pendant to turn out – and I couldn’t be more pleased with the final result.  It helps that I had really great instruction, and that because of its composition, Fordite turned out to be an excellent material for my first bezel set piece.

Once again -we started with just a couple of pieces of plain silver.  A square of 20 gauge sheet for the backing and bail, and bezel wire. The first steps were to size and shape the bezel and solder it to the silver sheet.  Because I wanted my piece to have a hammered texture, I did that first, before attaching the bezel to the backing.


At the suggestion of my instructor, I added a cut out heart to the back of the bezel - a little something extra.  I really liked this idea because it helps tell the story of each piece of jewelry.

After finishing the opening on the reverse, I cut my bezel backing to the shape I wanted, created a bail and a jump ring, and was ready to solder all my pieces together and polish them.


Setting the stone is the very last thing - so once my setting was clean, shiny and finished on the edges, I put my fordite into the bezel and tightened it to hold the cabochon in.  The result is a beautiful pendant that I am really, really enjoying.

Our final week was also devoted to stone setting - this time with tabs rather than bezels.  A somewhat simpler technique (although I confess I prefer the bezels) - and good for irregular stones, it just what it sounds like - creating tabs that hold a stone in place against a backing.

For this project I chose a triangular labradorite cabochon, and decided to put an Erlenmeyer flask cut out on the back - a nod to my daughter, I'm calling this piece "chem lab".

The first steps included sawing out the reverse opening, and space in the tabs so that they could be folded over the stone.  After getting the backing filed down to the proper size, I realized I hadn't fully thought through how to attach the bail...of course...this is why we have instructors, and Shalena came to my aid.

She helped me bend up the top tab so that I could position and solder on a jump ring, then it was time to think about a bail.  I decided I wanted the bail to follow the open triangle design I had for the tabs, so I formed one using square wire.  The result was a split bail, that looked great on the finished pendant.

I learned SO much in this class - and I am so pleased with how the pieces turned out.  I'm looking forward to spending time in open studio working on my metal skills between now and my next class (probably Fabrication 201 in the spring).

Until next time.

01.18.16 Finally, Fabrication (part 1)

This post (and part 2 - which will follow next week) - are a bit out of order, and probably should have at the beginning of January - but I had other things to write about...so finally...here are my posts about my fabrication classes.

I feel like I made a quantum leap the end of 2015 when I took four weeks of introductory fabrication classes at Creative Side.  While I really enjoyed the wax carving and precious metal clay classes, neither of those spoke to me like metalsmithing. I think I have found my jewelry making calling – at least for a while.

There is something truly fulfilling about taking raw materials, working with them, and seeing them take the shape of a finished piece.  I’ve sewn since I was in grade school, and always loved it when, after a few critical seams were sewn, the oddly shaped pieces of fabric started to look like a garment.  The very same thing is true of working with metal.

We started simple – the first week was spent primarily learning to use the tools of the trade.  Hammers, saws, files, torches and mandrels enabled us to take wire and two plain looking pieces of sheet silver and transform them into rings. 


One of the most important lessons I learned in that first week – and I think a large part of the reason I have taken to metalsmithing – is that you WILL make mistakes, and the metal will forgive you.  You can heat it to soften it (called annealing), hammer to harden it (forging), mangle it and reshape it.  For better or worse, this made me just a little bit fearless!

The second week, we started building on what we had learned before.  Working with a base metal (copper or brass – I chose copper) to make a pierced cuff bracelet.  Our instructor, Shalena, had given us a weekend homework assignment – spend some time coming up with a design – so that we could get to work when we arrived at the studio.

I sat down with my jewelry notebook, a pencil, a ruler and some ideas…and quickly realized why we had been encouraged to sit down and do this at home – it wasn’t so easy.



In doing the design you have to think about so many things – not only what you want to cut away, but how big your design will be, how much metal you need to leave in place – both for structural integrity and so your work doesn’t end up just looking like a big hole.

I wanted to do some type of monogram – but realized all three initials was too ambitious – so I settled on a single letter – “H” – for my last name.  I’m not much for wearing bracelets (they get in my way), but I am still pleased with the end result.

It was during the second half of the class – weeks 3 and 4, when we got to stone setting – that I knew I was hooked.  More about that in the next post.

Until next time.
 

01.11.16 I see a pattern here…

My daughter and her doll
with matching dresses

My mother should have been turning 75 tomorrow.  I say “should have” because when she died at 60 – after a decade long battle with cancer – she wasn’t done living, and we weren’t ready to let go.  I wasn’t sure I’d write about her again this year – since one of my first posts was on her birthday last year – but then I realized that she is still with me (every day) and teaching me things, even in her absence. 

My mom loved to sew – she made gorgeous things – clothing, quilts, table linens…and I have her sewing machines.  I used them a lot when my daughter was young – I made clothes for her – and matching outfits for her dolls.  As my daughter got older, and we got busier – I sewed less – always presuming I would return to it when I had more time…

Instead, I found myself drawn to making jewelry, but over the past few months I have realized how many of the things my mother taught me about sewing have helped me in my fledgling metalsmith work. 

lapis pendant sketch

When you set out to make a garment, there is a specific order for doing things – you choose fabric and a pattern; then you layout the pattern on the fabric and cut; maximizing space and minimizing waste.  Once cut, you mark the pieces so that they align properly and begin assembling them in order.

pendant parts

While working on my first original piece- this lapis pendant – I realized that while the fabrication methods are different, the need for an understanding of the steps is very much the same.  You want to have a clear vision for the design, minimize waste (silver is expensive), and a plan for assembling the parts.

I was sitting at the bench, having sawed out all my pieces and was filing the edges when this realization struck me – and for one split second – it was like Mom was right next to me, just like when she first taught me to sew.

I’ve had moments where I wonder if Mom would be disappointed that I’m not sewing and using her machines – but I don’t think that would be the case.

My mom always pushed me to be my own person, to do things that felt right for me – and not give those things up under pressure from other people.  I think she would be pleased that I am making jewelry – because she was a fan of jewelry, too – and because creating beautiful things makes me happy.  I only wish that she were still here – so that I could create things for her with the same love that she sewed into every stitch for me.

finished pendant
and a pair of Mom's earrings

Until next time.

01.04.16 Changing of the Garnet

Tanzanite pendant
Photo credit: Cecile Raley Designs

Happy New Year – and welcome to the start of Year 2 on the blog!

The end of last year I was so busy writing about opportunities to shop local, that I totally dropped the ball on December birthstones…despite having two children with December birthdays.  I do have a lovely Pinterest board devoted to them – and with apologies to the December babies - I’m going to take a little time to talk about them now, before moving on to January.

According the American Gem Society, December has three birthstones – turquoise, blue zircon and tanzanite.  A broader search on the term “December birthstones” yields an even wider array of blue stones including topaz and lapis lazuli.

Blue zircon pendant
Photo credit: Cecile Raley Designs

Over the years I’ve bought a lot of blue zircon jewelry – for myself (because, as I mentioned I have two kiddos with year-end birthdays) and my daughter, who shares my love of jewelry.  Every year since she was a pre-teen, we have given her a piece of blue topaz or zircon jewelry.  Last summer I asked her if she was tired of it – and would like something different this year.  Her response was NO! – she loves getting a new piece of birthstone jewelry every year, so the tradition continues.

The most recent of these gifts came from Yvonne Raley at Cecile Raley Designs.  I am especially fond of her engraved settings, and this pendant is no exception.  Delicate petals encircle one of the brightest zircons I’ve ever run across, and made a perfect 20th birthday gift!

Garnets.
Photo credit: American Gem Society

Unlike the plethora of options available for December, January has but one stone – the garnet - but it does come in a rainbow of colors.  There are also "color change" garnets.  Stones that exhibit color change are also called "phenomenal gems" and have been highly prized since antiquity.





Because my non-December child has a birthday in June, I've long known about alexandrite, and it's color change properties...but that garnets can also show color change was news to me.

Color change garnet - showing purple
Photo credit: Cecile Raley Designs.

Once again, Yvonne was my information source.  She posted a beautiful color change garnet in her shop, at a fraction of the price for a comparable alexandrite.  She had also just introduced a new pear shaped setting - so it seemed like perfect time for me to add a new piece of her jewelry to my growing collection.

The result is the gorgeous pendant you see below - with the same garnet, but showing more blue than red.

Garnet pendant
Photo credit: Cecile Raley Designs

Gem Select provides an excellent explanation of why certain stones show these effects: color change gems have two, approximately equal-sized transmission windows. A red gemstone appears red because it absorbs all frequencies of light except for red. A gemstone that absorbs all frequencies except for blue and red light will appear blue when the light is rich in blue wavelengths (e.g., fluorescent light) and red when the light is rich in red wavelengths (e.g., incandescent lighting).

While this one is mine, Yvonne does still have some beautiful color change stones in her store, and I have another Pinterest board devoted to garnets, with lots of inspiration for January gifts.

With that, dear readers, I am off - but I'm so glad you are back with me for 2016, and hope that your year is off to a sparking start.

Until next time.