"Can you make me a ring with my Aunties peridot please?"
That was how this gorgeous project started.....
I never thought it would end up with me making exactly the kind of interesting and detailed piece of work,that I really have been wanting to make for a long time.
My client was not local, in fact we still have yet to meet, so after emails back and forth, and a zoom call, I established the shape and style of the peridot was not suited to a ring, which was her original plan.
And the idea of the charm began to emerge.
A briolette shape stone (cut more like a bead, but drilled at the top) is not ideal for a charm, typically being more suitable for earrings or a pendant.
My client does not wear pendants. but does wear a charm bracelet on a regular basis, which represents her love of people and places.
Then we fell into talking about hares, and how much it means to her and her family.
Which naturally lead on to the book 'Guess how much I love you ?' by Sam McBratney.
The book her mother had read to her and her sisteras children.
Could I work in a hare and a moon?
Designs went back and forth over a few months. She would be busy, I would be busy.
Then suddenly, 'Could it please be 2 hares? It would just make it perfect'
And from there the project just flew.
We talked about fields, stars, the night sky, engraving words, different textures and finishes, how could the briolette peridot be worked in?
What made the most sense?
I had a real feel for her hopes & dreams for the piece by this time.
Work got under way rapidly, as these things often do, once, - pardon the pun, once all the stars aligned.....
Swipe to view 5 pictures
These are just a few snapshots of some of the stages of progress. As any maker knows, this is just a glimpse!
She decided against words and engraving. Deciding to let the images speak a thousand words.
Her family will know what it means to her.
The briolette almost became redundant, even though it had been what originally made her reach out to me.
I felt it was important to make it work because of this.
As a charm, it is in danger of damage from getting bashed on things, and this is a risk I have discussed with her, so she is aware.
It meant that attaching it from the bottom, which would have almost been the easiest place to put it- was out of the question. Also would make it too large.
So it hangs rather quirkly from the top, by the bail, around the back to the side, but does not fall around the front naturally.
I have LOVED making this, and hope to do more work of this nature. Its very fulfilling.
So proud of this piece!
As I hope my client will be when she recieves it when it returns from the London Assay office.
Guess How Much I Love You...?
A sterling silver charm, with a dark oxidised night sky, set with stars front and back.
The glowing polished moon, illuminates the wheat fields behind our parent & child hares, made from 9ct gold.
With Aunties briolette peridot casting her love over them all....