The Design Process.
Sometimes people ask how a piece is made, and I say that a simple ring goes through about 20 processes to reach the finished product! Here are a few images of the stages that I went through to make this chain.
I have a design notebook and whenever a design comes into my head I jot it down. Then I take some time to explore variations on a theme before settling on an idea I want to create. Sometimes I try it out first with card or wax. With this design I found that triangle shapes didn’t work well so I took them out.(fig1)
I made each chain piece out of silver and prepared them for the caster who made some moulds for me so that I could have many chain pieces made. They come back with the spruces on,(fig 2) so my first task is to remove them and file the chain pieces to correct the edges both inside and out.(fig 3).
I work out which pieces will go together and saw open some of chain pieces to connect them and then solder them together. I also solder any jump rings needed to connect the ends to silver chain. I like to solder on a hand made clasp that matches the angular shape of the chain.(fig 4).
The chain pieces are refined by going through stages of filing and then emerying, starting with coarser though to finer until the chamfered edges look sharp and the scratches are removed. (Fig 5). ‘This is followed by three further stages of polishing. (Fig 6). Finally I texture the front of each chain piece using very course sandpaper so that the pieces are textured on one side and have a high shine on the other.
This chain represents the dynamic tension between our inner and outer worlds. In order to create a collection of pieces I look at different ways I can use the chain pieces to make other pieces of jewellery.
I’d love suggestions for other topics so please contact me at kwoollett@originalstrands.com. 🙏
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