Comments | metalsmiths: collection

oh_bother in metalsmiths

collection

Mar 30, 2006 15:18

This is a collection of jewelry I've made for my uncle to give to my aunt for all those special occasions.Everything is completely handmade except for a couple of catches on the braclets.
( big photo )

Comments 10

sappho9 March 30 2006, 20:39:36 UTC

That is a very nice collection! Your chain work is very nice.

What is your source for gold. I have noticed how outragious the price has gotten these days.

Ebay oh_bother March 30 2006, 21:47:08 UTC

I buy .999 ounces from ebay.
The last time I bought it was 266$
now I'm running low.
Time to send the sweeps to the refiner I think.
I used pawn shop scrap for years but you never know what's in the alloy and that can lead to problems

Re: Ebay sappho9 March 31 2006, 12:10:05 UTC

I've never been the gambling type but sometimes I wish I was. I sent all of my scrap of to H&S to be rifined last year when prices were in the low $400's. I figured that was as high as it was going to go. My parnter really wanted to buy scrap off Ebay but I was scared I was going to lose my ass. Boy was I wrong!

Again, your work is just marvalous!

kir5454 March 30 2006, 21:23:36 UTC

Wow, lots of great work!

My brain is exploding right now with my hatred for yellow gold(I hate the color).

Color hating oh_bother March 30 2006, 21:58:26 UTC

Thanks but...Have you thought of the rationality of hating a color?
Do you also hate brass, egg yolks, the sun and little baby ducks?

I think what you really mean is that you hate the greed that gold inspires and the loads of disgusting yellow gold crap cranked out to satisfy the insatiable lust for status that motivates all us little monkeys.

Yellow gold is easy to work with and lasts forever. White gold, at least the nickel alloys, is brittle oxidizes badly and is immensely popular. If I had to pick one to hate, I'd hate that.

Re: Color hating adularia March 31 2006, 06:09:30 UTC

I, also, dislike gold jewelry as a rule. I don't think it has anything to do with the greed->gold association... I just prefer white metals, especially with set stones. Gold seems to me so rich and intense that it works better as a highlight than a base tone. But that is just me, and I still think your execution of the pieces is simply brilliant.

(and yes, I DO hate brass. :) But only because one of my first metalwork projects was in 20ga brass sheet, and oh mah lawd I had NO idea what I was getting into... brass is beautiful, it just makes my eyes cross to think about working it)

and duckies! everyone likes duckies.

randomdreams March 31 2006, 02:55:35 UTC

Those are really beautiful. Did you cast or construct the bezels for the triangular stones? Those prongs are fussy and tiny.

Not bought oh_bother March 31 2006, 07:34:49 UTC

"Everything is completely handmade"
It's as simple as makind a triangle and putting .75x1.5mm rectangular wires on the points. I make them bigger then cut them to size.
I have some photos of that somewhere I can post when I return to my home computer.Oh wait I've got it right here...

( ... )

Re: Not bought randomdreams April 1 2006, 05:05:03 UTC

I tend to consider wax carving and casting handmade, but constructing from stock is definitely cooler. That's pretty thorough.

SOME day I'd like to pan enough gold to make some jewelry from truly raw materials, completely virgin stuff.

skeletoncrew March 31 2006, 18:44:02 UTC

Wow, that's quite a collection! Lucky aunt! I especially like the necklace and bracelets. The garnet one is such an elegant usage of knot form. Thank you for sharing photos.