Metal and stone working are both ancient arts. While the technology and tools have evolved, the processes and techniques of forming and making useful objects and items of adornment (i.e., jewelry) have changed little in thousands of years. Whether it is iron, aluminum, silver, gold,or any other metal, it is still extracted, heated, melted, alloyed, poured, cast, hammered, bent, welded, soldered, filed, cut, drilled, colored, sanded, polished, inscribed, etc., to create functional, practical objects, as well as objets d'art. Likewise, precious and semi-precious stone still undergo the same processes employed by our ancient ancestors. This is the reason I love and enjoy working with these media - it's primal, visceral, connecting me with the ancient artisans who originally discovered and developed the processes and techniques. This can also be said for woodworking and painting, but metal and stone objects endure, lasting centuries, millennia - giving us windows into the past that the ephemeral nature of wood and paint cannot.
I don't profess to be a master of these arts, just a humble practitioner.
I've included photos of a few of the pieces I've created.
Silver & Lapis Lazuli Pendant
This piece is a pendent made for my sister-in-law to showcase the lovely lapis lazuli cabochon she bought in New Mexico.
Lapis Lazuli & Gold pendant with chain
I made this small tear-drop pendant for my wife - a beautiful lapis lazuli stone banded with a simple 14k gold fitting & gold chain.
Wedding Band Set
This set of simple sterling silver wedding bands for my son and daughter-in-law for their wedding.
Silver and Lapis Lazuli Earrings
These earrings below were made for my wife from lapis lazuli stones she bought when she & her sister were traveling in New Mexico. The stone are similar to the cabochon above.
Mixed-media Earring Set
This lose -swinging earring set is made of three layers using polished ebony, textured sterling silver, and gold-colored brass.
Hammered Sterling Silver Earring Set
I fabricated the earring on the left below for a friend as a companion earring to complete the set for the one on the right, which she had found at a flea market. The set is made of hammer-embossed sterling silver.
Filigree Earring Set
I fabricated a new earring for my friend to replace one she lost of the earring set. The earring is made of sterling silver wire bent, soldered, and hammer-hardened to match the shape and texture of the original earring set. I enjoy the challenge of duplicating a design, which involves determining the appropriate material dimensions, fabrication sequence, and processes the original artist used to make the original set. The photo on left shows the original earring in back with parts for the duplicate earring ready for soldering in foreground. The right photo shows the finished piece alongside the original earring - which one is the original?
Hammered Brass Gong with Redwood Frame
Hammered Brass Gong with Redwood Frame
The following four photos show the hand-hammered brass gong with redwood stand. The gong has a nice sonorous sound with a short sustain. The redwood stand is made with clear redwood with all hand-cut mortise & tenon joints held together four small wooden redwood pegs holding the entire stand together (see bottom photo). The top cross bar is held in place using blind mortise joints that slip over the tenons on the uprights. No glue, screws, nails, or other mechanical fasteners are used in its construction.
