There is a lot going on with this set. The pendant is cut from a vintage plate where I isolated two different parts of the design. There is something about the light brown color that is so interesting. The two pendants are soldered together and then bordered with a lead-free solder that has been hand stamped for texture. This is a pretty thick pendant at ~5/16" that still has part of the plate collar visible on the back side lending to its density. The chain is 22" and a combination of an original vintage Lia Sophia 'Cafe Au Lait' 5 strand pearl necklace repurposed specifically for this pattern in the Holiday Collection and a 4 strand stainless chain leading up to a lobster claw clasp. The earrings are a 3 1/2" dangle with matching 4 strands of chain each with a small pearl of their own. Earrings are wire hooks.
The process of creating a piece of jewelry from vintage or antique dishware starts with a plate, cup, saucer, bowl, etc. Each unique piece made allows me to give a new life to a beautiful piece of history.Once I have isolated the section or sections to be used, I start with a wet saw to cut it down to size. Sometimes the placement of the design is on a curved edge, directly over the ‘collar’ of the dishware, or on an exceptionally thick or thin section.This may be visible on the back side of the piece and/or may create a slight curvature or irregularity of the item. I find that those variations lend to the authenticity of the art.It will not affect the way the piece displays when worn or hung. The next step is using glass cutting tools to form the rough shape. From there I use a wet grinder (used with stained glass art) to smooth the edges and finalize the shape. Copper foil is applied to the edges and burnished smooth. Lead-free soft solder (I use a brand called Silver Gleem®, which contains 3% silver and polishes to a beautiful shine) is applied using a soldering iron set to 658-730 Degrees Fahrenheit depending on the affect being created. The first application forms the base of the frame for the piece. Once framed, then the decorative dots, texture stamping, wires, charms or patina can be added. The bail is added which is generally hand formed and sized individually for each piece before being soldered onto the frame of the piece. After that, it is determining how it will hang. Chain, length of chain, beads, gemstones, pearls, etc. Finally the piece is hand polished to a high shine! Enjoy!
