Mixed Metal Orchid

Hand forged sterling silver and brass Phalaenopsis Orchid pendant with a bezel set
4mm faceted yellow quartz stone on a sterling silver omega chain.  $164

Sometimes the thing you are searching for really is right under your nose.

Lately, I have been looking for design ideas, specifically flowers that I have not done before,  It is still rather dreary outside and we are a few weeks away from the full bloom of spring so nature certainly wasn't offering up any ideas.  After scouring the internet, I began perusing my gardening books and then out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of one of the pots of orchids in my living room.  Why on earth haven't I ever done an orchid before?  At any given time I always have several Phalaenopsis plants blooming in my house yet not one has ever inspired me before.

Maybe it is because orchids conjure up visions of Hawaiian shirts and large gaudy accessories.  A shame since they are such elegant flowers.  Crisp white with sleek lines that actually lend themselves quite well to a very modern look.

In this pendant I used both sterling silver and brass to provide contrast.  The heat from the multiple soldering applications caused the copper in the brass to come to the surface.  Usually, I would polish off all of the copper color to reveal the golden color of the brass but in this piece I only polished the tips which gives it a two tone effect.  I think it looks cool.  The center is a bezel set 4mm round faceted yellow quartz.

Now hurry up and get here spring... I need some inspiration.

Fabulous Fordite

Sterling silver earrings, 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch, with bezel set Fordite cabochons. $98.  Sold

I bet you have no idea what those stones are.  Actually, they are not technically stones but a manmade material called Fordite which also goes by the names Motor Agate and Detroit Agate,  Believe it or not these cabochons were made from layers of vintage automobile paint!  Decades ago when multiples of production cars were hand sprayed in the factories, the oversprayed paint would accumulate on the tracks the cars rested on.  Over time, these layers of paint built up and were repeatedly hardened when the cars went into the ovens to cure.  When the paint became too thick it was scraped off resulting in a rock hard slab of enamel with crazy colorful patterns.  Some very crafty workers got the brilliant idea to use this beautiful material for other things such a cabochons. 

Fordite has been around since the 70's but since that  process of painting is no longer used there is very little of the raw material left.  A matched pair like these is especially rare so I was quite excited when I came across them.  These particular cabochons came from the UK.

The photo really doesn't do these stones justice...in person the colors are vivid and the cabs are cut in an unusual, very dimensional way.  They stand on their own so I just set them with a simple bezel on little sterling squares to show them off.

Very very cool....