We have a little person, and we fell in love with this bird in a painting he made.
For a surprise, I created a pair of cufflinks with the bird on them.
Everyone was very pleased! I feel lucky to be able to draw inspiration from such a masterpiece!
Tag Archives: gift
Carnelian and Sterling Silver Pendant
Some of the gorgeous ladies from Alderley Post Office commissioned me to create this pendant for their lovely boss Maria for a significant birthday.
I happen to know that Maria loves orange, so this carnelian gemstone was just the thing! Happy birthday again, Maria!
Sterling Silver Gundam Pendant
This custom piece I made is a depiction of a character named Haro from the Japanese animation series ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’.
There is a romantic story behind this pendant – a guy commissioned me to make it for his girlfriend because they randomly first met one another due to of a shared love of this character; then randomly met again because of these animations and fell in love with each other. So sweet!
Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant
One of the lovely mums from school had inherited this gorgeous piece of smoky quartz, and asked if I would be able to make it into a pendant for her to give to her mum. The stone even came to me in a cute little vintage box!
I created the setting so that the stone would be protected, but the maximum amount of light would come through – I always aim to make the stone the star of the show!
Thanks, Emma, and I’m so glad your mum loves her new pendant!
Opal and Sterling Silver Gum Leaf Pendant
A friend from circus training needed a gift for a girl about to have her bat mitzvah in the US. He wanted something that was age appropriate, timeless, and Australian without being tacky.
I designed this pendant for him, the gum leaf and the opal both being very Australian!
I love boulder opal, so many fabulous colours.
Sterling Silver Initials Bangle
Benson wanted to give his wife a special gift for their wedding anniversary. Sensible man, he went for custom made jewellery!
We put a spin on this cuff bangle and included his wife’s initials.
I hope it was a hit on the day!
Australian Army Major’s Cufflinks
I had a request from a client to turn her husband’s Australian Army major’s crowns into a set of cuff links as a surprise for him.
After a quick refresher to make sure that the melting point of the metal would not be too low to take the soldering, I removed the existing toggles, soldered cuff link backs on the crowns, et voila! (OK, I confess I had to change the direction of the links after a little misunderstanding, but hey – cuff links achieved!)
Sterling Silver Bangle
It was my lovely mother-in-law’s birthday, and I wanted to make her something nice!
This bangle is simple, and was fun to make, and great for every day wear.
Perhaps I’ll make myself one!
Flashback – Silver Textured Overlay Pendant
At the Goldsmith’s School I studied at, the second piece that all students created was a pendant. We were asked to come up with a couple of designs, bearing in mind that we would have to cut the pieces out of sheet metal with a jeweller’s saw. Good to see I’ve had the spiral theme going for a long time!
After cutting out the circle for the base layer of the pendant, I stippled it by hammering with a stippling tool (a steel rod with a design carved into one end) all over the metal. Then I cut out the top layer, and soldered it and a a simple cup hook bail on (with some assistance from the teachers!)
I was always very taken with how, out of a room full of people given the same basic brief, so many very different pieces come to life. I’m still pretty fond of this piece, although I don’t wear it very often – perhaps I should get it out!
Sterling Silver Skull Money Clip
Not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but waaaay back when I was doing a casting workshop as part of my silversmithing training, my husband requested a skull.
I carved this one out of wax, and after the casting process, it lived on my bench for a couple of years. Finally, I cleaned it up, and thought about what piece to create with it for the minimalist man who has everything!
A money clip was the answer. This is the only piece I have ever made my husband, and it was a long time coming – but I think he found it worth the wait. This is a one-of-a-kind piece – not only because I made it for a loved one, but because I don’t have the specialist equipment required to do casting. The perfect gift for a metal-loving guitar player!