Tag Archives: handmade

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan for over 6,000 years.

(image credit Philippe Giabbanelli)

Lapis is the Latin word for ‘stone’, and lazuli comes from the Latin ‘lazulum’ which was derived the name of the stone in Persian. The name of the stone came to be associated with its color – the word azure comes from lapis lazuli.

(image credit Parent Géry)

Lapis was long ground up to make the pigment ultramarine, which was widely used during the Renaissance in frescoes and oil painting (this method was replaced in the 19th century with a synthetic compound.)

(image credit Walters Art Museum)

Because of its amazing blue colouring, Lapis has been prized; carved and worn throughout antiquity, in pieces like this Roman Imperial Eagle. I saw quite a lot of it in precious pieces in museums while travelling in Egypt.

Lapis is believed to be good for communications and good judgement, for enhancing memory, and to attract success.

Lapis is gorgeous – and I have these pieces in my gemstone collection just waiting to be made into something fabulous!

Peridot, Black Onyx and Moonstone Sterling Silver Stacking Rings

It’s always lovely to create for people you love, so when my bestie asked me to make her daughter a set of stacking rings as a sixteenth birthday present, I was stoked!

The stones come from my embarrassingly extensive gemstone collection.

If you’d like a set (or just one!) of your own, let me know – I’d love to make you some.

Tourmalinated Quartz and Sterling Silver Ring

Tourmalinated quartz is such a lovely stone, and when my gorgeous client Jane chose this one from my gemstone collection for a ring to replace one that we had an issue with, I was very happy to create with it!

I still get such a buzz out of every ring that I make.

If you need one of your own, let me know!

Boulder Opal and Sterling Silver Ring

My Granny likes opals, (I created this opal ring for her a few years ago), and I wanted to create her a ring that she could wear each day.

She admired this opal ring I made a dear friend, so I thought she would like one of her own! This stone is a boulder opal, which is found only here in Queensland, Australia.

I love my dearest Granny! xx

Sterling Silver Llama Pendant

It’s not often you get asked to handcraft a llama!

I was commissioned by a lovely client to create this pendant as a farewell gift for a psychodrama therapist, who also breeds llamas. Yes, a psychodrama llama farmer.

I was very taken, both by the notion, and by the recipient! A joy to create.

Raw Ruby and Sterling Silver Earrings

One of my clients asked if I could create a pair of earrings to match this raw ruby ring.

I was able to source her some matching cabochons, and here is the end result!

I think they turned out pretty well. I was fond of that ring, too, so it was nice to see it going off to a good home!

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!

Sterling Silver Crown Pendant

A client emailed me to ask if I could help her with a costume jewellery piece she loved that had deteriorated and could no longer be worn.

As she could’t replace the piece, and it had been created in a cheap base metal, I was happy to replicate it for her in sterling silver.

Now it should last forever. Ah, the joys of working with precious metal!

Flashback – Plain Sterling Silver Ring

When I started attending the Goldsmith’s School in Brisbane back in 2005, the first piece that everyone made was a plain half round ring. This is known in the trade as a ‘wedder’ (as it is a basic wedding ring.) The ‘half round’ refers to the profile of the ring.

It is possible to use a rolling mill and roll wire to be half round, which is the easy way to make one of these rings; we started with a thicker, flat piece of metal, shaped it into a ring, then filed and emeried until it was half round – it’s a good way to learn those basic techniques, and also to get an understanding of the complexities of silversmithing.

I made this ring to give to my son at the time – I don’t think it would even fit onto his pinkie finger these days!

the silver forge

jewellery handcrafted by ruthie gray