Design and Fabrication: Paleontological Discoveries

Hello and thank you for reading my blog. This year I have decided to start blogging in order to share part of my design and fabrication process.

Each final design starts with a sketch. After selecting a beautifully cut fossilized coral egg, I needed to start sketching potential designs. Sketching helps me narrow down ideas and decide elements of each individual piece. In this case, I added two 6mm Black Onyx cabochons in order to really make the color of the fossilized coral pop!

After I finalize a design, I began the process of fabricating the necklace. Each element of the chain has been hand cut from sterling silver sheet or wire. The wire is then shaped to create each individual link in the chain. After soldering everything together, I hand filed and sanded the piece to the finish represented in the second image. I then used a tumbler to work harden and add the satin finish to the necklace. Lastly, after it has been rinsed and dried, I completed the necklace by setting the stones.

Presenting Paleontological Discoveries!