Jewelry
Come on out this weekend, November 29th and 30th to the Kennebec Cafe in Hesperus Colorado for fresh scones, hot coco, art and brand new jewelry!
...silver bell handmade pod earrings (sterling silver and bronze)
Handmade bracelets, arrows and turquoise and Druzies!
xo
Crystal
We are busy in the studio, casting jewels and setting turquoise -high grade Royston Turquoise, Blue Gem and Manassa Turquoise, Spiderweb and Kingman Turquoise- for the holiday season! Here's a quick look at the jeweler's bench in the midst of a big project day... Dremmel tools and burnishers in the back, safety glasses, bracelets, rings and earrings in progress atop stones used to keep the flames and heat in during soldering, raw silver pendants ready for stones in the front and pliars and Turquoise waiting to join off to the right. Happy week everybody!
xo
Crystal
In the traditional Lost Wax Process, we carve and draw with hot wax to create sculptural forms, adornment , jewelry. We use knives and files and fire to clean them up.
Building an investment (much like plaster) mold around them, we place the mold (with waxes inside) in a kiln and burn the wax away. What is left are hollow cavities that we pour liquid metals -silver, gold, bronze, brass- into. Once the mold and metals have cooled, it is quenched in water where the mold breaks away.
We are left with the jewels, now silver and gold... that used to be wax. Each piece is sanded and dremmeled, earring posts and pendant bails, necklace chains and brooch pins are soldered on and the pieces are buffed or tumbled. Stones are cleaned up to shine and then set in the jewels which are then polished, finished, and delivered to their new homes!
Wax carved around natural Royston Turquoise from Nevada
After being cast, cleaned and stone set, a custom Sterling Silver and Royston Turquoise Bracelet by Crystal Hartman.
xx
