Jewelry

Be Water My Friend

Good day friends!  With new energy from the full moon I want to share an inspiring conversation with Bruce Lee, The Lost Intwrview.  These words have a way of calming my heart and mind, of helping me move clearly... enjoy! 

Bruce Lee,"be water my friend."

http://youtu.be/VqHSbMR_udo

The Lost Interview: 

http://youtu.be/MseMobwg_mo

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A wax carving of curling crashing waves, of water.  Soon to be cast into recycled sterling silver, a handmade ring from Colorado artist and jeweler Crystal Hartman.

xx

Setting Stones

A handful of new jewelry is cast and now we are setting mountains of beauty!  Natural stones, turquoise from Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, high grade turquoise! Chrysoprase, Blue Chalcedony, Watermelon Tourmaline and Pearls in Colorado handmade silver jewelry.

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Stay posted, pictures of the new handmade jewelry coming soon! 

xo

Crystal Hartman

Art Jewelry

Durango Colorado

 

Lost Wax Casting Process

We are busy bees in the studio making investment molds around carved wax that will be melted out and filled with recycled sterling silver and bronze... the traditional lost wax casting process.  After carving our new designs, we build a wax tree with them and then, create an investment mold around that tree in an iron flask.  Here is a picture of this part of the jewelery making process.

 

Mold making in the traditional Lost Wax Proces

Mold making in the traditional Lost Wax Proces

Next, we will melt out the colorful wax, heat the molds overnight in a kiln and in the morning, pour liquid silver or bronze into these flasks, filling the spaces where wax used to be and creating handmade silver jewelry and artisan bronze jewelry.... 

 

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Investment molds in the kiln... 

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After silver is poured into the flasks, it looks like this...   Cooling for about an hour we keep our metals stron and happy before breaking the mold and beginning the metal clean up and finishing process. 

Silver Casting Temperature: 1910 degrees F,

Bronze Casting Temperature: 1960 degrees F

xo

Crystal Hartman

Durango Colorado