Custom Silver and Sea Glass Pendants
These two beautiful pieces of sea glass arrived at my bench several months ago, accompanied by a lovely client and, as it turned out, an absolutely heroic amount of patience.
I have to admit, this commission took rather longer than intended!
The challenge was to create two completely bespoke settings for pieces of glass that were never going to be in any way symmetrical or remotely interested in fitting into a standard jewellery setting.
I carved each setting by hand in wax, using a new (to me) type of wax so I could follow the individual shape and contours of the glass. I also added small droplet details around the edges, inspired by the sea and the movement of the waves.
The wax settings were then cast into recycled sterling silver before being polished, set and finished.
I chose to leave the back of the settings open to allow light to pass through the glass and bring out those beautiful aquamarine blue and emerald green colours.
There’s something very satisfying about taking an object shaped by the sea over many years (sometimes up to 100!), designing around its beautiful imperfections, rather than trying to impose a perfect shape upon it, and eventually turning it into something that can be worn and kept for many more years to come.
And, most importantly, a huge thank you to my wonderfully patient client for trusting me with these beautiful pieces of sea glass. I promise the next commission will be completed in slightly less than three geological eras, give or take!