Now Available at the Cheeca Lodge & Spa

Ocean Reef "Flip" Cuff

12mm Natural Fresh Water Pearl with a solid 14k Yellow Gold Starfish

Hand sculpted sea fan coral cast in Sterling Silver

Matching Ocean Reef "Flip" Necklace

9mm Natural Fresh Water Pearl with 14k Yellow Gold Starfish on Sea Fan Coral, all pieces are hand sculpted by Dawn.

Matching Ocean Reef Flip Ring is also available at the Cheeca Store with matching 7mm Pearl.

New Ocean Reef "Flip" Collection now available to purchase at the Cheeca Lodge Signature Store in Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

My Third Hand for Sculpting

Sculpting in soft wax has its pluses and minuses. The plus, I love sculpting wax rather than carving hard wax with a Flexshaft that sounds like a dentist drill, annoying when you're trying to design.

Now the Minuses, because most lost wax artist, carve their waxes instead of sculpting them, they have a nice selection of tools to choose from including Turret Holders for their metal mandrels.

As a "soft wax sculptor" (that's my new title) I don't need an iron mandrel because I don't bang on wax. Fabricators bang on metal so they need a heavy mandrel plus a steady holder...I just need a holder. Plus, wood mandrels are awesome, it's lightweight and to be honest, I like the design in the wood, kind of earthy.

Another pet peeve of mine...Wolf Carving Waxes that have a Gold Color instead of the traditional ugly green & blue sheet and wire waxes that I use. My customers could visualize their jewelry a lot better if I could show them their sculpted jewelry in gold wax.

BUT, thank goodness I have a husband who's very handy with the tools & wood. He has built so many tools, holders, and benches for me. 

Work Bench Vise

What am I working on? My new Starfish and Fan Coral Cuff Bracelet

And this is Lexi, she is my Lynx Point Siamese Kitten,
always there to lend a hand.

Starfish and Fan Coral Cuff - Updated

Just finished the sculpting on the Starfish & Fan Coral Cuff.

The starfish is going to be 18k gold (heavy plated) and the 

Fan Coral is going to be Sterling Silver.

This piece can be pre-ordered from our Etsy Shop.

Click Here: Starfish & Fan Coral Cuff

Starfish and Fan Coral Cuff

Wow, talk about still being in the rough on this one, three days of work
and it still looks like this. Oh well, my family has given it a two thumbs up so
in a couple of day (Monday or Tuesday) I'll follow up on some new updated photos.


Width: 1 3/4"

Got my Dots on

One side done, now the other...

Time consuming but worth it.

Working on the other half.

Ocean Fusion



Fusion Starfish Cuff

Fusion will be available
November 1, 2011



Fusion Starfish Ring

                In 1968, noted trumpeter and composer Miles Davis produced an album entitled “Miles in the Sky” incorporating electric instruments in a combination of jazz and rock elements to form a slick, smooth, and elegant jazz sound with a rock rhythm. They called it Jazz Fusion, and the name stuck! Since then many noted music artist have been noted for their contribution to Jazz Fusion.  Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Santana, Cream, Blood Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa to name a few.

                In 1983, Wolfgang Puck, said to be a Pioneer of Fusion Cuisine, opened Chinois of Santa Monica. Known for creating Asian dishes using California’s fresh and accessible produce, combined with French Culinary Techniques, where you can find such savory dishes at “Whole Sizzling Catfish with Ponzu Dipping Sauce” or “Mongolian Lamb with Cilantro-Mint Vinaigrette.

                In 2011, Dawn Vertrees Jewelry Designer melded the design of Fan Coral with that of a Starfish, or form a bracelet like none other you’ve ever seen! Yes, she’s taken the Fusion idea to a new level.  Cast in Sterling Silver, this striking bracelet exhibits mirror polished fan coral seemingly cloaking a smooth tectured starfish that’s slipping out from under it. The bracelet fits on the wearer’s arm as if it found it’s way there while scuba diving in the Caymans.  Or is it off a ledge near Punta Bunda, Mexico. It means something different to each viewer, but one thing’s for sure, its awesome fusion!

Don Vertrees

The Starfish and Fan Coral Cuff is taking shape...

What can I say...just dots but once polished
they will take on a pearl look.

 

Well after 10 hours of solid work...it's still far from being
completed but loving the concept of this design. I had my doubts
when I took a cut into a perfectly good starfish but
I realized my fan coral always looks pretty
crappy in the beginning so I kept cutting!

 This striking Sterling Silver cuff features a very
contemporary design, yet retains the natural look of
fan coral as it wraps around the wrist as if it grew that
way in the ocean currents.



Chrysocolla stone and starfish add
color and contrast.



Sideview showing overlapping fan coral,



...even the back is pretty.

For more information, just e-mail me at dawnvertrees@gmail.com