Showing posts with label One of a kind Jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One of a kind Jewelry. Show all posts

Sunday, November 26, 2023

My technique for creating my jewelry, the Lost Wax Process


In 2004 I went on a quest to find the perfect medium for me and my jewelry. 

I started with Clay, then on to Porcelain clay, Art Clay/PMC and then I came across Jewelers Wax also known as the Lost Wax Process...It fit me perfectly.



To give you a bit of history on this process, Lost wax casting is a 6,000-year-old process still used in both manufacturing and fine art. The precision and accuracy of the process have made it an ideal method for producing objects with thin walls, intricate details, and close tolerances which is perfect for jewelry.


The accuracy of the process was the key, what I sculpted in wax came out accurately once it was cast in silver or gold. I would spend many hours on a leaf ring or a starfish ring and once my wax was cast, I had an exact duplicate in metal.


My wax rings are called Models. Lost wax casting builds a mold around a sacrificial wax model. After the mold investment is set, the wax is melted out and forms a cavity where the metal or glass flows in. Using this method of casting captures fine details in both metal.

I hope you enjoyed this short introductory to my process and I plan on sharing more including a few of my quick sketches.  -Dawn


https://dawnvertreesjewelry.etsy.com/listing/1311262922

Friday, December 24, 2021

Dawn Vertrees Jewelry Raw Diamonds & Gemstone Jewelry, Engagement Rings,Star Seller. This seller has a history of 5-star reviews, shipping on time, and replying quickly when they get a message.

Dawn Vertrees Jewelry
Raw Diamonds & Gemstone Jewelry, Engagement Rings


North Carolina Small Business
4,352 Sales


Click to visit our shop here!


5 out of 5 stars

         5 out of 5 stars 


 Etsy Star Seller. This seller has a history of 5-star reviews, shipping on time, 

and replying quickly when they get a message. 

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ocean Reef Necklace

I'm getting close to finishing up the wax model on this new project. I have sculpted several fan corals with plate coral peaking out from between the overlaping corals.

Some of the plate coral will be cast in 14k yellow gold but the majority of the necklace will be Sterling Silver. I will have 3 clusters of small aquamarines dotted around the necklace. One cluster on the left side and two clusters to the right.

I took two of my sketches and combined them, coming up with this design...I think you can see by looking at my drawings, I took the best of both.

Needless to say, it's going to take some time to complete this piece but I can assure you...it will be photographed. This is a one of a kind piece, and if anyone is interested in this piece, please call me.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Key West Collection

My Key West
Collection


The Orchids are by far (in my mind) the most unique flower of all and the tropical leaves are by far the most unusual as well, each having their own uniqueness and all a pure pleasure to sculpt.

But I think I'm finally seeing a pattern in me, I enjoy seeing the whole tropical thing together as if I was on a tropical island looking in. I enjoy looking at my jewelry and seeing a vein wrapping around the bamboo while a hibiscus flower is nudging its way through trying to find his spot to shine.

...anyway, I hope you see my jewelry as a place where you can escape too.

I wanted a pendant that is bold, like my cuff so I was off to my drawing board to sketch out a solution. What I didn't draw but was in my head was that hibiscus peeking out between the leaves and to make up for that, I wanted her to shine in 14KG. (
I think she was very happy with that).

Once sculpting I decided that I did not want a bamboo oval with all the leaves
crowded inside, although if you look at it you would think that's exactly what I did but if you look closely you'll notice that the leaves make up the circle.






I also wanted the leaves to have height so I cupped the leaves which gave additional depth to the piece.

For more information about this piece, please click here.


Again, thanks for looking!


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

A Gift For Dawn...

Volker Kracht, my mentor just came back from Brazil and he brought me back these beautiful, breathtaken stones for me to design with. They were taken from the mines in Brazil and they just blew me away.
These stones, even without my sculpting have already been spoken for. I will be photographing the finished pieces once completed but if anyone is interested in future pieces...please contact me. I will be sketching as soon as I can get paper & pencil in my hand.

Of course each stone brought in from Brazil will be a one-of-a-kind piece but the shape and colors will be very close.

I am so excited about these...I feel this will take me into a new direction that I have been searching for.


Thanks again for all of your support.



First Picture: IMPERIAL TOPAZ ...Rough but oh so beautiful.
Second Picture: LODOLITE QUARTZ
...AN UNOFFICIAL TRADE NAME FOR QUARTZ CONTAINING INCLUSIONS FROM MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL. THEY HAVE INTRIGUING PATTERNS AND 3D IMAGERY. This will make an interesting piece of jewelry.
Third Picture: NATURAL FLUORITE STONES

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Orchid, Buds & Leaves

When I have three projects in a row this week and I have a tendency to start with one of my projects rather than someone else's project so I had found a gorgeous natural 20mm x 30mm oval (my favorite shape) cabochon in aventurine.

Aventurine is a quartzite gemstone composed of interlocking grains of quartz and small mica crystals.

This mica looks like tiny silver specs in the gem which is really going to pop once I cast this orchid in Sterling Silver.

I haven't decided on how I'm going to make the bail...I've started with a small stem with some neat texture in it.

I also found the matching 28mm x 13mm twisted nuggets and I added 5mm Sterling Silver beads between each nugget...

...I think it's going to be an awesome necklace when finished.
UPDATE: Just cast but not soldered yet. More photos to come once completed.


As soon as I have this cast and soldered, I'll post the finished piece.

Friday, February 29, 2008

I'm having a Garden Party...

...and all of the Phala Orchids & Buds as well as their owners out there are invited.

I'm not sure what goes on in my head when I start designing one of my orchid pieces but when I see those little Phala's...it's like looking at little faces and they are all saying...don't forget me.

So it's definately a party.

Update at the ArtiGras Show: Don & I have a wonderful time meeting everyone who came to our booth including the supportive staff at the show, the learning experience was priceless. We left the show totally satisfied but not only that, we left with a clear path to what we needed to do for our next show which will be in Islamorada March 8th & 9th.

I loved hearing all of the comments about my jewelry including the comments that "they had never seen anything like it". That was exciting because I was able to explain that it was because of my method of sculpting the wax as if it was my porcelain, something that's not the norm when learning how to make jewelry.

All comments were extremely positive but both Don & I agreed...we feel the Phalaenopsis Orchid designs really stole the show leaving me wishing I had more designs to offer.

So we both agreed, I need to expand my Phala Collection but I also heard one other request...PEARLS! I heard this load and clear. So I am developing a collection by combining the two, Freshwater Pearls & my tiny Phala Orchids shown to the right.

I don't usually show my pieces right after the casting but they were so cute, only 3mm 4mm & 5mm wide (around 3/8th"). The long stem on each flower is called a "Sprue". This is where the silver is shot from the outside of the plaster mold into the void where the wax piece used to be before it was burned out.

We'll cut those off and start cleaning up the orchids and I'm pretty sure I'll sand blast each orchid creating a soft glow.

This is going to be a growing collection so please check back in a few days.



March 5th...I'M POPPING IN HERE FOR A MINUTE.

I am in the process of designing 3 new cluster "Phala" Orchid rings. The first one will have a 10mm x 8mm stone, a beautiful Green Quartz (light pastel green) stone which sets up high with a cluster of buds, orchids & leaves wrapping around the stone.

This design reminds me of the traditional "Cocktail Ring" in Bloom!

...more coming soon!

Don & I also have some exciting news for all those hi-risers living along the S. Florida coast in a few days, so again, please check back...this is very exciting and a complete surprise to me!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

New Blue Pearl Necklace


Sterling Silver Leaves intertwine with Blue Freshwater Pearls.

I am so excited about introducing this necklace at the ArtiGras Art Fair in Abacoa in February. I sat down for a couple of hours just staring at the Steel Lady (my bust mandrel) trying to get a visual fix on this design and then I decided to stick some of my leftover Swarovski crystal pearls on the bust, this helped and now I was hoping I was on my way, so I thought. Well after three days, I'm still not finished, but I went ahead and photographed the piece anyway.I think after a few more hours of scratching & scraping...I'm going to cast this piece.

My mentor told me not long ago...

If you become satisfied with your work, what would you do after that?
I remind myself of that comment often!

What I do like about this necklace is the single pearl that would be in the middle of the necklace...I did not want to just stop and start with another pendant but I wanted to incorporate a pearl right into the design.

Update! This piece was a hit at the ArtiGras Show in Jupiter. The piece was so elegant and when the ladies tried the pearls on, it just hung beautifully. I was so thrilled!

I had the necklace available in Pink, White and Blue Pearls.

Check out additional photos and prices by clicking on the heading "New Blue Pearl Necklace"

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Phalaenopsis Bracelet to match Japan Piece


When I look at this design, I think of pure elegance with its leaves and orchid buds draping down the top of your hand! ...and then too it's probably because the Japan Necklace was just cast in Silver and it turned out better than I expected.

have just a moment to add these pics...we are packing up the trailer for the show and I'm still running around picking up banners & card holders.

We are back from our show and this elegant Orchid Bracelet Sold in the first three hours of the shows first day.

Cost: SOLD

I'm in the process of making a new bracelet, if interested I'll notify you once this piece is completed!

Sunday, January 6, 2008

My Dogwood Collection - UPDATED!

I have been sitting on this design for about 4 months and I think it's time to start.

I like to keep a few projects going at one time, it allows me to walk away from one, think about it while starting another. I guess I get bored easily.
I have already started the necklace part of this design plus I've made and cast the Dogwood buds. I wasn't pleased with my first Dogwood flowers, I guess that's why I put it aside.

I had joined "CageyCrafters" a wonderful forum a while back and a few of them gave me thumbs up on doing the Dogwood Flower, or the push I needed to start back on this design. They also gave me some great feedback on what flowers they would like to see me sculpt. I'll be posting their suggestions once I go through the list.

I pulled out some of my designs for this project that I thought I would post. I have designed a a beautiful bracelet, ring, a single Dogwood Pendant, plus a slider. I had also designed 4 sets of earrings plus one very elaborate necklace shown.

I plan to use a small cluster of Peridot Stones inside each flower and I feel with the detail I have in the pedals...the stones will make the flower. Another stone suggestion would be garnet or pink quarts. If done in 14K or 18K, I would like to consider emeralds, rubies, or green tourmaline...all equally beautiful.

As always the first product being produced will be in sterling silver plus I really have my heart set on peridot in the center.
I skipped over the necklace and started on the Bracelet. It just popped into my head, no drawing this time but woke up and started sculpting on it this morning. I wanted a few buds, definitely some leaves but three dogwood flowers for sure.
Don & I will be picking out stones tonight. I have about 6 designs that I just completed and the next step is setting the stones. I know that I will be looking for 3 mm, 4mm and 5mm peridot for the center of each Dogwood.
Well the new pieces are starting to take shape and I would like to introduce my first pair of Dogwood Earrings with 5mm Peridot Cabs in the center. They are 3/4" from tip to tip.

I have chosen a few beautiful Gems such as Peridot, Citrine, Blue Topaz, and Garnets. On these I have used 5mm Peridot Cabs for the center of the Dogwood Flowers.

Update! The Dogwood bracelet below is a one-of-a-kind Dogwood Bracelet with three Garnets set into each dogwood flower. This bracelet set beautifully on your wrist.



If you love Dogwoods, this collection is a must!











This one-of-a-kind Dogwood Slider is one of the most beautiful pieces I have sculpted. The detail is amazing. If your not into Sliders, this beautiful piece can made into a pin.

I will list the Dogwood Collection on Etsy.com with additional pictures including the back of each. The workmanship of this collection is worth seeing.

Additional items will be added this weekend.