Serendipitous Necklace

by Julie White.
(Oklahoma, USA)

This necklace is the result of combining pieces of copper on which I was experimenting with fold forming, embossing, stamping,engraving, and flame patina.

I realized the two pieces looked good together so I soldered on a fine silver bezel, set a stone,connected them with rings and and added “fringe” of black agate, aventurine, glass and yellow turquoise.

The challenge with this piece, in order to replicate others similar to it, is to get the ORDER of treatment and construction down to a formula, because each process can disrupt the others.

For example, heating is required to emboss the metal, embossing hardens the metal. Heating to solder on a bezel or adding a flame patina softens it again.

Hammering to reharden the metal compromises the embossing, heating changes the patina and can’t be done after the stone is set, etc. etc. Yikes!

It was fun to make and I love how fiddling around with scrap, or experimental pieces and elements can result in a finished jewelry piece. It’s like MAGIC!

Julie White
Julie White Handmade