Pearls and Nature
Pearls and Nature
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Pearls come from nature, and what better way to display them than outdoors? I love the organic feel of this collection, inspired by seed pods, bark, and saguaro skin and accented with freshwater pearls. Their natural textures are preserved in fine silver clay using a technique I enjoy experimenting with.
For this piece, I began with a seed pod and carefully painted it with very thin layers of silver clay, allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next. Sometimes it takes as many as twenty-five coats and often up to forty to achieve the thickness and the desired result.
The piece is then fired in a kiln, where the intense heat burns away the clay and organic material, leaving behind a detailed replica in 99.5% pure silver. What was once a simple seed pod is transformed into a lasting piece of jewelry.
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I love how these Peas in a Pod pendants look in a garden setting. (Thank you, ChatGPT!)
This pendant is similar to the one shown above, but this time six freshwater pearls are nestled inside instead of four. The shape and size of each seed pod determine how many pearls it can hold, making every piece different from the next.
A different setting and a different natural material. This pendant is displayed on a saguaro cactus, which seems especially appropriate since the piece itself began as a fragment of saguaro skin.
Using the same technique I described earlier, I carefully build up thin layers of silver clay over the surface. When the piece is fired, the original material burns away, leaving a pure silver impression of the skin's remarkable texture. The white freshwater pearl provides a beautiful contrast to the rugged surface of the original desert material.
With a desert sunrise in the background, this pendant is draped over the skeleton of a cholla cactus. Again, using saguaro skin, the beautiful gray pearl is enhanced by the silvered texture and folds of the skin.
You can find this piece and others in the Cactus Flower Collection.
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