Sculptors in stone will inevitably sooner or later try their hand at making jewellery. If you can carve stone, you can also carve wax; if you carve wax, you can get it cast into metal. Putting the two together makes some pretty handsome 'blings'. Here are a few of my forays into the world of 'stone blings'. . .
. . . A ring in Polar jade before and after 'gold dipping' . . ..
Pendant in Malaspina Granite with a natural cross in the stone.
The cross looked 'medieval' to me and I shaped the pendant and framed it up in gold to look just that. You can see how I’ve purposely broken the edge of the stone in the obverse view. I’m not certain what those beads are, but I think they might be Venetian Glass.
A rare find: Golden Chalcedony , again from intriguing Haida Gwaii . . . now a fine ring to adorn a welcoming hand.
Two more fine rings: Haida Gwai Ocean Beach chalcedony and Siberian fine jade, both 'gold dipped' . . .
An 'ulu' carved from BC Polar Jade framed in gold, with a walrus ivory handle,
The cross is a significant icon in the life of a large number of the world’s people. I’m hesitant to be pious about it but I cannot but think there may have been some Great Purpose here . . . it defies reason that the Maker of the World would put that remarkable stone on my property (where I found it) and me a stone carver . . .
I found a few other natural crosses in the same mass of rock. They are sitting in my stash of stones beside the studio as I contemplate how to craft them into equally compelling works of art . . .