BESPOKE
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COMMISSION NO.
7
Born from Nature: The Bee Pendant
MATERIAL ·
Fine Silver
· DATE ·
There is something almost alchemical about silver metal clay. You begin with a soft, workable paste - a material that feels more like sculpting clay than anything precious- and through patience, fire, and care, it transforms into solid, hallmark-quality fine silver. That transformation is at the heart of this piece: a botanical medallion necklace I made entirely by hand.
I have been drawn to the idea of carrying nature close to the body. Flowers pressed between the pages of a book, leaves collected on an autumn walk - there is tenderness in the impulse to preserve something fleeting. This necklace began from exactly that feeling.
"Handmade in a small studio from clay to silver, finished to last a lifetime."
The Making
Silver metal clay (Art Clay Silver) is a remarkable material composed of microscopic fine-silver particles suspended in an organic binder. Working with it feels like coaxing something alive - it responds to pressure and warmth, it cracks if it dries too fast, it rewards gentleness.
I rolled the clay to an even thickness, then began building up the surface: pressing in floral textures, adding tiny raised blooms, layering petals one by one until the circular disc felt full but never overcrowded. A honeycomb geometric motif in the upper register gives the piece structure and geometry - a counterpoint to the organic flow of the flowers below.
Once dry, I refined every edge with fine-grit files and needle tools - the surface at this stage is fragile, chalk-like, unforgiving of rushing. Then into the kiln. At around 900°C, the binder burns away completely and the silver particles sinter together, fusing into a solid piece of fine silver with a subtly textured, satin surface.
The Finishing
After firing, the pendant emerged with a matte white surface - the characteristic "fire skin" of freshly sintered silver. Burnishing with a steel tool compresses the surface and draws out the lustre, the silver brightening to a soft, warm glow. I chose not to high-polish it; the semi-matte finish feels more honest, more handmade, more in keeping with the botanical spirit of the piece.
The pendant hangs on a fine sterling silver trace chain - delicate enough not to compete with the pendant, strong enough to carry it beautifully.
WITH CARE · JILLY
