This necklace was commissioned to be given as a birthday present for a best friend born in October. We decided to center the design around an opal, which is the October birthstone. I did not use any wax carving techniques in this project. Everything was fabricated by hand from sterling silver wire and sheet.

I had so much fun going to the San Mateo Gem & Jewelry Fair to source the perfect stone for the special birthday girl. It was my first time visiting a gem fair and I had no idea what to expect. I finally found who I had been told were the best Opal dealers in the building, and I was not disappointed!

I spent a long time chatting with the owner and learned all about where his stones come from and how they are mined. He spent a lot of time showing me photos of his mines and explaining that he actually owns the mine where the opal I chose came from. I chose a 3.88ct opal with an organic shape. This opal is from the Boi Morto mine, located in north eastern Brazil.

Pictured below is “The Galaxy”, the largest piece of polished opal in the world. It was found at the Boi Morto mine in 1976 and is approximately 3,749 carats. WOWZ.

Once I found the perfect stone, we began plotting what to do with it. We looked through my designs and my client decided that she wanted me to make my hammered “Aegis” chain in sterling silver with a removable opal pendant.

First I started by fabricating the setting in sterling silver. Making a setting for an asymmetrical stone can be a challenge and took a lot of time and patience. I also attached a small hook made of sterling silver wire that will allow the chain to be worn by itself, or with the pendant. This pendant could also be attached to a delicate chain for a daintier look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I set the stone. I hold my piece in a special vise on a rotating ball while a use a hammer and punch to move the metal over the stone and secure it in place. Opals are notorious for being very fragile and this step also required a lot of patience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next step was to make the chain. I create the chain entirely from a long piece of round sterling silver wire. After forming and soldering each link, I hammer all of the links to a uniform texture.

 

Below is the final project!