Making a custom piece for our family is always extra fun. Today we're sharing Isaac's opal necklace.
Isaac is drawn to all things ocean and marine life, so this this unique opal specimen with a banded pattern reminiscent of the sea was a natural choice for him. The stone hails from the famous Lightning Ridge area of Australia, known for the color play of gray, green, purple, and blue.
We started by sketching out some rough ideas based on his vision of koi and waves.
Once that was decided on, Sarah began sculpting. Bit by tiny bit, she hand formed twin koi and wrapped the opal in curling waves. To watch a condensed video of that process, check out our Instagram reel here.
We tried a new technique with this piece- a decorative back that required laser soldering for assembly, being careful to avoid the delicate opal.
Once the wax was complete- appx 30 to 35 hours of painstaking sculpture- it required an elaborate sprue (molten metal gate) system to turn from the red wax seen here into solid gold. For more info about our metal casting method, check this post.
And finally, we have our pieces cast in 14K yellow gold, onwards to the jeweler’s bench for polishing and stonesetting.
Several more hours of expert work and this piece was ready to wear, an instant heirloom.
So what do you think? Have a special piece in mind you'd like to see come to life for yourself? Book a consult with one of our design team
Design and post by Sarah J Christenson
