Monday, October 28, 2013

Aged Beauty

 This quote I found by Sally Russick was on Stringing Fool's Blog -
"There is always something so intriguing about old things.  Whether an heirloom or flea market find we are always intrigued by the back story of the piece that has caught our eye and the thrill of a possible story of family history, lost love or travel to forgotten worlds.  In the rust is character, scratches and dents are their badges of courage and the bare metal exposed by peeling paint is acceptance of time."   

It speaks to my attraction to old things and the importance of making things that look old.  To that end, I am challenging myself to make some earrings that look like they've stood the test of time, yet are still appealing today.  I started working with a piece of copper and etched it in an electrolytic bath (more on that later).  Then, I pulled out my trusty jeweler's saw and began cutting out my designs. After filing and sanding, I was ready to make them look worn.  Torch fired patinas seem to last longer than those applied with chemicals, so I hit each piece with the torch.  I then sanded the high spots to bring out the contrast.   

The biggest challenge here is to add beads and ear wires that make these things look old still.  I hope these blueberry quartz did the trick!

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