So it all started several years ago with the carved jade you see in this photo. I purchased it in a little shop in Charleston SC, and as you can see by the small hole at its top; it is a focus bead. I suppose that is why it has taken all these years to actually use it....I wasn't sure how to include such a large bead. I have decided to ignore the fact that it is a bead and bezel it. Its difficult to see, however I've soldered a post just below the cut out of the dragon so that I can slip the jade over the post and after setting it, I will then place the half drilled fresh water pearl over the post.
The twist channel was such a laborious task to solder around the edges.,.the cutouts of the dragon and the Phoenix were the most enjoyable part of this piece. I first drew a rather quick sketch on the silver with a black marker and after drilling a small hole and placing the saw blade through it, I sawed them out. The dragon will be seen from the front and the Phoenix will be seen from the back once the big Jade is set. The image below is the back of the piece. I stamped my id...CAT and sterling on the rectangle between the two cut outs.
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| The image above is me just putting things together temporarily before I do any soldering. The small 3mm jade cabs in the lower corners will be bezeled and soldered in place. What I haven't tackled yet is the bail to hang it from. I plan to do some research since this is a rather large pendant. I want to find as many options and ideas before I decide since the dragon cutout doesn't permit me to use a traditional bail on the back. |
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