Pat's Sketch for new jewel - Ellensburg #39

This is sort of funny, but it is a part of the story.

Those are very rough sketches that I made to start figuring out how to make some jewels myself.  Part of the reason I decided to study to become a jeweler was to make things for my friends, and in the back of my mind was the Lodge.  So I finally feel that I have mastered the basics (and I mean very basics) of jewelry making and can attempt this now.  To be successful in this or really anything in life, you need to match your skill-set to the thing you are attempting to do.

So the first few I make will not be as extravagant as some of the ones shown on this blog.  I just don't yet have the skills.  But hopefully my lodge brothers will like them.

So part of my accumulation of all of these is to attempt to work out scale, construction methods, weight, etc.  Or at least that is how I have explained it to my wife.  ;)

I want to make jewels that are personal and specific to this lodge in this temple at this time in history.  I'll write more about this later.

project sketches - my first attempt to make some fraternal jewels

 

 I'm getting ready to get back into the studio and become productive.  I have about 6 or 7 rings to make, and those are going easier now that my skills have improved.  I will use those to fill time between making things like these.


 These are intended to be past master jewels for members of my Lodge in Ellensburg.   I am attempting to make these personalized to the owner, trying to gather images and symbols that relate to him - his specific service to the lodge, attitude and personality.

For example, WB Tedd Hansen organized, spearheaded and did a lot of work renovating the lodge room a few years back.  In the process we removed about 8 layers of wallpaper.  (about half way down that page).

So I am going to try to incorporate a piece of the old wallpaper into the jewel.

Nick Henderson design below...

back

Nick has been master a few times.

Greg Maes ( I ran out of room - rough sketch...)

This one will likely be champleve or limoge like this project, but hopefully with more skill and less cartoony.

This one will be more of a drawing in enamel.

I'm trying to depict the roles Marco usually serves with these images.

 These are pretty rough sketches, and the designs might change.  They also might take a long time to finish!

Custom Door

Cabinet by Gary Galbraith 

This is not a piece I made.  It was made by a local wood artist and friend of the family.

Here are some of the concept sketches he did for us while planning the project:

lego putt putt construction

crooked ring - sterling and garnet

crooked silver ring

So this was about the point that I decided that rings are much more interesting to look at if they are not all perfectly round and symmetrical.  This one isn't done here, I plan to finish it with rings of embedded enamel.

LeCoulture Ladies Watch in nuggets, 14k and 10k Gold

 

stones for future projects

Heather...   here are some stones that I have right now.  The larger ones are pendant size and the smaller are ring size.

high quality Ellensburg Blue

this shows accurate color in daylight

These are not as high quality, but still would be considered gem grade and 'very good.  The small dark blue one is london blue topaz

These are Idaho Garnet.  The cabachon is a 6 star and the smaller one is gem grade.

This picture shows  the 'star'.  It is much sharper in the sun.

The green loaf shapes on the right are Chrysophase, the same type of stone as Ellensburg blue.  These were cut by a friend of mine and are very good.   The Green/Yellow is Flourite. 

These are Welo Opals cut by a guy in Idaho.  They are much better in person.  They look so good that they look fake.

The funny one to the left is a fancy cut blue topaz.

Diamond and 14k - Tennis Bracelet

 

 

This one is signed 14k - and has a cursive "L" and a star.