Creating Jewelry

Sikarian

I've got an idea for a piece of jewellery I would like to create...kind of a cross made out of my own design.

I was wondering, where would I get started in doing this? It doesn't have to be TOO fancy, but it must also be something affordable that might be a fun project to do. Possibly melting down pewter into a mold? Is it possible to make my own mold and melt pewter in a home-environment?


I really have no idea where to start on this, so discussion thread go?

TychoCelchuuu

Well, do you want it to be made out of metal, or clay, or wood, or what? You have like, a million options. If you wanted metal, you could use this thing called "Precious Metal Clay" (PMC), which you shape in to the form you want them bake, leaving only metal. You could use polymer clay, which you form and then bake. You could carve the thing out of wood. You could find a facsimile on eBay and pretend you made it. The options are pretty much limitless.

Sikarian

As far as I'm aware, nothing of what I have in mind has been made. I've searched :P

But I would like it to be out of metal. Preferrably, some way to make it black. I never heard of the Precious Metal clay, and shaping that and baking would be easy. But yeah, Metal is what I would like it made out of.

Thanatos

It would probably be best to talk to an actual jeweller, show him or her what you want to make, and ask what the best way to do it is.

My best friend is a jeweller, and there are a million different ways to make jewelry.

onceling

Yeah I'm going to second the 'finding a jeweler' because of the metal preference. Casting something in metal involves carving a design in a wax substance, then molding it in a kind of plastery stuff. Then, you have to burn the wax out in a kiln and you then melt the type of metal you want (pretty high temperatures for this obviously) and pour into the mold.

This is really beyond something you can do at home and using the kitchen oven is not recommended.

One good alternative might be to find someone at a college/university where they might have these types of equipment. A student would definitely be able to (for a smaller price) mold your creation into something wearable.

Sikarian

Alright, thanks for the help guys. I may pick up a lot of that PMC and give it a whirl, worst case scenario I'll dig around town for someone to do it for me

Sikarian

Apparently im going to pass on the PMC. After reading up on it, I have no kiln to get up to 1800 degrees

Im checking out stores and local newsgroups for anyone who can do it, but I got another idea.

Game workshop greenstuff. I remember using this to create bodies and pieces for metal figures. It's been years since ive used it, but I remember it being fairly strong. I could also then paint it black and coat it as I see fit. I also remember people crafting full on models out of the stuff.

But again, it's been years since ive worked with it. Anyone know how well that might fare?

Mr_Rose

OK, well it is pretty tough, but you have to mix it right or it will come out far too rubbery for "metal" jewellery - you have to use more of the blue hardener than recommended or the cured resin will have a "springy" feel to it. Unfortunately this makes it very brittle and prone to snapping in a way that metal just isn't.

It would probably be easier overall to do a "hybrid", some parts metal some parts putty, which would also be a lot stronger overall. I can give more specific advice if you can give us an idea about the actual design you have in mind.

Of course, if you want it done really well, your best bet would be a professional, but you will have to pay for their time and experience...

Sikarian

I'm not looking for something professional, It's not going to be a memento keepsake or anything. I'm sure by now most of you have seen Longcat floating around the web. What I want to do is make a necklace of Longcat with his head at the top of the cross, his body going down, looping around the back and then again to make the side of the cross.


It's more for a fun, "can it be done", "hey look, longcat lol" project.

Mr_Rose

Well, if it's going to be a solid piece rather than something funky in wire, then GS is probably a good choice. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have a metal armature underneath the putty in the right general pose, but you will also need to remember that anatomical studies are way, way harder than they look...

Sikarian

Anatomical studies?

The only meaning of the word anatomical I know of is like, true-to-life bodies. This cat would be far from true to life and cartoony.

I could buy a regular metal cross, just a plain cross, and then GS the cat head around it. That might work

Mr_Rose

Sikarian wrote: »

Anatomical studies?

The only meaning of the word anatomical I know of is like, true-to-life bodies. This cat would be far from true to life and cartoony.

I could buy a regular metal cross, just a plain cross, and then GS the cat head around it. That might work

Yeah. You say that now...

Anatomical means "of the body" - doesn't matter what sort or the specific style, they are always much harder to translate from imagination to reality than even the most complex pseudo-organic geometric forms like celtic knots.
Bodies curve in unexpected, unintuitive ways and cartoons are often the worst offenders because there is always the chance that the 2D version takes liberties with the lack of the third dimension to do impossible things, like in an MC Escher picture, only more subtle. Picasso in particular was famous for this, but the cubist movement in general was founded on the principle.

Not that I'm trying to discourage you or anything...

Sikarian

Theres been plenty of 3D recreations of Longcat in art form to have covered a wide range of all of his anatomical correctness (oh god oh god, wheres the eye bleach?). Round head, 2 ears on top and a body that stretches to infinity.

Cake

Mr_Rose

Go for it then.
If you come back with pics, I promise not to fly into a boiling rage if they look like the desu brigade... :P
No, really, go for it...

Sikarian

Oh I am going to :P I'm just gonna do a proof-of-concept design. If it turns out decent, I may commission a more professional artist.