Although it wasn’t intentional, this piece just wanted to be a Divine Dragonfly! Sometimes when I’m making a piece, they take on a life of their own – and this one certainly did that!
This Divine Dragonfly is a piece of jewellery has grace, natural flowing curves and a shimmering Fine Silver finish. It is paired with a large oval Labradorite gemstone which radiates a stunning natural iridescence in an eye-catching variations of tone which are reminiscent of a birds eye of the Earth.
Inspired by the jewellery and designs of our ancestors, I use a mixture of traditional and modern handcrafting techniques to create a contemporary twist on our most historic and primal designs.
Shaped by hand from bare copper, I planish the piece to create a textured finish which is incredibly tactile. I hand plated the piece with Fine Silver (99.9% pure) and polish until it gleams! The undulating hammered texture reflects light in different directions, every angle revealing a new facet.
The spiral terminals are designed to make the piece versatile, allowing you to use a chain, wax cord or other fixings in many different ways to truly make the piece yours.
Like all my pieces, this is a true one off. The handcrafted nature ensures that every piece of jewellery is truly unique. Every shape created, every strike of the planishing hammer, every step is unique.
Whether this is a gift to yourself – because self care is so important – or a special gift for the a dear loved one, you’re guaranteed to have an exclusive piece of handcrafted jewellery.
The piece is complemented with a teardop pendant featuring a stunning Labradorite stone.
The photographs have been taken in different types of light to show off the ‘labradorescence’ – the word used to describe the iridescent flashes inside the stone.
This gemstone has a gorgeous citrine / goldenrod colour which flashes across the whole stone. These earth tones within the stunning iridescence is quite a talking point, and complements the Angel Wings perfectly.
This piece encapsulates freedom of the Divine Dragonfly, the grounding nature of the earth tones. the iridescence that reflects the body of a Dragonfly, all represented in an exclusive piece of handcrafted luxury you can’t get anywhere else.
About Labradorite, or ‘The Fire Stone’
Although the name Labradorite is the commonly used name after it was ‘discovered’ by explorers in the 18th Century in Labrador, Canada, the Inuit and Innu people already called this the ‘Fire Stone’.
The legend of the Fire Stone is that a warrior discovered rock that had fallen from the heavens, trapping the beautiful Aurora Borealis inside. The warrior smashed the stone to release the colours of the Aurora back into the heavens. The mesmerising colours of the Aurora that did not return to the skies, safely remaining on Earth inside the ‘Fire Stone’.
The Innu people believed that the Fire Stone had protective spiritual properties, and used the stone in many ways from it’s use in decorative jewellery to grinding it down and using the powder for medicinal perposes. (Don’t do this at home!)
Perhaps as a consequence of this romantic history, Labradorite is believed to help with mental clarity, intuition, inner wisdom and considered a gemstone with strong protection properties.
These are things we could all do with right now!
About Copper
Copper is valued for it’s spiritual and medicinal benefits, with many people believing that wearing copper helps with symptoms of arthritis, reduce stress, improve heart health, be a conduit for spiritual vibrations, protect against negativity, and boost self-confidence.
Using copper as basis for these pieces gives a great grounding with a material that can be reused and recycled.
Copper is one of the few materials in the world that can be constantly recycled without any loss of quality. In fact, the quality of recycled copper is exactly rhe same as newly mined copper.
Recycling copper is a highly eco-efficient ; the recycling of copper requires less energy than mining copper, and reduces CO2 emissions.
About Fine Silver
I electroplate with fine silver, which is 99.9% pure.
It is often Sterling Silver which sometimes contains zinc – but not always!
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver (which is why European silver without hallmarks are marked 925 – 925 parts silver for every 1000 parts of material).
The other 7.5% is made up of another metal (often copper) or a mix of metals. It’s often in this mix of metals where zinc is found.
This is why you may have some sterling silver in your collection that doesn’t react with you, and then you buy another piece and it does react. It all depends on the make up of that extra 7.5%.
The reason sterling silver is used so much is because without a slightly harder material mixed in, pure silver is very very soft.
Making jewellery that’s strong enough to wear every day requires that alloy of materials, and as long as the 7.5% doesn’t contain zinc, it won’t react.
Why Do You Use Fine Silver Plated Copper?
When I started experimenting with jewellery making, I was working in aluminium. Then, after I’d gotten quite proficient, I moved on to copper.
I really enjoyed working with copper and used a ‘polish on’ silver plating solution I found online – which promised a ‘molecular’ bond. It was much cheaper than learning how to electroplate and buy all the kit, so I gave it a go.
I was very impressed. The finish looked exquisite – for about 48 hours… then it started to rub off with the lightest of wear!
I suppose if something sounds too good to be true… so lesson learned.
Of course, I’d already made some beautiful designs, including a spiral inspired pendant for myself which I loved wearing. When the silvering started to come off, I was really disappointed, and was devastated I couldn’t wear it.
I then worked with Sterling Silver for a couple of commissions; and that worked very well, so I got a little more Sterling Silver and recreated the spiral pendant for myself and…
It did nothing for me.
It was 925 silver. It was, by the measure of everything you’re told, better than silver plated copper.
However, that’s only if you subscribe to the idea that value is all in the material, and not the work itself. Clearly there was something about this combination of silver plate and copper that worked.
That left one rather more expensive and complex route; to buy an electroplating kit…
Electroplating involves careful preparation, cleaning, application and finishing – there’s much more to it than working with sterling silver.
Plating involves using a carefully regulated electric current and silver solution to create a bond between the copper and silver ions. I cover every piece by hand with a solution of fine silver (99%), applying it with an electroplating wand, which gives me ultimate control over the finish I want to achieve.
So of course, my first experiment was the pendant. and it worked brilliantly. Having the original back around my neck was like welcoming an old friend home.
It’s difficult to describe but if I’m not wearing the copper / silver plated pendant, I feel naked. It has really become a part of me.
There are all sorts of spiritual, symbolic and health benefits to both copper and silver; perhaps that’s what I’m responding to..?
I really don’t know. Either way, there’s somthing about the feel, the weight and the aura of the silver plated copper that feels right to work with and wear.
The other advantage is that i can keep these pieces very affordable.
Everyone deserves quality and luxury.
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