One of the greatest honours of being a silversmith is being asked to make a clients jewellery design. Take this image of the cross on a leather necklace.
I was approached by a customer, back in 2015, who it turned out lived very close to me, but we hadn't met previously. Jackie was trying to have a recreation of one of her husbands favourite pendants made as a surprise for his 50th birthday. He had owned something similar to this and worn it for years before it broke. So no pressure then!
I had never made anything quite like this before, the shaft is rolled and hollow, which makes it a challenge to solder without it melting away. I started with a piece of copper as a practice run since it's cheaper and a bit easier to work with than sterling silver. We got together regularly, which was fortunate as it meant Jackie could get a good idea of the look and feel of the design as it took shape. After a few weeks and some alterations I can say we both loved the finished result.
I saw Jackie across a crowd at a local event held this year in our little town, and was thrilled to see her hubby there with her, still wearing his cross.