I love making these crystal pendants. The silver girdle is hand shaped in fine silver to fit this specific crystal and then is granulated with fine silver wires and granules.
Granulation is an ancient method of fusing allowing very tiny surface decoration. I make each sphere and wire from the same fine silver as the girdle and then place them on the surface with a paintbrush and fuse them together with a mouth torch in a delicate dance of fire and air and movement. Once the granules are all fused into location, the setting is cleaned and polished. Then, using a hammer and specialized setting tool, I set the crystal into place on both the top and bottom of the setting , capturing the crystal in metal. A dark patina is applied and the whole girdle setting is brass brushed and attached to the oxidized sterling silver cable chain with a lobster clasp.
19”
Sterling silver chain, Fine silver, quartz crystal
