Rustic silver leaf pendant with welo opal

[kjsspot]

We need to liven up this forum a bit! 

I made this pendant with PMC3 slip, slowly painting over a rose leaf letting it dry between coats until it was thick enough.  Once fired I soldered on a the jump rings & bezel and then I used the torch to melt it a bit so it would pit.  I also oxidized it a bit.

The opal, which I cut a early last year, is a creamy toned welo with flashes of red & green.  The bail is a bit larger and can comfortable accommodate a 4mm chain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_YLhNHnaoc

[Charles]

KJ a beautiful piece of work.

[orrum]

Now that's great work and a really good idea!

[mirkaba]

Kerry Jo I think you are having to much fun...................Looks great! I have made quite a few large bails for custom orders. It seems that people like them. It might sound a little cheesy but I have been putting a piece of black electrician tape as backing in the bezels for The more crystalline Welos. really brings out the colors.

[55fossil]

Mirkaba:   I am a believer in using basanite and other colored stones for backing.  If you are selling them I hope you tell your customers.  One thing I will caution about using electrical tape. IT gets bad with age. It can get gummy from heat and dries out when it gets really old.  My feelings are sticking with natural backings that will last a life time.

[kjsspot]

Thanks y'all!  I produce in clusters.  lol  I have one more waiting for time to do the photos.  Than I probably won't have any more for a while as I've been concentrating on a carving competition right now.

Most men don't like dainty chains and this is something that would look better on a bit thicker chain.

This welo is too opaque.  Backing wouldn't change the color.

What's Basanite?  (off to google...  lol)

[mirkaba]

Mirkaba:   I am a believer in using basanite and other colored stones for backing.  If you are selling them I hope you tell your customers.  One thing I will caution about using electrical tape. IT gets bad with age. It can get gummy from heat and dries out when it gets really old.  My feelings are sticking with natural backings that will last a life time.

I am not making a doublet or triplet. I use Basanite all the time for that purpose. I cut a piece sometimes 2 and use it in place of leather,sawdust, plastic etc. like a cushion. I met a fellow from Lightning Ridge that used black marker on crystal Opal. I couldn,t do that.

Basanite is a very dense black Basalt usually used for backing on thin sliced opal when making doublets and triplets.

[55fossil]

Mirkaba;  Yeah, I had a guy who posts here suggest I use black marker on fossil dinosaur bone. Some things are just not right to do. Anyway, if you back a stone and it enhances the color you should declare it. The electrical tape may be a good thing but I like rock and two part epoxy.  As for Basanite... I have an area where I collect really nice black basalt in the Owyhee's. Some of it is so black it resembles black jade and Onyx. I can cut it down to one mm and it is solid. Takes a high gloss shine. Only problem is some pieces may have spots or gray areas. This usually does not affect the final doublet coloration.