Tanzanite Roses Project

Jul 19, 20125 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Jul 19, 2012

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We'd like to share some of the process images from our custom "Tanzanite Roses" (recycled) 18k gold necklace. This piece was made as an anniversary gift for a very special client. He had purchased this incredible 24 carat tanzanite gemstone over 10 years ago and wanted it set into the perfect pendant for his wife. We were all very happy with the result. My design work and Mark's skills in hand-engraving worked very well in this collaboration.

This piece was fabricated with hand engraving techniques, piercing and connected using rivets. The pendant is a hollow box-style piece, made to accommodate and protect the height of the extraordinary tanzanite gemstone. The hand engraving alone on this piece took about 100 hours. The front of the piece holds 3 tube-set blue diamonds and the back has 3 white diamond accents. The pierced heart on the back of the piece acts as a viewer to the very center~ the heart~ of the gemstone. Everything on this piece was hand-fabricated~ down to the 18k chain and gemstone prong setting. we did not fabricated our own tubing or sheet for this job.

Jessica's hand-drawn templates for piercing and hand-engraving.

Process photos showing various stages of the hand engraving process.
Mark removed metal from the base using gravers, then stippled the base with gravers for achieving both contrast and a clean surface. Our client wanted the gold base blackened for even more contrast. We had never blackened gold with anything other than enamel and it was an interesting learning experience. The edging to the box pendant as well as the bail were hand engraved with the same vine rose theme. The front plate, back plate and box edge were all attached using rivets.