Synth Smoky Quartz pendante

This piece I am keeping for my b-tech work although its currently decorating the neck of my mother. I only need it at the end of the year anyway so it doesn't matter. Its a variation of the "Victorian Brooch" piece. Ive had this lovely large synthetic smoky quartz for some years now and never knew what to do with it, while I was making the first piece this one popped up in my mind and I had to do it!
I tried it out with the cultured pearls but it seemed too over the top as the stone is 25x18mm, quite large. So I kept it simple and made a matching bail cut from a section of the same patterned metal and left out all the detail like the tiny fused balls and extra stones.
I am currently making one for a customer but with synthetic Peri dot, pale green definitely gives it a new twist and is reminding me that if I am to leave frosty Winter behind and let Spring in with all its colour and light and hope!I better start letting some bright colours creep onto my bench and see what i can make of them!

Victorian brooch pendante..

Here is a piece that I really enjoyed making, I got a huge sense of achievement when i completed it, like my work was really going somewhere and that i was finally making jewellery that spoke to me... I love the Victorian feel it has and the way I fused tiny balls on the end of the wires in order to keep the pearls in place. It feels like it should have or could have been a charming brooch on some great lady's high lace collar. What a stunning feeling! I'm sorry I didn't get more photos of it (especially on the body) before I sold it, shall have to make another one.

I pierced out the Fleur de lis sections of one of my snowflake patterns and domed them to create this design, soldering them to the tube setting for the 10mm white cubic zirconia.There are white fresh water pearls that have been secured in all four corners of the piece and a white crystal briolette hanging from the bottom of it. Unlike most of my other pieces, no bail was made, as I felt it added another section to the piece which was too much. It also reminds me more of a brooch this way.

The last image was taken when I was still playing with the design, I thought I would include it here anyway. I think they would make rather stunning but rather heavy earrings!