My Heart - That's Amore'

A friend sent me a piece of red coral and gave me creative carte blanche to make a piece for her. It was a sizable chunk, larger on one side than the other. As I mused over its form, it seemed that on its side, the shape was evocative of a heart. So I decided to utilize some of the new skills that I had learned at Bead and Button this past spring in Susan Lenart Kazmer's class - Relics, Riveting, and Staples. I would mount the piece on a back plate with a head pin through a silver disc which would hold the coral in place and would also serve as a decorative element in the pendant. I also decided to do something totally new for me and put a word onto the pendant. I chose "amore" to reflect upon the heart shape, but also because this person is such a warm-hearted, passionate person, it just really seemed to resonate through and through.


I took a plate of sterling silver and after determining the dimensions, I used my new jewelers saw to cut the piece to its designated size.


Safety glasses are always sexy.


In this picture, I am filing the sharp edges of the metal plate and rounding the corners.


So now at this point I have my blank plate, and a head pin that I created with my torch. It was critical to get the properly sized gauge wire that fit the hole of decorative disk for a secure fit.


In keeping with the organic nature of the coral, I hand chased the surface with hammer-struck punches to create visual interest and a natural visual transition.

I didn't take pictures of the process of stamping the word "amore" onto the piece. It required my full attention to properly place the letters.

It was also an adventure getting a small drill bit to create a hole to fit the the diameter of my wire. Fortunately, I got some advice to pick up metal drill bits locally at a welding supply shop which are used in that trade for cleaning welders. They worked brilliantly! And it was totally a bonus that they were inexpensive and I could support a local business.

I then oxidized the silver part of the pendant, wire, chain, and clasp prior to putting the elements together. Liver of sulfur would have damaged the delicate coral.

After I designed and assembled the necklace, I methodically polished the surfaces to get a soft luster.


Red coral pieces really complemented the focal point of the necklace.


This is a close-up of the clasp of the necklace.


The pendant turned out beautifully. There is also a signature secret stamp on the back of the piece.


The necklace is a vibrant, completely unique piece. It was such a pleasure to have someone trust me to create this special, timeless treasure.