STILE DI PALLANTI Italian Jewelry: Our Blog

Silver Sculpture: Cerianthus – Tube Anemone – nearly finished

The silver cerianthid sculpture – tube anemone – is nearly finished. Fabio wants to create further depth and interest by applying an oxidising agent to each of the cerianthids and then polishing this away on the silver tube bodies. This will leave the solid copper tentacles blackened, and a mixed dimensional finish to the tubes where the polishing doesn’t remove all of the oxidising agent.

Photograph of the finished sculpture to follow.

Silver sculpture: cerianthid - tube anemone

Cuttlefish Casting a Ring with Molten Gold

A short video of Fabio preparing molten gold and cuttlefish casting a ring for a commission.

The use of a cuttlefish skeleton as a mould is an ancient technique and is only suitable for simple and small designs. Each cast object is unique as the mould may only be used the one time.

The projections attached to the cast gold ring are of gold that filled the upward vents Fabio made within the cuttlefish pieces to allow for the escape of gases from the mould.

I will post a photograph here of the ring when finished.

Cuttlefish Casting a Ring with Molten Gold

Rose Quartz & Sterling Silver Pendant: the finished design

The rose quartz and sterling silver pendant is now finished: an elegant design with a beautiful gemstone.

It will shortly be added for sale to our Stile di Pallanti website.

The finished rose quartz pendant in sterling silver

Contemporary Italian Sculpture: Silver Octopus nearly finished

The octopus sculpture is nearly finished. Fabio now needs to drill a hole in the stone we found in the small cove, “caletta”, near Punta Ala, Maremma, to permanently attach the octopus in position.

The silver octopus is ready to be attached to its stone

Rose Quartz & Sterling Silver Pendant: the design

The design for the rose quartz pendant is now clear. For me it enhances the beautiful cut of the gemstone.

Fabio now needs to set the stone and polish the pendant.

Rose Quartz Pendant: the design in sterling silver

Rose Quartz & Sterling Silver Pendant: setting the stone

Fabio has started preparing a new pendant in sterling silver with a glorious cut rose quartz gemstone. I asked him what design he has in mind, to which he replied he doesn’t know yet…

Nevertheless, he has made the setting: two bezel rings. The first that precisely fits the rose quartz stone. And the second that fits snugly inside the first to provide a delicate ridge upon which the gemstone will sit.

Rose quartz gemstone and setting in sterling silver

And fit perfectly, it does…

Rose quartz sat snugly inside its silver bezel setting

Watch this space for the design as it unfolds!

Silver Octopus Sculpture: one fluid form

The art of creating one octopus piece: with time and patience, the octopus legs and body that had been soldered together and were, indeed, one solid silver piece, have now been filed and shaped to become one fluid form to the human eye.

Silver octopus sculpture: filed and formed into one

Silver Cerianthus – Tube Anemone – Sculpture: body & tentacles come together

The copper tentacles have been soldered into place inside the silver bodies of the cerianthi.

cerianthi body and tentacles soldered together

New Cut Amethyst Ring in Sterling Silver: a Simple Design

The ring and setting in solid sterling silver are prepared.

cut amethyst and silver ring setting

The cut amethyst is inserted into place in the setting.

amethyst stone in place

The finished ring with a simple elegant setting that is both an integral part of the design and which allows the natural beauty of the amethyst stone to dominate.

the finished amethyst ring with a simple elegant setting

Silver Cerianthus – Tube Anemone – Sculpture: the beginning

Fabio gets started on creating the cerianthus – tube anemone – sculpture in sterling silver and copper.

First the silver tube “bodies”…

…and then the copper tentacles.

Adding the borax flux before soldering the copper tentacles together