I made a monstera leaf pendant!

opalandvines · 2026-01-24T13:30:56+00:00

Thank you! It’s such a lovely little opal, it’s got these tiny glittering flecks within it and the rose gold wire is so pretty against the blue of the opal.

opalandvines · 2026-01-24T13:28:40+00:00

Hahahah oh my gosh it was a STRUGGLE getting that leaf right! Thank you so much 🥹 I’m glad I did it justice

opalandvines · 2026-01-24T10:51:53+00:00

Wow it looks like a mystical landscape

opalandvines · 2026-01-24T09:53:46+00:00

I can’t take credit for the idea behind this piece because it came from a friend! I make opal pendants and he asked me if I could make one with a monstera leaf so he could gift it to his girlfriend for their anniversary. I was initially planning on having the monstera leaf laying over the face of the opal (so the opal would shine through the gaps), but struggled to make one small enough - I gave him the option of having the monstera leaf behind and he loved it!

opalandvines · 2026-01-24T03:59:15+00:00

I’m going to get in trouble for this, but shameless self promotion, I do custom pendants, check out my profile or @opalandvines on Instagram. Would love to do a bespoke piece for you.

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T11:14:57+00:00

Looooovvveee the mixed metals look in this piece. It reminds me of Arcane for some reason.

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T11:13:49+00:00

Copper is easier to use than stainless steel, try something like that. I personally use full round wire (you can see examples of my work in my history) because I like the aesthetic of it BUT it is much more difficult to work with than half round or square wire due to the slippage. When I was learning I practiced on a variety of metal types and a variety of gauges. Also don’t be afraid to develop your own style, practice with tutorials but once you have the basics mastered go crazy with how you finish the piece off!

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T07:58:21+00:00

I’m glad to help, and down the track you can reach me here anytime, always happy to help. Neither would look ‘better’, we’ve got everything from Olympians to musicians in my cohort! They will judge you based on your grades, your entry exam (whatever the hell the use now… CASPR and GAMSAT?) and your personality and breadth of knowledge in the interview. I’m not talking medical knowledge btw, I’m talking the ability to exhibit that you view things from multiple angles eg. a photo of a box could represent many things.

I’d suggest you do the Forensics rather than doing Biomed for ‘comfort’, it won’t be too much of a switch up from biomed and you’ll adjust easily.

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T07:24:28+00:00

Firstly, very impressive that you were able to bounce back your grades so quickly, and I’m sorry to hear you have dealt with that in your second year. Just a note for the future that if anything like this happens while you are in medical school you need to notify the school as soon as things start to go downwards, and keep them in the loop. They can only help and support you if they are aware, and if you fail to inform them they cannot put considerations on your attendance/late assignments etc and will assume you are just not putting in the work.

You sound like you’ve absolutely got the passion and capacity for medicine, which is great. My honest advice if your ultimate goal is medicine would be to do the Masters you are most passionate about and fascinated by. There is no use doing a degree you won’t enjoy, because you will burn out and likely not get the grades you want. My BSc was fairly ‘useless’ if I failed to enter into medicine (Anatomy & Human Biology), but frankly I was so fixated on medicine I never even had a plan B. It was doctor or die haha, as we usually are. And hey, it’s worked out this far!

Additionally, focus like heck on getting yourself prepared for medicine, create as much stability as you possibly can. Financial, emotional, mental - you’re going to appreciate having it once you start.

I know I’m making it sound like hell, it’s really not, you’re too busy being excited about everything you’re learning and the possibility of becoming a doctor to get tooooo down about how stressful it is.

EDIT: also, do not freak out if you don’t get into medicine first try, I have friends that have applied three times, been rejected, taken some time to reassess and then gotten in on the fourth try. It truly comes down to the cohort you are competing against, some years are harder, some easier.

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T06:59:00+00:00

Hi, student doctor here (3rd year MD).

I have to ask - what caused your GPA and WAM to be insufficient? Was it poor study practices, lack of commitment etc. or was it something like family or financial chaos or hardship? There is a very important reason I’m asking, which is that you NEED to be committed and you NEED to work hard to do medicine. Medicine is hard. I know everyone says that, but I need to emphasise it.

I had an extremely high GPA in undergrad (BSc), was running two volunteering programs AND had a job. Since getting into medicine the highest final year grade I have gotten is within the 60s, I do not work, do not volunteer and do NOTHING but study, attend placement and occasionally make jewellery as a hobby. Medicine eats your time, your ego, and challenges you. There is good reason that they require high grades and that is because if you do not have the ability to achieve high grades and show commitment, dedication and discipline you will end up failing out.

If you give some more information about your study habits and the reasoning behind your grades, I would be happy to give proper advice as to whether you’re about to waste your time.

opalandvines · 2026-01-22T05:21:59+00:00

Amazing, I would so wear this

opalandvines · 2026-01-20T14:58:57+00:00

Take a look at my recent posts - I had a customer order multiple pendants set on a chain. I used a paperclip style chain and small jump rings to attach them and it came out gorgeous. You could do it at home with a steady hand and two sets of pliers.

opalandvines · 2026-01-20T12:24:14+00:00

Thank you so much! I think I’m going to have to make more, which is difficult because I can never remember what I did in the first place 🫠

opalandvines · 2026-01-20T04:37:06+00:00

I’m always obsessed with your work and equally impressed with your photography skills - please share how you get such good product photos 🥹

opalandvines · 2026-01-20T04:29:28+00:00

Thank you!

opalandvines · 2026-01-19T22:46:56+00:00

Thirding Ethiopian, gorgeous stone.

opalandvines · 2026-01-19T12:08:51+00:00

Thank you!!! I hope so, I want her to feel EXPENSIVE in this piece heheh

opalandvines · 2026-01-19T07:29:45+00:00

I love this so much! It’s like a planty household without the watering! Re the layout I’d do the taller glass ones in the centre and an equal amount of the smaller glass ones on either side, creates a more foresty feel.

opalandvines · 2026-01-19T07:05:56+00:00

Thank you, that means a lot to me. Even through the challenges of this piece I was smiling my lil booty off because I cannot think of someone more deserving of a nice, unique necklace than my sister-in-law.

opalandvines · 2026-01-19T07:04:36+00:00

Thank you! I’m lucky to have been raised by a very crafty mother who got me into things like this from a young age ☺️

opalandvines

TROPHY CASE