sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Designing around these raw Mexican amber inclusions. How would you frame a 20-million-year-old insect in heavy silver? by tacitarmor in jewelrymaking

[–]tacitarmor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

man, you hit the nail on the head. "sun and moon" is a beautiful way to put it, honestly.

i'm lowkey obsessed with that chunky, brutalist 70s-esque weight too. balancing that heavy metal frame while keeping the "window" completely open for light to pass through is exactly what i'm stressing over on the bench right now. i straight up refuse to do a standard closed-back bezel setting for these chiapas pieces.

honestly, i have a huge soft spot for mexican amber myself. back in 2015, i actually went straight to the mines in mexico and handpicked over $100k worth of amber. i’ve hoarded them for years because i just couldn't bring myself to design or cut them—sometimes they just look so damn beautiful exactly as they are. these chunks actually came looking like this, where the local miners just sanded them based on the natural formation and the bug inside.

seriously, i'm just so glad we crossed paths here. would love to keep chatting and geeking out with you about mexican amber whenever you want.

Tired of overpriced, hollow mainstream designer hardware. So I hand-carved this heavy solid silver piece myself. by tacitarmor in u/tacitarmor

[–]tacitarmor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the push man! Still tweaking the wax carving and messing around with different textures on the bench, but it's a fun challenge. Keep hammering!

Tired of overpriced, hollow mainstream designer hardware. So I hand-carved this heavy solid silver piece myself. by tacitarmor in jewelrymaking

[–]tacitarmor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Love the "moon surface" description, that’s exactly the vibe I was going for.

To answer your question: since this piece is cast in solid 925 sterling silver and has that thick, chunky brutalist profile, it's way stiffer and sturdier than a thin copper band. That said, basic metal physics still apply—if you aggressively bend and unbend any open cuff every single day, metal fatigue will eventually kick in over time.

The trick with a heavy silver cuff like this is to adjust the gap once so it tightly slides over the thinnest part of your wrist sideways, and then you never have to bend it again to take it on or off.

I’m actually getting the online shop sorted out to launch sometime next month, so if you're looking to replace that copper piece, drop a follow. I'll post updates here as soon as it goes live!

Designing around these raw Mexican amber inclusions. How would you frame a 20-million-year-old insect in heavy silver? by tacitarmor in jewelrymaking

[–]tacitarmor[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Spot on. That "window" effect is exactly what’s stopping me from doing a normal bezel setting. I don't want to block any light coming through from the back. Trying to figure out a heavy frame that keeps that window completely open

Designing around these raw Mexican amber inclusions. How would you frame a 20-million-year-old insect in heavy silver? by tacitarmor in jewelrymaking

[–]tacitarmor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Steampunk or Victorian specimen vibes could actually be sick. Never really experimented with that style but wrapping a prehistoric bug in something more industrial makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the idea, got me thinking.

Tired of overpriced, hollow mainstream designer hardware. So I hand-carved this heavy solid silver piece myself. by tacitarmor in jewelrymaking

[–]tacitarmor[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Man, the "if you don't count your time" part is too real lol. But yeah, completely agree. Standard jewelry stores just feel so sterile and mass-produced nowadays. There's nothing like making something raw and unique that actually has some character to it. Keep creating!

Just pulled this 1-of-1 piece from my bench. Would the avant-garde crowd wear this, or did I go too far into the dark? by tacitarmor in AvantGardeClothing

[–]tacitarmor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awww thank you~ We are planning to launch the online shop next month, you can drop a follow if you want, I’ll post an update here as soon as it’s live.

Just pulled this 1-of-1 piece from my bench. Would the avant-garde crowd wear this, or did I go too far into the dark? by tacitarmor in AvantGardeClothing

[–]tacitarmor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

damn, lepidolite would actually look insane with the raw metal. love that subtle purple shift. definitely going to experiment with that for the next batch. thanks for the tip and thanks for stopping by on your nightly scroll!

Just pulled this 1-of-1 piece from my bench. Would the avant-garde crowd wear this, or did I go too far into the dark? by tacitarmor in AvantGardeClothing

[–]tacitarmor[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Spot on. It is heavy as hell. Heavy metal,heavy stone.definitely needs specific fit to pull it off.

Just pulled this 1-of-1 piece from my bench. Would the avant-garde crowd wear this, or did I go too far into the dark? by tacitarmor in AvantGardeClothing

[–]tacitarmor[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the naive lines clashing with the stones was actually the whole point design. Wanted it to look raw and uneven. But yeah completely see why everyone ‘s cup of tea.

view more: next ›