Behind the Scenes: Inlay Brooch Commission
Many of my clients interested in customs are inspired by a piece I’ve already made, but it just doesn’t have the right stones. In this case, my client knew she wanted a long rectangular brooch since she lives up north where it’s hard to wear pendants when you’re bundled up in a thick coat for many months of the year.
She wanted an inlay brooch that reflected the amazing, dynamic blues of the Great Lakes, so I started by pulling together palettes of 3 stone colors that we could toy around with.
This was the first color palette she was most drawn to, with Peruvian opal (top), amazonite (middle), and Hubei turquoise (bottom). We later ended up swapping the Peruvian opal for the petrified bogwood (seen below) to add a bit of warm contrast to the blues.
We then took things over to the computer where I made renderings of the rectangular design she had in mind, with a simple sterling silver beaded border. For the fun of it, we even threw in some other blue combinations but mostly played around with the stone arrangements to see what would look best.
My client fell in love with this design, where the stones would be done in a cobblestone inlay style with sterling silver strips between each stone.
She also added a larger sterling silver bead on the top and bottom of the brooch for more accent.
Once I got her approval for the stones and design, I began working on the silversmithing and stone cutting, sending her pictures along the way so she could be a part of the whole process.
Before we both knew it, her custom inlay brooch was complete!
She was absolutely thrilled to be able to have a beautiful brooch that is a constant reminder of a soothing place that holds a special place in her heart.
