24/11/2018 - Initial Design
|
Ever since last year, our tutors have been going on about making our master patterns as versatile as possible. Saying "if you're really clever..." you can adapt a single master pattern into any piece of jewellery. Including bails for pendants, loops for necklaces, hinges for bracelets, all in one castable piece (and just cutting off the unwanted bits when necessary).
With this in mind, I wanted to do a full rose window design for my master, that could be left unaltered for a pendant similar to my original commission, and cut up into segments for smaller pieces (including earrings). |
|
|
I picked up a couple of small aventurine donuts at a gem fair to use as my "heat sensitive material" and plan to fix the rose window segments around them with a tube in the centre and laser welding at the top.
At this point I realise that hand sketching my designs is going to be pointlessly difficult and time consuming, so I turn to CAD. |
|
|
An initial idea was to us this window at the Katharinenkirche in Oppenhiem, as inspiration.
I like that it has normal gothic window shapes WITHIN the rose window design. 
|
|
|
I then decide to try this window (left) from St John The Devine in New York.
However I spend a good amount of time getting it confuse with one at Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest (below). I'm mildly annoyed with myself as I wanted to stay a European gothic purist, but I have to admit that those Americans have some jolly nice windows. 
|
|
|
A quick reality check at this point makes me realise that these holes are going to be way to small to cut, so I embark on simplifying the design.
|
Et voila, my cutting pattern.
|
|
I loved this design and was so set on it that I cut out my master pattern.
However, when considering how I was going to cut it up for my earrings, I realised that the quarter segment I planned on using looked like a hot air balloon. |
|
|
