FIDGET AFFINITY

FIKJA

Some of my favourite images of my final pieces being modelled.

Super pleased with the final results of my fidget jewellery!  The jewellery has been polished - a highly finished Prototype!

A tricky process  - assembling the tiny findings to the final pewter casts. I chose not to cast the wire etc. into the pewter as this left no room for error.  Epoxy glue is often used for jewellery. Here is the click button and the small hole I drilled into the bangle where I made sure the silver wire fitted snuggly into.  The spring fits into a hole I drilled into the top of the click ring cast.  Once glued, the wire and spring remain solidly in place and strong.

The final finished pieces are complete with gold leaf - the un-burnished leaf played onto the porcelain findings works with the “raw” surface texture. 

This is a mould for my squeeze pendant. After a few fail attempts at trying to create a solid face the mould broke under pressure. I’ve had to make another mould for this piece now and edit the original design. It needs to be shallower in order for the pewter to force its way through the small gaps in the silicone. I will add a larger pouring cup on top of the mould when I cast in the Pewter so it is forced further down into the mould.

I have chosen a white Shiny Stoneware glaze to go on top of my porcelain findings.  I cannot glaze every surface if I am to use a stoneware glaze as the items glazed need to be placed onto the flat surface of the kiln floor.  BUT This glaze will allow my beads to vitrify - so they will become durable and waterproof, and it shouldn’t get grubby easily like the previous pieces which I didn't glaze but took up to vitrification.  If I used an earthenware glaze I could glaze every surface and support the piece in the kiln off the film floor but the temperature to glaze earthenware at is lower than stoneware so the piece would not be as strong. The the surface I am not glazing leave me the possibility of placing gold leaf on that surface. Simple and elegant, the gold leaf contrasts the bright white of the porcelain. 

Ideally, the pieces want a sharp, prominent edge and a textured surface with as least holes as possible to maintain durability.

A couple of photoshopped “Muses” How I imagine my jewellery to look like on a model.  I will be doing a photoshoot of my jewellery being modelled in my final hand-in week once my pieces have been cast and finished.

@ https://www.pinterest.com/anniemwhite/jewellery-displays/

WHERE? Two rings, one pendant and one bracelet.

The beads will be porcelain. Traditionally within jewellery, porcelain and silver work together well. They both have the history and label that these materials are “luxurious” and “precious”. The “rawness” of the cast pewter also works effectively with the source of the porcelain. This could be accentuated by how I shape the porcelain - I can have the rawness of the cast pewter contrasted against the smooth, clean-cut bright-white shapes of the porcelain findings. This will highlight the specific function of each piece of jewellery.

An idea to add to the porcelain findings.  To add ‘value’.  Gold lustre cannot be applied to un-glazed ceramic as the ceramic just absorbs the lustre. It must be glazed before hand so the gold can lay into the glaze. 

After researching for materials which will be suitable for my Squeeze Necklace I have found what I think is the perfect material.  This stuff is called EcoFLex and it is often used for prosthetics and makeup in films.  It is the closest material I can find that is: 1. As similarly close as the texture of flour in a balloon. I cannot use flour or latex for my final piece as neither of them are durable enough to be suitable for everyday-use jewellery. Which brings me to my second point... 2. The materials has to be durable. It cannot wear down and must be easily cleaned. As this silicone is used to make aquarium plants it can be exposed to the elements and still last.  3. The product must be non-toxic to humans. The material is used for make up prosthetics so it is suitable for human use.  4. As a bonus, this silicone can be coloured using silicone pigments.  I have bought a white pigment along with the silicone so the silicone will fit in with the other “white” porcelain objects making the pieces a coherent set. 

Kyoto Hashimoto - Joining methods and findings. Colourful, clean, and simple design. Paolo Marcolongo - the skill in which this designer can make glass look similar to a “squeezable” object.  LittleLemon Treasures - researching non-toxic and safe materials that are suitable for human use. Questioning the “malleability” of an object.

Gene Grida  - focussing on flush, clean and simple design.  Considering joining methods and ball bearings and how they are held in place.

Inspiration drawn from “clicking” pens.  Hans Hansen designs - focussing on semi-precious stones and how they are set and framed within a ring.