Abalone Shell and Campeche Wood Inlay “Sunset” Pendant
In this inlay pendant, the pieces of shell and wood are carefully selected and shaped so as to imply a sunset.
The abalone includes lovely pink areas, and shapes within the iridescence look like the sun and its reflection. The wood is cut to look like silhouetted hills and, together with the shell, become something more than the sum of the parts.
The inlay itself is mechanically secured by the surrounding metal. No glue is used.
The sliced shell and piece of wood, the sterling framework for the inlay, and the sterling back.
The selected areas of shell and wood are precisely shaped to fit the framework. All edges of the inlay pieces are very slightly beveled (tapered in a bit toward the visible surface).
The framework and back are soldered together.
Here we see how the metal is “upset” and “flowed” over the beveled edges. The metal mechanically secures the shell and wood next to their visible surfaces.
All the excess metal above the picture plane is filed off flush to the inlay. Great care is taken to avoid forcing burred edges of metal down into the inlay. Any burring that does threaten to press into the inlay is carefully removed with engraving tools.
The finished piece with a decorative loop for a chain. The loop is attached by way of a blind rivet through a spacer of tubing inside the hole in the pendant.