From wire to jewelry

People often ask me to describe them my process of jewelry making from an idea to finished jewelry piece.

I decided to write something on this subject, because just a few minutes ago I got an idea for a bracelet design and I had to, which is totally atypical for me, make a drawing of it.


Fact is, I rarely plan ahead and I am never 100% sure how the finished piece will look like. More often it happens that when I feel the need to make something, I put all the materials in front of me and I am picking until I feel the pull of a certain stone. After I have found it I contemplate the ways to make it shine the most when wire wrapped.

As I work, ideas overlap, the old ones are adjusted to new ones... I let the process flow through it's course till I finish the piece.

Every stone has it's own personality and I try to accent it's best characteristics.

Off course, I don't succeed every time, but as soon as I feel I am stuck, I let go of the work and finish the piece next time I feel the inspiration coming.

I often find myself in a situation where the piece is very complex, inspiration is on it's peek and I stay awake the whole night just to finish it.

Luckily, I am quite resistant to lack of sleep and can afford a sleepless night now an then... Some jewelry pieces are worth it.

Just as I can get an inspiration overload, usually once a year I suffer from total lack of it. Last two months I haven't made a single piece of jewelry outside the jewelry classes.

During those periods I often read or busy myself with other ways of creative work, e.g. decoupage.
I learned long ago not to get nervous about it and force myself to make jewelry, because the only end result is lots of ruined material.

What are your experiences?

Amorfia