Melted silver pendant free shape silver casting. Jewelry design by Arctida.

Making silver jewelry is a lot of fun but recycling old jewelry pieces and scraps (meaning melting silver) is even more fun 😍 Here is a pendant made of a couple of broken pieces and failed experiments that I had. The technique is called silver casting, basically you melt silver and pour it into something that will give the silver it’s shape or pattern. For my pendant tree branches and dried pees were used.

 

 

 For more of my fine silver jewelry click here

Natural leaf textured fine silver pendant. Jewelry design by Arctida.

The holidays are over and it is time to get back to blogging :) 

Last year I've started teaching beginner metal clay class and I thought I'll show you what my students can make in my classes. Here is the first one and it is one of the most popular projects for beginners - making a jewelry piece from real leaves. This pendant is made by me as a demo for my students using precious metal clay paste and I've chosen a Mint leaf as a *model* because of it beautiful texture and pretty shape.  

  For more of my pmc fine silver jewelry click here

Massive silver ring, tree bark textured wide band. Jewelry design by Arctida.

New bling bling for the boys in my shop! This time it is a hand carved massive silver ring with tree bark texture for men or for the ladies who like wide bands. Its made of fine silver 999 and I can make it in any size or as wide/small as one might desire :)

 

 To see more of my mens jewelry collection click here

For more of my pmc fine silver jewelry click here

Cloisonné Enamel fine silver blue green Mosaic pendant. Handmade enameled jewelry by Arctida.

I've been wanting to try enameling for a some time now and so when the opportunity arose I had to take it! I've chosen Cloisonné enamel technique for my first pendant but more pieces with other  enamel techniques are on the way :)

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects by fusing glass onto metal. It is a very specific and time consuming process but the end result can be spectacular and the colors will not fade because the material is glass.

For this piece I first made a patterned fine silver pendant, added fine silver cells (cloisons in French), filled them with different shades of blue greens enamels, made a number of successive firings to establish color control and hand polished the pendant to a glossy finish.

Frost Ring - Tree Bark Ring handcarved textured sterling silver 960 and Cubic zirconia. Handmade metal clay jewelry by Arctida.

It is winter already in Northern Sweden, so its not surprisingly that my latest inspiration comes from frost covered tree branches. This time I've chosen to add a bit of bling bling, a round brilliant-cut Cubic zirconia that sparkles the same way frost does when the light hits it just right :) The ring is hand-carved from Precious Metal Clay Sterling 960.

  

For more of my pmc fine silver jewelry click here

Cocktail Ring Paisley patterned fine silver 999 and Crystal Clear Quartz. Handmade metal clay jewelry by Arctida.

The holiday season is approaching and this time I wanted to make a statement ring that can be worn at the cocktail party. So here it is, the new addition to my ring collection. A Cocktail Ring with Paisley patterns, made of fine silver 999 (Precious Metal Clay) and faceted Crystal Clear Quartz.

For more of my pmc fine silver jewelry click here

Elsie - Rock Crystal Quartz open ring Argentium sterling silver ring. Handmade gemstone jewelry by Arctida.

I love making all kind of jewelry but I have to admit making rings has been my least favorite part. Don't get me wrong, making a ring for my self or simply learning a new technique has been fun but making it for a customer is a different story. I was always so nervous if it would fit right. Anyhow to overcome my fears I decided to try stuff outside my comfort zone and that is what I've been doing for the past year, making lots and lots of new rings with different techniques.

So here is the first ring of many to come. Rock Crystal Quartz and Argentium sterling silver ring. I actually combined two different techniques in this one, both soldering and fusing were used to make this ring.

Swirly jewelry. Mystic Quartz Mystic Topaz Aurora Borealis Swarovski beads sterling silver set. Handmade wire wrapped jewelry by Arctida.

As I was telling you in my last post, I've been playing a lot with different swirl designs lately. So I thought I'll show you some of the custom orders I've done for a lovely customer who fell in love with my *Juno* pendant and wanted her own swirly jewelry.

The first one is a set of swirly earrings and necklace with Mystic Quartz and sterling silver.

 

 This pendant was made with Aurora Borealis Swarovski beads and sterling silver.

 

This necklace was made with Mystic Quartz beads and sterling silver as well.

 

Désirée - Vampire jewelry red necklace Ruby Garnet red Spinel in oxidized sterling silver. Handmade gothic costume cosplay jewellery by Arctida

Seems like today’s youth is obsessed with vampires; the movies, the TV-shows and the books! Anywhere you look there are VAMPIRES flashing their fangs at you :) And off course the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, which makes me so excited because I’m a huge fan of vampires too!

So I decided to combine my two biggest interests - Jewelry design and Digital Art. A jewelry peace fitting for a hot and sexy vamp girl and off course a real vampire model :) So here is what I ended up with:

 

I had that classical vampire in mind when I made this: pale skin, red, blood-thirsty eyes, porcelain-white teeth, dark, red lips and a gothic feel in all. I used a model shot on a white background, and the rest is Photoshop. This is my first time making a photo-manipulation with a real model, so I hope you like it :)

The necklace symbolizes drops of blood running down the neck, right after being bitten by a vampire... Guess my model is going to turn into a night child now ;)

 

Morticia - Black feathers earrings in Sterling Silver. Handmade gothic jewelry costume cosplay jewellery by Arctida

Halloween!
Soon lots of witches, ghost, zombies and famous characters from movies will gather all around town, go trick or treating, scaring each other and compete in costume contests! Once a year you get to see your friends in a whole different way, funny or scary, either way you have lots of fun! and seeing all the kids dressed as Frankenstein’s monster, tiny ghosts and princesses, is such a cute sight!

My sister told me about a book, where the girl makes her own costume for Halloween, by making wings out of faux feathers and painting them black. With a black dress and her wings she became something of a ”crow-queen”. That story inspired me to make a pair of crow feather-earrings (well my earrings are made out of black rooster feathers, but you get the idea!) perfect for any respectable witch on Halloween :)

Just like my previous feather design (Diana - Guinea Hen feathers earrings) I had to make them big and bold in order to be seen underneath that pointy hat that any respectable witch have to wear :) I chose different lengths, sizes and shapes of black feathers, combined them into a 3D shape and wrapped with sterling silver wire. Afterwords I attached my feather clusters to sterling silver lever-backs to make them more comfortable to wear. and ta-da my second design for feather earrings is born :)

Diana - Guinea Hen fowl feathers earrings in Sterling Silver. Handmade ethnic tribal design jewelry by Arctida

You know those big Native American headdresses? With long feathers, giving that majestic and wise look?

Most of the time the feathers came from eagles, but crow and hawk feathers were also used. But the eagle was the most significant source of feathers, and the warriors of many tribes had eagle feathers in their headdresses, symbolizing the accomplishments in battle.

The feathers were not only used to show status among the people in the tribes, they were also used as ornaments in clothes and plain decoration, like the dream catcher (The dream catcher were originally made to protect the sleeping children of nightmares; the bad dreams would get caught in the web of the dream catcher and be gone by the morning.). They were also used for ceremonial and religious causes, and what kind and how many feathers a person wore could tell a lot about him. The Indian chief always had more feathers in his headdress than anyone else had in the tribe.

Today people still use feathers, like decorations, hair-extensions, necklaces and earrings in many lengths and colors. Perhaps they don’t have any religious meaning and won’t point out an important individual, but they are still an important accent of one’s style.

and how can one not get inspired by all those different textures, colors and patterns that feathers have?! That exactly what happened to me :) When I saw the pretty polka dot Guinea Hen feathers for the first time I just had to make something! In order to show all the beauty of Guinea Hen feathers it had to be big, statement-like piece of jewelry.While working with the feathers I realized that they have two different kind of patterns. Big and bold white dotted feathers and feathers with smaller dots and lighter background. I decided to mix them both to get a sort of balance, the way they look in the nature. I chose several different lengths of the feathers, combined them into 3D shape and wire wrapped them with sterling silver wire. Afterwords I attached my feather clusters to sterling silver lever-backs to make them more comfortable to wear.

So here come my first design with feathers, I think they came out very pretty, don't you guys? :)

Spring themed Fine Art Nature Closeup Macro Photography

The winter tightens its grip on Sweden with each day yet there is still hope… at least I hope it is :) Don’t get me wrong I love winter, snow, ice and cold but sometime a girl needs to get cheered up with some strong colors :) So I decided to decorate our living rum with a series of my spring-themed macro shots. Strong lime greens colors of nature awakening from the winter slumber should be perfect for curing any kind of gloomy mood me think :) Here they come...

The idea of making a series came from a photographer friend of mine, Irina. Check out her amazing "One Tulip story" series!


Oh and did you know that in many folklores and literatures, Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and wellbeing and is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony and has become a symbol of environmentalism. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.
Green contains the powerful energies of nature, growth, desire to expand or increase. Balance and a sense of order are found in the color green. Change and transformation is necessary for growth, and so this ability to sustain changes is also a part of the energy of green.

Acorns and Oak leaf handmade necklace. Pearls Citrines asymmetric wire wrapped in sterling silver pendant. Nature inspired jewelry by Arctida

As some of you may know, I’m a molecular biologist, meaning that I’ve studied a lot of so called *green* biology (flora and fauna studies). And even thought I work in the lab I love anything to do with nature which is also my biggest inspiration source for all of my Art. So here is my latest nature-inspired piece - Acorns and Oak leaf handforged necklace made of Citrines, Pearls and oxidized Sterling Siver.

 
While browsing thru other types of handmade acorns I found this very cool tutorial on how to make felted wool acorns by Tonya Utkina. Aren’t they simply adorable :)


Oh and did you know that acorns and oak tree are sacred in many cultures and has long been seen as a symbol of strength and power. Because the acorn only appears on a fully mature oak, it is often considered a symbol of the patience needed to attain goals over long periods of time. It represents perseverance and hard work.

Deira - Artisan necklace Amethyst, Crystal Clear Quartz, Peridot, Ruby, blue Sapphire, Smoky Quartz and sky blue Topaz wire wrapped in 14K Gold Filled

~Deira ~
Handmade contemporary coiled gemstone necklace wire wrapped in Gold filled with multi gemstones - Amethyst, Crystal Clear Quartz, Peridot, Ruby, blue Sapphire, Smoky Quartz and sky blue Topaz.

This necklace was originally made for my own private collection back in 2008. But after getting a request for the same model from two co-workers and a neighbour, I thought that maybe this design wasn’t as boring as I thought from beginning and decided to list it in my shops :)

I can also make a Personalized Birthstone necklace with gemstones of your choice, just contact me so that we can discuss your custom design

Ruffled Gemstone Hoops earrings tutorial - DIY step by step wire wrapped jewelry instruction - My second tutorial!

My second tutorial is finally finished! It is now for sale in both of my Arctida shop!

With this tutorial you will learn how to make a pair of beautiful ruffled hoop earrings using wire and various gems and beads. The design can be adapted to include different size of ruffles, a mix of wire colors, beads and gemstones, making each one unique, yet if you need to make the same design over again, it can easily be done. In addition to earrings, you can use this technique to make bangles, pendants or brooches!

Here are a couple of variations of this design that I have already blogged about:

Electra - Labradorite and oxidized sterling silver hoops

Lenae - Peridot and copper hoops earrings

Nivi - Sterling Silver Hoops Earrings

Cyanobacteria - Asymmetric contemporary oxidized sterling silver necklace with Green Agate for your favorite Geek Chic

I’ve been thinking about making an addition to my Microbiology collection for some time now… This time I got inspired by Cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae and blue-green bacteria). They are probably best known for the extensive and highly visible blooms that can form in both freshwater and marine environment and can have the appearance of blue-green paint or scum. Because these blooms are toxic, it is common to close the affected beaches and thus many people get really upset with these little bacteria:) So it may surprise you that the cyanobacteria are actually one of the largest and most important groups of bacteria on earth.

…just a little bit of mandatory nerd (= science) talk now :)

Cyanobacteria are aquatic and photosynthetic, which means, they live in the water, and can manufacture their own food. Because they are bacteria, they are quite small and usually unicellular, though they often grow in colonies large enough to see. They are the oldest known fossils, more than 3.5 billion years old, in fact!

Many oil deposits are attributed to the activity of cyanobacteria. The oxygen atmosphere that we depend on was generated by numerous cyanobacteria during the Archaean and Proterozoic Eras. Prior to that, the atmosphere was unsuitable for life as we know it today.

Another great contribution of the cyanobacteria is the origin of plants. The chloroplast with which plants make food for themselves is actually a cyanobacterium living within the plant's cells. Sometime in the late Proterozoic, or in the early Cambrian, cyanobacteria began to take up residence within certain eukaryote cells, making food for the eukaryote host in return for a home.

So here is my new Cyanobacteria necklace, and for those who do not care about science as much as I do, a simple pretty abstract neck piece :)

 

 

As you've probably guessed these last pictures are microscope shots of the Cyanobacteria colonies and my visual inspiration :)

Cinderella - Golden Rutile Quartz 14K solid yellow gold earrings. Handmade wire wrapped jewelry by Arctida

This week EST challenge's theme was "Cinderella" hosted by P8Accessories.

I started to think what kind of jewelry could Cinderella wear to a ball to match that beautiful dress and most important the shoes! Because that’s what most of us probably picture when we hear *Cinderella* - a pretty, tiny, sparkling, missing crystal shoe :)

Anyway, I thought that huge faceted Crystal Clear Quartz briolettes would be a perfect match for Cinderella’s crystal slippers and since it is a ball with a prince why not make it luxurious and wire wrap it in solid 14K gold! In the end to make it even more sparkly, I chose faceted Quartz briolettes with gorgeous golden rutiles. A perfect match for Cinderella’s golden hair, don’t ya think :)

 Golden Rutilated Quartz earrings

For more of my solid gold jewelry click here
 

For more of my bridal jewelry click here