Angloplat competition 2015 part one

The Angloplat competition this year focussed on Indian themed wedding jewellery. I found this quite inspiring as I know the traditional techniques used in Indian jewellery are similar to Japanese techniques. In India they used a process called chip carving, leaving bright cuts with a small hammer and chisel.

Being raised in Durban, I am no stranger to Indian culture and motifs. Looking to the rich textile designs in shop displays around Gateway where I work was a good place to start.

 

 Focussing on the Paisley pattern on this dress, I saw a good opportunity to showcase some carving.

As the pattern features the natural element of a flower, it ties in well with the natural motifs used in Japanese metal artwork.

In order to inlay, you need a soft, malleable material such as platinum and generally a harder metal to lay the softer metal into. I had a piece of Damascus steel waiting for the right job and this was it. India has used a similar steel called Wootz steel and weapons have been inlayed with gold patterns for centuries.

First, I had to carve the ring from the block of damascus. This was done with a drill press, saw and files.

 

I decided to carry the paisley shape all the way through the ring so the top and bottom would be the same shape.