The Making of Awakening

THE MAKING OF AWAKENING Alderdice / Mansfield

Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of decorative art.

Jewelry is the answer to the need for personal adornment.

Studying jewelry from the past and of other cultures is inspiring.

We have been inspired by several museums’ jewelry collections and especially by the Walters Art Museum.

THE WALTER’S JEWELRY COLLECTION Egyptian 17–12 century BC To Roman 3 century AD

Egyptian collar Section of beads from 16 th to 12 th century BC

Etruscan 7 th century BC quadruple loop-in-loop chain

Roman 2 nd century AD single loop in loop chain

Roman 1 st or 2 nd century AD double loop chain

A Roman 1 st or 2 nd century AD pinched loop chain

Roman 2 nd century AD hammered single loop in loop chain

Easter Egg presented by Nicholas II to his mother,

Maria Feodorovna in 1901

Red enameled watchcase made for Madame Mere, Letizia Ramolino Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon I

Silver guilt and blue guilloche enamel traveling clock

Guilloche : an engraving technique in which a precise intricate design is mechanically etched onto an underlying material

RGM, in Pennsylvania, is one of the few watch companies today actively involved in keeping alive this old world craft. A rose engine lathe is the machine used to produce guilloche designs.

THE MAKING OF AWAKENING Alderdice / Mansfield

ENAMELING

ENAMELING ROLLER PRINTING

ENAMELING ROLLER PRINTING MAKING THE BASE PIECE

ENAMELING MAKING THE CHAIN ROLLER PRINTING MAKING THE BASE PIECE

ENAMELING The application of a vitreous glaze to metal, followed by fusing in a kiln

Tools of enameling

Mock up of the design

24K gold cloisonné wire shapes on a silver base

Cloisonnés filled with shaded enamels

KILN

Enamel is sanded under water until smooth

ROLLER PRINTING The application of a texture to metal by applying pressure using a rolling mill

Create a Tear-Away using polymer clay and printed design

Melt 22K gold to make a gold ingot

Flatten gold ingot to .012 thickness

Textured gold Tear away design

Saw to design shape

MAKING THE BASE PIECE Using textured plates to apply a design to a clay base piece

Roll Precious Metal Clay to the desired thickness

Sandwich the clay between textured plates

Apply even pressure using a book press

The pressed clay image

The textured base plate after firing

MAKING THE CHAIN The fusing of links and weaving to create the Hammered Pinched Loop Chain

Wire is wrapped around a wooden dowel

The wire is cut into jump rings

The jump rings are fused

They are formed into a bow tie shape and bent around a dowel to form a link

The link is opened up and hammered flat on a steel block

before after (hammered)

Weaving of the links to form the Hammered Pinched Loop Chain

Bezel Hammered Pinched Loop Chain Roller Printed 22K Gold Textured Base Piece Enamel Tourmaline Inner Bezel

Alderdice / Mansfield Alchemic Synthesis Awakening Tooled 22K gold, cloisonné enamel, patterned fine silver, faceted tourmaline stone, 2 nd century AD Roman hand-woven 22K gold and fine silver hammered pinched loop chain

Alderdice / Mansfield Alchemic Synthesis

Alderdice / Mansfield Alchemic Synthesis Studio visits available by appointment. 410-266-7444 Collaborating art jewelers Cynthia Alderdice and Lois Mansfield design and fabricate classical and cross-cultural pieces of fine jewelry. They design one of a kind and limited edition pieces in 22 K and 24 K gold and fine silver. Often the pieces are embellished with gemstones, pearls and enamels. The artists draw inspiration from years of experience in varied art media such as painting, printmaking, sculpture, enameling and all facets of metalsmithing. The texture and design of the work echoes the artists’ inspiration from cultures around the world. Much like archeological relics, each piece evokes a mood and tells a story