Architectural Salvage Inspired Jewelry Piece
Inspiration:Sometimes I am inspired by an object when I am creating jewelry. I’ll see something that just needs to be a piece of jewelry.
That was the case with this architectural salvage piece. It’s metal and it’s light. It's a gorgeous color. I’m not exactly sure what its original purpose might have been. However, I could tell right away it needed to be a necklace.As additional inspiration, I really needed a necklace to go with a pretty dress I have. I couldn’t quite find the right piece to make the statement I wanted. This little piece of arch. salvage metal was just what I needed.When you’re creating with things that are out of the ordinary or not exactly created to be used to make jewelry, you have to make sure to take a little bit of time to focus on making the item safe.1. Make sure it’s clean.2. Make sure there are no sharp or ragged edges.3. Seal it.I use Midas Finish Seal Lacquer to seal any metal pieces I use in jewelry. I often use hardware in my jewelry design and I’m not always sure exactly what kind of metal it might be. For this piece I also wanted to make sure I sealed in the beautiful green patina that really made the piece special.Where do you find cool pieces like this?Just keep your eyes open everywhere you go. You could find something like this at a yard sale, at an antique store, flea market or thrift store. You just really never know. I purchased this on etsy when I was looking for something else altogether.How do you know that it will work for jewelry?I knew immediately with this piece. You don’t always know, though. Sometimes you have to keep something for a while before you work out exactly how to use it, too. Sometimes you just have to try it out. If it’s not too heavy and has some quality that you love, you can probably make it into jewelry.If you're not into drilling, look for pieces that either already have holes or that you can wire wrap or another technique. (This piece came to me with the holes already in it.)
The necklace goes perfectly with the dress I made it to go with, but also with other outfits as well. I love this necklace!Have you ever made something not-usually-for-jewelry into jewelry? Or do you have an idea for something you’d like to make? Comment below.