Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

(やまだぃちぅ) #1
OP

EN

IN
G^
PH

OT

O:

JI
M^

LA

W
SO

N;
P
RO

CE

SS

P
HO

TO

S:^

DA

VI
D^
DU

BO

IS,

C
OU

RT

ES

Y^ O

F^ E

RI
C^
SM

ITH

A


TALENTED AND self-reliant
gold/silversmith form
northern California, Eric
Smith was kind enough to share
his technique for making this shell
bracelet with me and all of you.
I’d become interested in these
Miocene age fossil shells of the
genus Anadara after fi nding some
on an Oregon beach. When I came
upon dealer Bob Boss selling them
at Tucson one year, I asked Bob if he
could tell me who made jewelry with
the shells, and he put me in touch
with Eric. Although you don’t have
to do it this way, Eric fabricates all
of his own metal components, from
alloying the metals to producing
wire and even solders.

PREPARING THE SHELLS
Three Anadara shell pieces were
selected for use in this bracelet. The
two end ones were matched for
color and pattern.

1


The larger piece seen here
shows a contrast in pattern and
color with the end pieces and was
selected for the center.

2-3


Using a Foredom fl ex shaft
and diamond drill bits, Eric
drills holes in each of the three shell
pieces.

4


He shapes and polishes each
piece on a cabbing unit pro-
gressing through the six diamond
wheels, starting with 80 grit and
fi nishing with 14,000 polish.

INGOT AND WIRE
Eric prefers to produce all of his
silver components from scratch
using coin silver.

5-6


To melt a one ounce
coin in a crucible, Eric
heats an ingot mold.

Jewelry artist Eric Smith creates a bracelet using fossil


shells like those the author once found while beach-


combing By Jim Landon with Eric Smith


1


4


2


3


56


Summer


Souvenir


80 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST

Free download pdf