This piece is in my private collection.
Unique, slightly dark pendant, made of sterling silver , adorned with peridots, garnets and a small red diamond in the pin. Every single detail was created separately, totally by hand, to form this three dimensional, sculptural piece (the front was sculpted in silver 950, using metal clay technique, the rest was fabricated from silver 925). Oxidized and polished. Total length is 3.1 cm (1.22 in), width 2.2 cm (0.86 in)

I made it for myself recently. It was, at the same time, made for a really interesting challenge (which it won – thank you! ) organized by AMCAW - Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide. The goal was to incorporate in your piece 5 elements: 1. A prong setting, 2. Recycled material, 3. Contrasting colours, 4. Berries or nuts, 5. Metal clay embellishments and the general theme was Determination.

In this piece you can find: determination (the theme) of a sprouting seed which has to get through the soil to the sun. It needs good roots, fertile soil (there is this subtle texture on the bottom part and the frame and it is simply a stone texture I took many years ago on a hiking trip with my family, so it's like a safe memory, a symbol of things which create a safe "base"). Then the three berries/stones are in different stage or ripening - as are all projects in life - just nurture them as well as you can and wait patiently. And there is this tiny red diamond set in the pin, just as a reminder that sometimes the most precious/interesting/cool things are... outside the box. Some ornaments go slightly over the frame , just as a reminder again that it's important to explore and don’t let anyone make you "stay" within the "frame".
Recycled materials are - cement grout left from finishing my new studio and a piece of a fabric swatch also from when I was furnishing the new studio recently (I have so many of them and also a lot of cement grout and now also a ton of ideas how to use them ) - I guess, with this personal, studio related twist this makes me remember I achieved sth (getting a proper studio was a big thing for me), so by putting these materials in this particular piece will remind me when I feel down, that sometimes I do something right . The contrasting colours are, as seen, red and green. The prong setting is the one for the bigger peridot, as seen. And metal clay embellishments, are the sculpted front of the piece (the rest of the locket is done traditionally).