Silver Frog

When I was a sophomore in college, I took a jewelry-making class as a non-art major. While I learned to cut metal with a jeweler’s saw with the appropriate amount of tension on the blade, soldering was a bit trickier. During my most ambitious creation, a silver frog with a blue tiger’s eye on its tummy, I melted the bezel for the blue tiger's eye stone four times before my professor intervened. She successfully got the bezel to attach to the frog, but there was so much fire-scale from the first four torch attempts that I never did manage to polish off all of the fire-scale thoroughly. I wore the necklace for a few years, and it made people laugh.

At this point, I know just enough about jewelry-making to appreciate the work that goes into it, even though I lack the artistry and technical skills to make pieces that provoke any responses but giggles. With that in mind, take a look at some of the My Aphrodite creations that Galetea of Blogopotamus Rex has made. (No bribes, including those in the forms of pendants or earrings, exchanged hands as a result of this post.) Each piece was inspired by a story, a song or a painting. I am a particular fan of the “Edwardian Blues” and “Serafina Pekkalah” necklaces, and am the happy wearer of the former.