Find out how I designed my new Earth Sea Sky Pendant Necklace

While I was on my sabbatical in France I was hoping I would feel inspired to design some new pieces. Luckily I found it surprisingly easy to get in the right head space and really enjoyed spending time free from any other distractions at work or at home. Rolo was such a good dog as he liked to sleep through the process.

I wanted to add a new pendant to my collection one that would be made up of three individual parts, three separate charms. They could be bought together as a complete set but also as a one or a two piece pendant.

Three Charm Pendants

I have made several three charm pendants over my career as I love the number 3 - as a group it looks great. Three, Five, Seven, Nine is the golden rule. Here are three examples of my current three pod necklaces you can see on my website.

The daintiest, is the 'Three Pollen Charm Cluster Necklace'.

The oldest and original designed in 1994 the 'Three Pod Cluster Necklace'.

And the newest one the 'Three Pod Feather Cluster Necklace' which is available in two different lengths of chain.

Inspiration for the new Earth Sea Sky Charm Pendant Necklace

The inspiratIon for my new necklace, designed in France, is three of the elements in nature. The Sky, the Sea and the Earth. At the beach these three elements are seen so much more clearly as there are no buildings or vegetation cutting into the skyline. As you look out to sea they can be seen in three beautiful strips - land, sea, sky. It is vast, never ending and powerful.

Birds Wing Sky Charm Pendant

While I was living in Pompignane, an area of Montpellier, there were parakeets flying around the gardens. Bird experts estimate that there are about 550 now living in the area. These green parakeets are native to the tropical forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Apparently a hundred birds escaped when their cages were being unloaded from a plane at Orly airport. They quickly colonised the major cities and spread across Europe. They are very pretty and extremely noisy.

I only saw the green parakeets but there are also a few beautiful blue ones. My friend Francoise took this amazing photo of one flying in her garden but sadly I missed it, as by the time I went to see it had already flown away.

Everywhere birds fly free and at the beach in Montpellier, like all seasides around the world, seagulls inhabit the sky. Their huge wings out stretched as they swoop down looking for food.

While I was walking along the River Lez I came across this fabulous mural painted on an old abandoned building it felt like a sign and the design began to take shape in my mind. The bird's wing will be the first charm representing the sky. I want it to have a single blue sapphire set in its eye.

Oyster Shell Sea Charm Pendant

While I was walking in the centre of the city I went into the food market Halles Castellane and saw all the fresh seafood. Oysters are regarded as a delicacy in some localities but I do not eat them. Their calcified shells and irregular shape are wonderful. They are a perfect representation of the wonder of the sea. Some pearl oysters are harvested for the pearl produced within the mantle. Imagine what a joy it would be to open one and discover a huge shining pearl sitting inside.

I just love the striated shells and the twisted line pattern on them.

My friend Tinna visited from Norway and as it was her birthday, and she loves to eat oysters, we went out for dinner and she had some as a treat.

Mussels are another wonderful sea creature. Archaeological excavations have unearthed shell material in North America dating back to 8000 B.C. Early people not only used mussels for food, but also to make tools, utensils, jewellery and to temper pottery. They are also used for design, construction and environmental restoration. Gardeners use oyster and mussel shells, as a mulch, as it adds calcium to the soil and deters pests like slugs and snails.

The freshwater pearl mussel is an endangered species that forms exquisite natural pearls within these unassuming shells, and some can be a source of mother of pearl. They are one of the longest living invertebrates in existence. Pearls are something that did not interest me and in my early work I only ever used metal, not even including stones. But in the last ten years I have incorporated gemstones in my work and maybe my taste has changed as I have got older. Pearls hold a lot of interest for me now especially the romance and mystery of their origins. So I want to incorporate a pearl in this pendant design.

I love the shape and the markings on shells they are extremely beautiful and I have a big collection of them. Over the years, as a family, looking for shells at the waters edge on the beach gave us lots of pleasure. I now use them for display in the shop and as props for the jewellery in my photography. Here is one of my large pink conch shells with a pair of my rose gold Bobbled Pollen studs displayed inside.

Rolo and I loved walking down the beaches in Montpelier looking for shells though truthfully Rolo is more interested in the crabs. As a pup in Scotland he went crazy eating every one he found washed up on the shore.

The sand on the beach seems to mimic the pattern of the mussel. The water pushing the sand into striated wobbly lines. So the mussel and oyster shells will be the inspiration for the sea.

Leaf Earth Charm Pendant

All around the gardens in the area I was staying in France grew the shrub Nerium Oleander or rosebay with its white, red or pink flowers. It is an ornamental shrub or small tree that grows in temperate and sub-tropical temperatures.

There was a large pink one outside our French doors to greet us every morning where we stayed. It is poisonous, so not much good for a dog that chews plants, but nice to look at.

Nature is an amazing thing. There are five common leaf shapes - linear, ovate, palmate, lobed and lanceolate. Oleander has linear leaves which are long and narrow, like blades of grass.

The leaf will be the inspiration for the Earth. I would like to incorporate some tiny emeralds into the stalk.

Sketchbook Design work

Here is my sketchbook inspiration layout.

Here are the initial sketches for my pendant design I want the charms to each have a different character Earth with a hint of green with emeralds, Sea with a shimmering pearl and Sky with a sparkling blue sapphire.

The big difference with this design compared to my other three charm pendants is that I want all three charms to fit closely together so they touch and nestle to make one shape.

I wanted to get this piece moving so I can have it ready in the autumn. So I sent the final drawings to my wonderful wax carver Serena, while I was still away, for her to make the waxes. This is just one of the drawings I sent as an example.

Hand Carved Wax Masters

She sent me this photo to my phone to check if she had interpreted it correctly. She is so talented and always manages to know what I mean from my mad annotated sketches.

They need to lie perfectly together as I want them to fit together as one unit. We need to make sure the loops are exactly right at the back. One tiny alteration needed to lengthen the leaf stalk a tiny bit then its ready to mould.

These are the first castings I am really pleased with the way they look.

Setting Stones into the charms 

Here is my setter Sean about to set the Sky Charm  into the bird wing with a sparkling blue sapphire using grain setting. Here you can see how he sets the charm into shellac to keep it still while he works his magic.

I love the way it makes such a perfect eye.

Finished Pendant Necklaces

Here is the finished silver 'Earth' charm. The leaf is grain set with three tiny 1mm emeralds in its stalk. Here shown are two options: one in oxidised silver and silver, and the other silver. It is also available in yellow gold plated silver.

Here is the silver 'Sea' charm the oyster set with a shimmering silver pearl inside a small cup shape. This one has turned out even better than I imagined. It is very unusual and the pattern is very pleasing. Here they are shown in all three of the colour options, all with white pearls. This charm is also available with black pearls, which are dark grey in colour.

Here is the silver 'Sky' charm set with a sparkling sapphire in its eye. It is also available in oxidised silver with silver, and yellow gold plated silver.

The 'Sky' charm pendant can be purchased and worn alone as a single charm pendant. Here it is in silver hanging from a fine delicate trace chain.

Here is the two pendant option 'Sea & Sky' the silver sky charm set with a blue sapphire with the gold plated silver Sea charm set with a white pearl. I really love the colour contrast and the way they sit nestled together.

This is a version of the full trio of charms with the 'Earth Sea & Sky' charms pendants all sitting together. The sky and earth charms in oxidised silver together cradle the silver sea charm in the middle. Here it is set with a black pearl which gives it a more moody personality.

Here is another version of the trio of charms 'Earth Sea & Sky' pendant sitting together. The sky and earth charms are both oxidised silver but this time cradle the gold plated silver sea charm in the middle. Here the sea charm is set with a white pearl which gives it a fresher brighter look.

My Earth Sea and Sky Pendant Necklace will be ready to order soon.