Medieval-Inspired Copper Filigree Necklace

I've been called upon to do all sorts of custom orders, but about a year ago, I received one of my more interesting requests. A woman who recreates Medieval costumes planned to dress as Maria Portinari for a convention and asked me to make a version of the necklace. The painting by Hans Memling dates back to the 1400s and features a 14-year-old Maria on her wedding day. She was a member of Italian nobility and though little is known of her, she actually appears in another painting by Hugo van der Goes, where she's wearing the same ensemble and jewelry. This is Memling's work:

I often work off of jewelry photos, but copying an object that's on a painting was much more difficult. I wasn't 100 percent sure what materials were used or how each piece was connected. Even zoomed in to the painting, it was hard to get a perfect view. One of my friends, who is a mechanical engineer, took a look for fun -- and was also stumped by some of the workings of this necklace. He couldn't figure out if it was one piece where everything had been soldered together or if the black beads were a separate necklace. Again, that's the problem with copying a painting. You're not getting an exact picture (pardon the pun) like you would with a photo. You're getting an interpretation.

However, one of the great things about living in NYC is that I have access to some of the world's best museums -- and, as it turns out, this particular painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum Of Art's permanent collection. I visited the museum so I could see the painting in person and get a better read on this elusive necklace... and while the wing featuring the painting was open, the actual alcove where the painting hangs was closed for construction. I could see Maria from a distance, but could not get close to her. Damn.

Instead, I wandered around the beautiful Medieval exhibit so I could see what kinds of jewelry were worn in her day. I took notes on the styles, materials used, etc. Technically I was working. Yes, I did enjoy myself!

I still wasn't sure I had the skills to pull off this necklace, though, and was honest with the customer. I didn't want her to get a piece that didn't match her expectations. I love a challenge, but am also realistic about my skills. It's one thing to goof around and practice on my own, but I'm not going to make a sub-par product for someone who is paying.

Well, about a year went by and I again heard from my customer. She decided to go with a more simple design for her costume and was still interested in having me create one of my wire wrapped filigree pieces. This I could do! So I made her a longer version of my filigree anklet. It's definitely not a replica of Maria's elaborate necklace, but it does have that Medieval "flavor."

In the end, I didn't successfully make a true Medieval necklace, but I enjoyed being part of this project. It's not every day I get to design jewelry for a historically-inspired outfit! Now I hope that the next time I visit the Met, I'll get to see Maria up close and personal. Maybe I'll even wear some filigree in her honor.

Check out the rest of my handmade glass and wire wrapped jewelry at Naomi's Designs.

Silver wire wrapped Victorian style pendant and necklace with Swarovski crystals and pearls

This December I'll be selling my jewelry at a Dickens festival. The two-day event is in Rye, NY -- a bit of a trip for me -- but it's going to be inside an old, stately home and seems like it'll be an interesting fair. I'll have to find out if they expect us to wear Victorian costumes!

In honor of this festival, I'm making Christmas ornaments shaped like Victorian homes, as well as some Victorian-inspired jewelry. There are many Victorian homes in Queens and Brooklyn, believe it or not, and I enjoy walking through those neighborhoods. I like living in a place that has history and I love the ornate and colorful Victorian touches.

I'm always trying new things when it comes to making jewelry so for this piece, I experimented with wire wrapping different elements together. I've used simpler versions of this technique, but this filigree design is made up of many sections. I had to make sure that everything was symmetrical and that each crystal, pearl and loop fit in exactly as it was supposed to. It took some trial and error, but I'm happy with the result:

After making the pendant, I had only a few pearls and crystals left, so I worked them into the chain. I made up for the lack of beads by adding in those spiral daisy links -- but I really like how they work with the design. I also like the little pop of pink that comes from the Swarovski bicones.

Is this true Victorian style? Probably not, but I think this necklace creates the feel of that time and is definitely eye-catching. Hopefully, these Dickens fans will appreciate my attempt.

Meantime, check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Wire wrapped jewellery designs: silver wire wrapped filigree necklace with blue crystals

For the past few years, I've made most of my wire wrapped pendants from only one piece of wire. Lately, I've been experimenting with more complex designs. I love filigree -- the swirling, spiraling patterns -- and wanted to make a filigree pendant.

I've never made a filigree piece using solder, but from what I understand, you don't don't solder each piece individually. You arrange the design and apply heat to the entire thing, and the pieces fuse into place. Since I didn't use solder for this necklace, I had to get creative and attached each section of wire by wrapping it. I tried to work the wraps into the pattern to create this teadrop focal:

I'm pleased with how this turned out for my first try, though I do need some more practice. The most difficult part was keeping the wire from getting tangled; I also didn't want to crush the frame when I tightened the ends of the wraps. I like the blue, but I also think a similar piece would look nice in red or even with clear crystals. I love the teardrop shape, but think an abstract form could be interesting.

I'm still not so great at metalsmithing, but would like to take a traditional filigree class. It's such a beautiful art form and I think it would be worth the time and effort to learn how to do it.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Wire wrapped filigree bracelet with multicolored Swarovski crystal hearts

This silver wire wrapped bracelet is an oldie, but goodie. It's one of the first things I made when I was putting together my Etsy store.

To make it, I crafted several squares with my favorite filigree design. As you know, I often use it in my jewelry pieces as a base and it's because that looped design is so versatile. In this case, the linked squares look almost like a mesh piece. It kind of feels like that, too, as the bracelet is soft and springy. I dressed up the design by weaving Swarovski crystal bicones through the filigree. I then attached a Swarovski crystal heart to each link. Looking back, it's probably a bit much, but it's definitely a fun bracelet. I could see a teenage girl liking this. Right now, it's big enough to just slip over your wrist, but I'm thinking of removing a link and added a clasp. It's fun to look back and see how far I've come with techniques. But I'm always going to have a fond place in my heart for my early experiments. To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To read about my travel adventures, head to Naomi The Traveler.

Silver wire wrapped chandelier earrings with sapphire blue teardrop crystals, spirals and filigree design

Wow, that's a looong title, but there's a lot going on with these wire wrapped chandelier earrings. These statement earrings were a true labor of love, but I like ho they turned out.

First, I made the filigree pattern - and that was the easy part. I then had to make every spiral, altogether 28. And then I had to made the links with the sapphire blue crystals. Sidenote: these crystals are not Swarovski; they're Celestial Crystals, which are available at Fire Mountain Gems. I love Swarovski, but they can get pricey. Celestial Crystals are also really pretty, but cost a lot less. They also have some different colors and shapes from Swarovski so I like to mix and match.

Anyway, once I had all of the parts, I put together the earrings. I then had to get all of the spirals to hang evenly, which took a lot of cutting and tightening and adjusting.

It took me a couple of weeks to finish these, but it was worth the work. I'm trying to make more complex, challenging pieces and I'm proud of these.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Studio or Naomi's Designs.

Earrings wire wrapped copper filigree chandelier with sapphire blue Swarovski crystal hearts

Yeesh, thats a long title for earrings that were made with two materials: 20 gauge copper wire and sapphire Swarovski crystal hearts. But these simple earrings are a lot of things at once.

I love, love, love the combination of copper and sapphire blue. I just purchased a bunch of Swarovski hearts in different shades of blue and debated over which color went best with the copper. Turquoise was too bright, denim just didn't quite work for me -- but the sapphire is perfect. It mkes the copper look even more shiny and the copper brings out the blue. They were just made to go together.

Unofficially, I'm calling these "Grandma Anna's earrings." My husband's grandmother died this weekend and we had her funeral this afternoon. She didn't wear a lot of jewelry, but she had these amazing blue eyes -- and the blue of the crystals reminds me of it. On the way home, my dad commented that no one had mentioned her eyes today, so I'm doing it now.

To see more of my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Earrings Silver Chandelier Filigree With Purple Swarovski Crystal Hearts And Sterling Silver Saucer Beads

I finally learned the proper name for that curly-cue lattice pattern I like to use so much: filigree. Apparently, filigree designs were popular in ancient Indian art; you also see a lot of it in old Irish designs.

Once again I crafted filigree earrings (I like saying the word now that I know it) and made a variant on my chandelier heart earrings. This time, I used very sparkly purple AB Swarovski crystal hearts and hung them from longer hooks so they really dangle. I also added little silver saucer beads for an extra bit of elegance.

I'll admit that I make a lot of these filigree designs because it's fun to sit there and make loop after loop; it's very relaxing. But I also like the idea of having a series. Every artist has one special type of design, right? Maybe this is mine.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.