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A Mother's Day Locket

Tavia, Posted May 26, 2010

One of the things I love about my job is designing and creating one-of-a-kind custom work for clients.  This past Mother's Day was filled with custom orders and I found myself involved with some really interesting projects.  I would like to take a moment and share with you the process of making one of these special items, a Mother's Day locket.  Made of Sterling Silver, family diamonds, and a little boy's hair, this is one extraordinary locket for one lucky Nana.

Locket Design
 1. Start with a design
 
Acrylic Die for locket
2. parts for front, back, and lid, as well as the acrylic die that will be used to press the silver sheet into pillow type forms

 

    back of locket    Acrylic Die on metal

 3. Back of locket-stamped & prepped   4. getting ready for pressing

   

Hydraulic Die Press with acrylic die sandwich
5. urethane, acrylic die, silver stacked in a "sandwich" & placed in hydrualic press for forming

 

   Hydraulic Press Pressure Gauge Back of locket formed by press
6. pressure gauge to guide forming     7. back of locket pressed

   Opening cut out of front of main body of locket to accomodate bezel Beginning of Bezel for window
8. front of locket pressed & window cut    9.  Beginning of bezel

   bezel decorative accents
10. bezel wall soldered to sheet      11. accents cut and prepped 

    bezel and decorative accents soldered in place another view of bezel and accents

12. accents and bezel soldered      13.  another view     

 

creating scalloped edge on bezel
  14. scalloped edge cut into bezel wall  

 

   Bound together to solder heat stop to protect solder joints

15. and 16.  binding wire holds parts together for soldering, heat stop protects previous solder seams from flowing again

    heat stop dries when heated front of locket 1

17. heat stop dried out after soldering  18.  lid of locket design 

front of locket 2  Locket body and front cover

19.  design stamped on lid    20.  lid formed by press

parts for interior message and bezels for stones
 
21. inside message and stone parts
 
message soldered in place inside lid
 
22. inscription pieces soldered to interior of lid

    silver dots for bezels for stones bail has been soldered onto the main body of locket

23. settings for stones soldered in place  24. bail soldered on for coil

starting hinge hinge in progress

25. Hinge started on one side        26.  Hinge in progress

  hinge together hinge pin in place and balled up on ends   

 27.  Hinge pin ends balled up         28.  hinge complete

 ball soldered on to lid for catch catch soldered on to body of locket  

29. one end of Catch complete     30. other end of catch

 catch complete dot marks the spot

  31.  Catch complete           32.  Dots mark the spots

      holes drilled in preparation for stones ready for the finishing

 33.  drill holes through settings    34. seats for stones complete

 

oxidized
 
35.  locket oxidized
 
using jett sett to hold locket safely while stone setting
 
36. Jett Sett holds locket securely while setting stones
 
first family diamond set in bezel
 
  37. First family diamond set
 
another look
38. both family diamonds set & secure

   look inside  inserting child's Hair

 39.  a look inside                    40. Inserting Noah's hair

acrylic window to set acrylic window in place  

41.Acrylic window to set & hold in hair  42.Acrylic window put in place

scalloped edge holding acrylic window in place
 
43.  Acrylic window set and complete
 
finished!
 
44.  Locket Finished!
 
finished! 2
 
45.  A look at the locket open 
 
back

46.The back of the locket complete

locket on
 
47.  Some perspective when worn  
 
locket on 2

48.  Locket on and open.

 I truly enjoyed making this heirloom locket.  A highly involved, process heavy, wearable object honoring the love between a grandson and his Nana.  I am honored to have been the creator of such a magnificent piece!  I hope you enjoyed seeing the process!

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