"Sweeping Ovals" Neckpiece.

I have always found that understated elegance is the most alluring.  Think Audrey Hepburn or Claudia Cardinale.  OK, I'm showing my age, but I know that they would look great whether dressed in Chanel or Levis.

So would this striking piece.

When I first made it, I spent ages polishing the silver panels to a lustrous shine.  But I have to confess that, frankly, it just looked gaudy.  So, I got out my matting mop, and applied the soft brushed finish that you see now.  I think that this is my favourite piece to date.

There are 30 panels in all, each one sawn from a sheet of solid silver.  They are 0.5mm thick - enough to make them strong, but not too heavy.  Still, the whole piece weighs more than 35g.  It would have been more but for the oval cut-outs. 

Go back to the pic at the top of the page, and you will see how I designed the panels and oval cut-outs to radiate outward from a common point.  Each panel is individually linked to its neighbour so that the curves flow around the piece.  All mathematically precise...... but I think that's what gives the piece its chic.

When I was setting the piece up for photographing, I began tweaking each of the panels so that it was lined up perfectly.  Doh! - as if you would want to do that every couple of minutes when wearing it.  I also suspect that the idea of super-gluing it to your chest so it stays perfectly in place won't go down too well  either. No? Thought not.  So, I just tipped my photography bust forward and let the pieces fall into place naturally.  That's what you are seeing, so now you know what it will really look like on.

I felt that it would not be right to use a bought-in clasp for a piece like this, so I designed one to fit with the rest of it.  Here's a shot from the back. 

The piece is fully hallmarked.

Do take a look at my page on silver care for tips on how to keep your piece looking its best.