Inspired by 花鳥畫 (fa-niu-wa), or bird-and-flower painting, the Persimmon Tree is a tiny sculpture of an delicate winter branch, on which a curious bird inspects a bright sapphire fruit.
My favourite perspective is the bird's point of view. Persimmons ripen in the coldest months of the year, just as other trees and crops are becoming barren. To find a plump persimmon must be such a treat!
Starting point
I make all of my solid gold jewellery using the lost wax method. I use a small knife to carve the model out of jeweller's wax, then have the wax model cast in metal.
For this project, I started by handcarving some small, natural shapes.
My favourite part of handcarving is watching a shape emerge from what used to be nothing :)
Creating the composition
Once I had a few elements on hand, I began to sketch out possible compositions. The only thing I really knew at this point was that I wanted something with clean lines and a sense of sparseness. After seeing some photos of a nuthatch pose, I decided on an outline and began to connect the parts together.
Details of the wax sculpture
My favourite detail is the design of the bezel (the frame that eventually holds the stone). In this design, the bezel forms the persimmon fruit. At the back, or base of the fruit, there is a small window for light to pass through the stone. The window is framed by the four-lobed persimmon leaves below.
I wanted to make a natural-looking connection between the bezel and the rest of the pendant, without blocking the lovely shape of the persimmon leaves. So I have the stem floating above the window as though attached through the negative space.
Casting and setting the metal model
With the help of my local caster, the wax model is transformed into metal! I completed the final polishing and stone-setting in my home studio.
In the beginning, I had looked for an orange stone, but ultimately chose a vibrant pink because I thought it would contrast better with yellow gold... the same way that a natural persimmon shines brightly against dark branches or snow :)
Learn more about jewellery design and wax carving
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