Seed to leaf store Earrings

From Acorn to leaf and back again, the oak tree shows us the cycle of life, And the sun shines from behind in a radial pattern etched into the copper. These earrings display the leaf in relief in silver- backed with copper, suspended by an ear wire and open acorn top.
The whole earring is approximately 2 to 2.5 inches from piercing to tip of earring.
The processes involved in making this set were Lost Wax Casting, Fusing, Forging and wire wrapping. I love combining different techniques to create truly unique objects of adornment.

All of the materials used in these earrings were reclaimed scraps. The cast acorn tops came from a burr oak in Colorado, it was first enveloped in silicone to make a mold to be cast later. Using this mold wax was injected into it to make copies of the single acorn top. These wax models were then encased in plaster and melted (lost wax) leaving a negative space to be filled with reclaimed silver (a mixture of sterling, argentium and fine silver). Some new material was used in this process as is recommended to reduce porosity. The leaves were made by using a technique called fusing. Copper and Silver melt at different temperatures, Copper requires a much higher temperature, so it is possible to slightly melt the silver to sink into the surface of the copper and bond at a subsurface level. This bond is then tested through forging and textural additions. And finally sanding and polishing. Wire wrapping was used to create the ear wire and attach the leaf through store the acorn top.