Tag Archive for: charleston silversmith

I am thrilled to announce the launch of my Reef Vase Series and Reef Jewelry Series!  The two Reef series were inspired by marine life seen on my scuba diving adventures throughout the years. The designs were developed based on the inspiration images shown above in the first picture. The beauty of marine life has always drawn me to explore it closer and in doing so I was moved to develop a series based on the gorgeous, natural textures of the reef. I had struggled over the appropriate form to highlight all the elements I love so much, so instead of choosing one I went in two directions with the same idea!

Each one of a kind vase was raised from a flat sheet of copper by hammering it numerous times over a cast iron form until it reached the desired height. It is a very time consuming and labor intensive process that requires a lot of skill. Each vessel has an undulating top edge that was inspired by organic sea forms.  View the three first pieces in the series at http://www.kaminerhaislip.com/product-category/home/.

For the jewelry collection, I utilized the traditional silversmithing technique of fold forming to create the stunning variety of textures within the silver earrings and pendants. Each component was folded over with a mallet and then hammered either on the edge or the spine with a metal hammer to mimic the textures found in the reef. The copper prototypes for the final silver pieces can be seen above in the first picture.  The shiny, polished exterior and matte interior create contrast that highlights the forms beautifully!  See for yourself at http://www.kaminerhaislip.com/product-category/jewelry/!

Be sure to check out additional images on my website Gallery page and Handcrafted Design page!