From Zero to Hero - Exquisite Flora Necklace

5-pick-1 designs, and they have decided on the last one

customers' confirm on the necklace structure

swallow loop shape

Final Conceptual design - CAD illustration

Hidden Chinese name with embossed design

the 'VERY' hero

blacken piercing background to enhance the contrast effect

natural flora texture created by the rough modeling board 

I thought I will never be back due to the internet connection problem at TTDI - especially my particular unit. Thank God! Things are getting more organized now. ^L^

Can't wait to share this designing experience. Customer is from Singapore. This is a surprise birthday present from friends. They want something very unique that can be deliver within a month. And finally, they decided to make a necklace with her Chinese name on it.

The emboss design capture their attention. This is where the whole design concept grows.

When taking up this project, we were just shifted to TTDI. The drafting works were done on my boxes of stuffs.(What a memorable experience!) I really worry if this can be complete on time. But worry lead to nowhere, actions speaks!

There was a hiccup point on design idea which cause a few sleepless nights. But I am truly glad to see the results that yield from so many people. 

Basic Jewelry Design and Smithing Course (Code:JMC01)

Jewelry Design Basic Course

 Promotion for 1st batch students (Maximum 10 people)

What do I mean of promotion?

Omit the 1st year member fees of not less the RM 250. As a member you can make full use of out jewelry making machines such as kiln/furnace, milling bench, milling lathe, basic metal-smithing tools, books etc. (Consumable tools are not included)

Our jewelry design course consists of basic metal smithing:

Total cost RM 2500 not included consumable tools.

(Estimated total basic metal-smithing tools and consumable tools cost: less then RM 1000)

Duration: 24 hrs (3 hrs per session, at least once a week, 8 days to complete)

Schedule:

• Monday to Thursday : 2 - 5 pm and 7 - 10 pm
• Friday : 2 - 5 pm
• Saturday : 7 - 10 pm
• Sunday : 9 - 12 pm and 2 - 5 pm

Location: TTDI (My new home studio, opposite of 1 Utama)

Course starts on November 2010

We teach basic skills such as: alloying, filling, piercing/sawing, milling, soldering and polishing 

Projects included: band ring, pendent, earrings or chain. (at least 2 projects will be complete) At the end of the course, you will get your self make silver jewelries.

This is a basic but important course as a entry to jewelry design. After completing this basic course, you may further into CAD which is more focus on conceptual and mold making.

Should you need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact :

Jane +6016 2668 066 or Chin +6012 2446 286

To Register:

1) Please fill in the form

2) We will contact you for appointment. Purpose of the meeting is for you to have a look of the workshop.

3) After that you can pay the fees (you will receive a formal receipt) and confirm class starts date.

MC Studio 

Details Instruction From Master Craftsman Chin

Beautiful Ring Design By Student

Testimonial:

My name is Fabiana and I am a 42-year-old woman who has the dream to spend my free (and not so free) time creating art.  I decided to take on a jewelry course because I want to express my creativity in giving shape to precious things. 

I looked around and I even considered a full university course, however I couldn’t find anything that could fit my needs. I then came across “materialize creativity” website and I chose this particular course because I thought it was comprehensive and totally hands on. I was looking for a course that would give me the basic silversmithing knowledge allowing me to create something in a relatively short time to give me a sense of accomplishment. I found all I was looking for, here with Chin and Jane. In my personal opinion, after having gone through the course, I feel this course would suit many different people and needs. In fact, it is done in such a way that those who intend to have fun and create something, will have the satisfaction to do so and those who intended to know what it is all about in order to go further in the learning of the skills, like me, can do so too. Chin and Jane are two lovely professionals who put their enthusiasm and their smile in every moment of the course. The course has been a great experience that’s why I don’t want it to end. 

Thank you Jane and Chin!

- Fabiana, 42, Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia

A Guest From Another Side of Sphere

Arabic Engraved Turquoise Ring

Unpolished Turquoise

The project breaks all of my records:

(1) Longest distance: (to US)

(2) Most mails : Accumulates total of 116 mails

(3) New design concept: Arabic alphabets (Thuluth). Got to outsource for the beautiful fonts.

(4) New technique: Engrave on stone.

(5) Delivery method: Fedex

To read more on the detail of the message : http://materialisecreativity.blogspot.com/2010/09/arabic-letter-engraved-on-turquoise.html#links

Arabic Letter Engraved On Turquoise Palladium Silver Ring

Those words are engraved allover the walls of 
Alhambra palace in Andalucia,  Spain.

They were the slogan of some Arab royal family 
who immigrated from Arabia to spain and built 
the Alhambra Palace there. 
(ولا غالبَ إلا الله)

The final ring conceptual design

Detail design description from a guest from the other side of the world (United State):

"Let me first write it in Latin letters: wa la ghaliba ella Allah. 

all the the words / letters are easy to pronounce except for (غالب  ghalib) , the first letter from the right in the  word written in Arabic letters (غالب) or first two letters in the word written in Latin letters (ghalib) should be  pronounced as a French (R). As i explained to you previously those words were the slogan used by an Arab royal family in Southern in the Spanish region of  Andalucia ( from Arabic Alandaluce.) this royal family wasn't the greatest Arab royal family in Spain and Portugal at all, in fact , they were so weak. their greatest achievement was building the famous Alhambara palace ( the original Arabic name is Alhamra so there is no B)  ولاغالب إلا الله.  could be translated to : No victor but God. God (no one else but God ) will always have the upper hand. 

Those words could be used to praise God or to ask Him for help since He is the one who has the upper hand but it could also be used for non religious purposes such as: to say to your self or to others (when wining or gaining something) that you should not be full of it be humble and remember that you won just because God allowed you to and He could make you lose next time. it could be also used to say to yourself or to others not to feel so sad and devastated when you lose something because what happened to was God's will and He will reward you later for accepting His will in war time it's used to say to the enemies: God ,who is the only real victor , is on our side (therefore you have no hope, you will lose not matter how powerful you are)

When the catholics took over Spain and Portugal they were heavily influenced by the Arab/ Muslim culture and one of the things they fell in love with was having Arabic slogans, poem and even verses from the Quran engraved on the walls of their palaces just like the Arabs did in Spain and Portugal.  ولاغالب إلا الله. was engraved or written on the walls of a few palaces that belonged to catholics in Spain because they thought that those words give power, wealth and luck. "

To continue reading on the ring :http://materialisecreativity.blogspot.com/2010/09/guest-from-another-side-of-sphere.html

One-Of-A-Kind Blackening Silver Rings and Stamping Silver Pendent

Material: Palladium silver and 925 silver
Design : Handmade 9 Bands Ring
Texture: Hammered

Inspired By : Blacken Silver Couple Rings

A design idea that is inspired by  925 Blackening Silver Couple Rings. Client is from Sabah. She has two design ideas of the 9 bands: (1) Color of the metal in black and white alternatively (2) as above. 

Material : 925 Silver
Design: Handmade Name Stamping Pendent 

The pendent is ordered in a pair as a gift to a new born baby and the mother.  The names are results from stamping effects. 

Door Gift - Mother of Pearl with Stamping Brass Plate Inlayed

The pendent original logo pattern was hand engraved and blacken a bit with black ink. (The ink even smear around the engrave logo :( ) When it comes to hand engrave the person who handle the engraver must be very skillful or you will get amateur results. Chin has this sparkling idea of metal inlay which make the mother of pearl more presentable. He calculated the whole cost and client agree to pay slight higher for better results.

The brass stamping mold is best option for small production which the cost is much more lower compare to EDM mold. In fact, when producing steel stamping mold the quantity of production has to be high. And when it is use for minor production, then I will say the mold is under utilized.

We have tried two type of metal i.e. brass and pure silver as inlay. Both designs present different color matching but both looks great. At the end of the day, client picks the pure silver stamping plate. 

Palladium Silver Initial Ring

His Sketch

His paper cutting prototype

The Renaissance Font 

This is a gift from his parent - as a graduation souvenir which he designs for himself.  The artwork was done nicely and tidily. Our conversation started a few months ago, I think that should be sometime during CNY. Then he came back to me when the article from SUN newspaper reminded him. In the month of June, he visited my home studio with all the informations of the ring design and I like his paper cutout prototype - SO CUTE!

The ring manage to be completed within two weeks and to be deliver the night before he fly back to Australia.   I have always make full advantage of the morning sun light to take the best jewelry photos. This is  best time when everything reflect it original color. However there is alway exceptional case when shooting has to be done under white light, and the results is shown as above.....:(

Beautiful Song and Lyric About Love from Bette Midler

LOVE - we must learn the way to do it right.

Video Credit

From Divine Madness

Some say love, it is a river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
an endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
and you it's only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dyin'
that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been to long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snow
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose.

18K Yellow Gold Name Embossed Engagement Rings

The hidden message...

Inspired by The Princess Ring

His name on her ring...

Her ring on his ring....

Flush setting cubic zirconia....

His is a software engineer with tonnes of works in que. And she is a student studying overseas.  On that was 19th July 10 evening, Chin only have 15 minutes to confirm their ring sizes and to get down payment confirmation from them. I have got less then three weeks to deliver and thats means "Sleepless night"? Not anymore! 

This production line for this design concept has fine tuned and ready to be commercialized. Yeah! Ultimately all R & Ds need to get some returns.

Client is fast confirm on the artwork presentation but the material make him undecidable. His parents says 916 gold got better value and Jane said 18K gold got better quality of workmanship. Finally, he decides to have a durable engagement ring which they will carry it for 4 years before the marriage.

Delivery was on 7th August 2010 and feel glad when he was satisfy. 

Wanna own something like this? Visit: http://www.bespoke-rings.com/p/emboss-design-coderd2rb.html

A Secret Mission Has Been Accomplished - Final Episode

Did I mentioned that this project is solely handmade? Since it is so, all the credits should go to Chin. I was busy on some engraving projects with tight deadline. And client's husband suppose to be back a week later, and the ring should be the "spotlight" of the their 13th anniversary. Chin decided to skip the CAD drafting part and strait to production. I was quite worry on the measurement of the pointed design. Cause everything must be match back to the original design. Client left the ring for a two days and we only managed to jot down the dimension. 

However, Chin just did it! The rings are perfectly match. Lady's design maintain to be feminine and the Man's has metaphor to "masculine". 

Thanks for this loving couple for giving me permission to post their picture. May God blessed the marriage and their two handsome sons.

Corporate Gift - Celtic Cuff link Set with Cubic Zironia

I can not deny I love Celtic design. The weaving effect make the metal become soft and dramatic. The flow of the weaving band always capture my attention. Which suppose on the top and who should come first - I will really study it! 

The mold is done by JewelCad and MDX-15. The rest got to be handmade then send to plating. The curvature of the weaving is not as even as it suppose to be. I did it manually - move the CV points to create ups and down effect. I will recommend ArtCam to do this task and the result will be perfect!

There are two different quality for this pair of cuff link. Can you spot which one is the better quality one?

A Secret Mission Has Been Accomplished

His Original Platinum Ring

The Duplicated One

Solid and thicker band creates the "Masculine" effect

Perfect Flush Setting with Cubic Zirconia

Mirror Finishing

This mission has to be done in highly confidential mode. YES! The mission is to make a duplicate wedding ring for a husband during their 13th Wedding Anniversary. The old ring was too tiny (i.e. ring size 4 times smaller) and the design has to be adjust to become more masculine to fit his finger.

I love surprises and will do my very best to meet this HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL MISSION. :D

Task No1:
To take a photo of the husband existing wedding ring which is 4 size smaller and show it to me for quote - Mission Accomplished!

Task No 2:
To finds all sorts of excuses just to get rid of the loving husband so to drop by to my home studio. (They always go everywhere in pair.) Plus, not to leave any suspicious clues during the "GET RID OF HIM" action. Plus, too many overseas friends to be entertained - Task No 2 Failed for the 1st time!

Task No 3:
Recall task No 2 , (Yeah! Secret Agent always got the tough mentality to use whatever tactic to complete their mission.) The loving husband was overseas and she was glad for the good timing - Mission Accomplished!

Task No 4:
Husband will be back a week later to celebrate her birthday. On the same day,she plans to pass the ring to him as a belated birthday present for him as well as the wedding anniversary gift. The ring was completed two days before the dateline, the great part is - she loved the results. - Mission Accomplished!

The Final Episode!

Emboss Blue Sapphire Ring

Material : Palladium Silver

Stone: Blue Sapphire

Design: Emboss Ring

Finishing: Satin Finish

Font : Vivaldi

This is her simple and clear design description: " My idea rings are comfort fit with round inner design, around 1.5mm thick, 5-6 mm width with gradually narrower and a bit thinner at the bottom, emboss our respective name with a blue sapphire (S@Wai;  P@Yee; @= blue sapphire). I personally prefer "Vivaldi" font." 

 Who says you need to sketch like an artist to design? (Please eat your words :P)

She likes to make beautiful things especially with little hands skills. She created real cute socks toys and now desired to have something unique for her marriage. She is from Perak and our discussions has to make via email. Everything was clear but the ring sizes.(Yeah! I must face this and find a total solution then.)  Finally we have to meet to reconfirm on their rings sizes, that was the time when the groom was back from overseas.

This design is inspired by the Princess Ring, With her very own though on the design and the wise choice on the font, it create another unique design. The blue sapphire is from her own collection. The fine matte satin finishing match with the blue reflection of the sapphire creates a splendid ring design.

There were some customers asking me not to post their rings to the this blog. I will agree when the design is an origin idea. That means the design do not inspired/copy from others. I have got a project with design originality. She had provide a rough sketch of the design and verbal descriptions on the details. That very unique ring is for a sister's wedding gift. We spent 6 months from sketch to CAD then physical ring and the final finishing. The process was rewarding one, cause I have experience the effectiveness of communication to convert the idea from illusion to realistic. I did not have the chance to take a picture of the ring, and I am regret now cause I MISS IT :(. (Just like after delivery and did't see the baby since then, sign!) For her ring, I will not post the design unless she agrees.

For this project, I will say "Sharing Is Caring" (a phrase I have learn from another client). The posting of a new custom made design inspired other to create and this will blossom the design pool.

Wanna own something like this? 

Visit: http://www.bespoke-rings.com/p/emboss-design-coderd2rb.html