Professional PMC:
The Moth Cuff Bracelet
By Bridgette Rallo
Ah, fashion! It’s all about the trend of the season, that new something hot off the runway that everyone has to own.
And it’s not simply clothing that true fashionistas worry about. They’ve got to get the accessories right, too. That’s where we come in. As jewelers, we supply some of the most important “accessories.” Without us, there is no sparkle, no shine. This month’s project combines two of the biggest trends of the year: cuff bracelets and “green” design.
Cuffs never really go out of style but they have periodic resurgences, mostly because they make such a bold statement. They are wide, can stand on their own as a single, eye-catching piece of jewelry and they’re adaptable. Stylistically, a cuff can look medieval, industrial, ancient, mid-century modern…the design options are endless.
The Moth Cuff blends today’s emphasis on “green” consciousness with a bit of Asian flair. For centuries, Japanese artisans have excelled at realistic representations of natural elements in their designs for everything human beings use, beginning with household implements and continuing on through the spectrum of personal adornment. Think of lacquer tea ware or netsuke carvings or kimono silks. All of these use elements of the natural world as the jumping-off point for artistic expression.
In keeping with the clean, simple vibe of both Asian and green design philosophies, I’ve used just two materials in creating the Moth Cuff. The body of the bracelet is composed of fine silver and only fine silver. There are no semi-precious stones to set, no added metals like gold nuggets or Aura 22 paint and no dangles or drops. There are three white cubic zirconia cabochons strategically placed along the cuff band; these suggest water droplets and are completely consistent with the design story behind this piece of jewelry.
Notes:
The two new pieces of equipment you nay need to purchase in order to make the Moth Cuff are a wooden bracelet mandrel and a rawhide mallet. These are not expensive and are widely available. I use mine for more than just cuff bracelets; whenever I need a curved element in a design, I reach for the mandrel. You can dry PMC parts on it, use it as a base to hammer out warped curves and, if you mark it in half inch-sized increments, you can measure and fit custom bracelets so that they match your client’s wrist exactly. Rawhide mallets are great for removing warps in general: they don’t damage your finish and are not likely to cause cracking when used properly.
White, or clear, cubic zirconias are most often sold as faceted stones. Cabs are less widely available and the few suppliers who do carry them usually sell out quickly. If you have trouble finding them, you can substitute 5mm pale blue, lavender or green-colored cubic zirconia cabs or, in a pinch, pale-colored dichroic glass dots. If using dichroics, just make sure that the iridescent elements are not too bright. The idea is to suggest dew drops or rain droplets.
The body of the cuff features a wood grain pattern. I used the top of an old Japanese cast iron box for my impression but there are many wood grain stamps and texture plates available. Try StampFransisco or even the paint department of your local hardware store. The faux section of the paint department usually sells rubber texture pads for grain painting wood trim and furniture.
Finally, I used a fine silver casting grain as the head of my moth because I had one that was the right size but you can easily make a little round ball of PMC and use that instead.
About The Designer
 I truly believe that jewelry is wearable art and I approach each of my pieces that way. The color and form of my stones, the compatibility of stone and metal type with the piece I have in mind, the “wearability” of each piece, all of these things are in my mind as I work on a particular composition. My work is strongly tied to the environment because I understand that Nature is the ultimate artist.
From my earliest memories, I have been in love with handmade art jewelry. My affair began in earnest during high school, when I started making pieces for myself and my friends. Visiting Italian artist Paula Wolfson noticed the quality of my design and my attention to detail and accepted me in an offhanded apprenticeship in painting for three years. Thus I absorbed the fundamentals of abstract art from one of its celebrated European proponents. Next, I studied and worked for East Hampton potter and sculptor Frank Pereira. There I met the next generation of 1960s jewelry artists, many of whom sold their work through Pereira.
But I was also a talented writer, and, after college and marriage to painter and architect Harry Rallo, I began a career as a newspaper reporter in Florida that lasted until 1999. Tired of the hectic pace of news writing, I decided to begin a new career handcrafting jewelry. My first step was to immerse herself in the mechanics of my craft: I studied advanced wire wrapping techniques with Amy Duloff of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; metalsmithing techniques with prize-winning jewelry artist Susan Lewis at the Boca Raton, FL, Museum of Art; and Precious Metal Clay (PMC) techniques with Vera Lightstone of Lightstone Studios in Manhattan. In June of 2005, I became a certified PMC instructor and, in January of 2006, a certified Level 2 instructor.
Visit Bridgette’s website, www.greenwoodsstudio.com,
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