Cherry Blossom Necklace

Hammered brass arc, wrapped with brass and handmade paper petals, hand dyed with an ombre effect. Each piece is coated in resin to make it waterproof and durable. The pendant is about 1.5" across, on an 18" sterling silver chain with a handmade clasp.

Created in small batches at the artist's home studio in Everett, WA.

Melanie Brauner is a metalsmith, papermaker, and artist. She holds a BFA from Oregon College of Art & Craft, where she studied books, arts, and metals. She makes jewelry and art out of handmade paper and metal.

The process:

VERSO jewelry is made from metal forms cast in handmade paper. The metal is dipped into a pulp of water and finely beaten paper fibers from a plant called abaca. The fibers cling to the metal and shrink as they dry. A tight, translucent paper skin is built up on the form over successive dips. The concept is the same as making a sheet of handmade paper, but around a three-dimensional form, and by building up thin layers over the course of several days.

After a translucent layer of paper has built up, the forms are hand-dyed, and finally sealed with resin to make them waterproof and durable.

The pieces are inspired by the beautiful oceans and forests and mountains and wetlands of the Pacific Northwest... tide pools, seeds, flowers, raindrops, birds, the curves of a river, ferns, leaves.....