One of my tablecentres

[Goldsmith]

I did an insurance revamp for an old customer and I prepared this photo sheet showing parts from design to finish for his records and I thought some of you members might be interested in seeing it.
I made this piece twelve years ago and it's replacement cost has almost quadrupled from it's original cost. Sorry if you have seen this posting before or elsewhere.

James

4322

[solitarysmagick]

That's beautiful as always James! Very interesting to see the pictures from start to finish. Thank you for sharing :)

[sonia]

Exquisite James as ever. I never tire of seeing your creations and love seeing the progress pics too.

Sonia
xx

[Anna Wales]

As a new forum member thank you for the pictures, James. Please keep them coming!

[Goldsmith]

As a new forum member thank you for the pictures, James. Please keep them coming!

Hi Anna, if you want to see more of my work I have an album of photos on my profile pages just click on my member name "Goldsmith" to see my profile or here's a link for the album; http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/album.php?albumid=150

James

[Anna Wales]

Thank you James, I need to cheer myself up after the rugby! I'll go and have a look now.

[Anna Wales]

Thank you for the link, your work is so beautiful. Hints like bricks will be given to the family for your book on my birthday! Possibly not a question you can narrow down to one James, but what was your most difficult piece to make?

[Goldsmith]

Thank you for the link, your work is so beautiful. Hints like bricks will be given to the family for your book on my birthday! Possibly not a question you can narrow down to one James, but what was your most difficult piece to make?

I wouldn't use the word difficult Anna, but one of the most challenging jobs to get right was when I was making the Tutankhamun mask. Chasing the face of Tutankhamun was quite a job as I wanted to achieve as close as possible correct copy of the original and this was my first attempt at chasing a full relief face from flat 18ct gold sheet, before this I had only used chasing tools and methods for texturing my crest carvings.

James

[Tabby66]

As has already been said, your work is exquisite............it's interesting to hear the challenges you found with pieces........oooh...and I was lucky enough to receive your book as a very thoughtful christmas present :D

[Anna Wales]

I wouldn't use the word difficult Anna, but one of the most challenging jobs to get right was when I was making the Tutankhamun mask. Chasing the face of Tutankhamun was quite a job as I wanted to achieve as close as possible correct copy of the original and this was my first attempt at chasing a full relief face from flat 18ct gold sheet, before this I had only used chasing tools and methods for texturing my crest carvings.

James

That was my guess at what your answer might be! It is a stunning piece. What thickness of sheet did you use?

[Goldsmith]

That was my guess at what your answer might be! It is a stunning piece. What thickness of sheet did you use?

Anna, the face was shaped and chased from 0.70mm. thick 18ct sheet. The rest was made from 1mm. thick 18ct sheet. The base stone was Sodalite.
I entered the finished piece into the Smallworkers seniors section of the 1978 Goldsmiths Craft and Design Council annual competition and won a first prize and also won The Asprey of Bond Street Award with it. It was a commission from Garrards.

http://www.craftanddesigncouncil.org.uk/exhibition/
If anyone is interested, this years competition entrants and winners can be seen at a free exhibition 5th to 8th March at Goldsmith's Hall, always worth a visit, especially if you have never visited the Hall.

James

[Goldsmith]

I thought I would mention a reason why I am unlikely to make any more of these table centrepieces and this was number eight by the way, the amount of metals that I had to buy to make this one totalled 2,200 grams of 18ct. gold and 4000 grams of silver.

James