ArtFire

Handmade form folded copper leaf pendant features a silver toned ladybug charm who looks like she's just landed for a rest on an inviting leaf. This pendant which is suspended from black leather cord is elegant and whimsical. The contrast of the warm copper and the cool silver gives this mixed metal piece a unique charm. Textured copper beads have been added to the cord for additional visual appeal.

I have buffed and polished parts of the leaf to reveal bright shiny copper, while leaving other areas the way they appear after being darkened by using a torch to heat the metal. The back of the pendant shows the effects of heating copper with a torch and has been left in its original state. I decided not to buff as the colors and pattern added another attractive design element to this wonderful necklace.

The ends of the leather cord have been finished with a coiled copper wire method that I developed while experimenting with a way to make cord ends look really finished and attractive. The copper hook clasp is also handcrafted. All of the copper has been oxidized for a rich antique look.

Fold forming was invented by Charles Lewton-Brain in 1980 and is a before unknown method of working with metal. The British Museum Research Lab and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise have certified that Fold-forming is new and has not been done before in the history of metal working.

Metal is heated, hammered, folded and unfolded in a way that lets the natural properties of the metal help determine the final shape of the item, rather than force the metal into a predetermined shape.

The necklace measures 18.5 inches / 47 cm in total length and the leaf pendant is 1.5 inches / 3.8 cm long.