Granulation, chased, and fabricated amulet on a loop-in-loop chain

Part of the fun with amulets is placing unexpected treasures on the insides. A number of random influences came together when I created this piece, including my obsession with chatelaines and travel-sized tool kits.

I had experimented with the granulation animal after seeing several Art Deco motifs of gazelles. The sterling sheet onto which I fused the granules already had an asymmetrical semi-elliptical shape, which interestingly mimicked the animal’s leaping motion.

Left: A swivel hinge can easily accommodate multiple layers, so I cut the locket into three sections. The stampings, pearl, chasing, placement of gold, and patina were all intuitive design decisions that evolved as the gazelle’s leaping increasingly reminded me of Paleolithic cave paintings.