Inspired by Surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s famous melting clocks, this collection is the epitome of elegance. Subtly curving silver sheet appears to stretch and elongate while flaring out into a gentle drop shape which then flows into a polished silver ripple suggestive of molten metal. The satin finish of the silver sheet provides contrast with the polished dripping edges, further enhancing the melting effect.
The collection is currently being expanded. It can be made in solid silver with or without yellow or rose gold plating. Solid 9ct, 14ct and 18ct is also available upon request.
I was looking through some art books late at night when I came across Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory (1931). I immediately had an image in my mind of pair of earrings and the collection started from there. It is unusual for me to be inspired by something other than nature, yet the resulting design still very much has an organic and fluid feel.
It took several attempts to make the prototype for this collection exactly as I wanted it. I tried wax carving, but that resulted in something which was too chunky and heavy. I tried designing it in CAD [Computer-Aided Design], but at the time I was still very much learning the new program and I didn’t have the necessary skills. So I resorted to traditional jewellery techniques and eventually made the prototype from copper sheet. With copper sheet I could achieve a slim rippled appearance, but I had to carve the molten rib-like section at the bottom from copper rod. After a day or so of filing the copper rod I soldered this section on to the sheet with a large quantity of silver solder. The excess solder allowed me to get a subtle transition between the copper sheet and the rod. After more filing and refining a mould was made, which enabled the pieces to be cast in solid silver.
Store your Dali jewellery, carefully wrapped in tissue paper to prevent scratching the finish, in an airtight plastic bag or container. Don’t leave silver jewellery out in the open as circulating air will speed up any tarnishing.
If you do need to remove tarnish from your Dali jewellery, I recommend a silver dip like Hagerty Silver Clean available online. Dip the jewellery for a couple of seconds only, then rinse thoroughly with water and dry carefully with a tissue. Ensure the jewellery is dried thoroughly as any moisture left behind will leave a water mark on the satin finish and the whole cleaning process may have to be repeated.
All fine jewellery should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Your jewellery should never be sprayed with perfume, hairspray or deodorant as these can cause a patina to develop on the silver. Please don’t hesitate to contact me via email if you have any questions.
