Leaning Toward Lockets

Timepieces, Faux Watches and Gems

Had a productive day yesterday, experimenting with locket-like shapes and ideas for creating enclosed casings.

I have brass sheet that I use for etching and stamping charms, when I need words on the piece to convey a thought.

I'm attracted to old watch components, gears and casings, watch faces. But I don't like to take old watches apart. So I've been trying to come up with ways to create the look of the parts, without scavenging old or antique watches.

This little pendant pulled together a faux ivory bead I made a while ago, that I wanted to put into some sort of casing. Then I antiqued this faux gem and added it to the back, to keep it from looking too plain.






There's a drilled hole in the bottom of the brass casing that I slipped a patinaed jump ring through, to make a spot for a dangle or to attach the whole thing onto the side of a length of chain, like an off-center locket.

The sides of the casing don't go all the way around, to allow the little faux carved bead to extend out on the edges.

I wanted it to look very ancient and hand fabricated, maybe like something from the orient in the late 18th century, battered and time worn. Like a watch fob that someone wore on a long sea journey and handed down to their descendants through the ages.


Hopefully I'll learn more ways to work with the brass, I really like the shiny brushed finish of it, against the darkened patina metal.

I will keep working on the locket ideas, the faux timepieces. They are so interesting to me, with many secret stories to tell.