Sunflower bangle remodel

Sunflower bangle remodel project.

Recent brief from a returning customer and I quote:

“I’ve got lots of jewellery from my Nan and other important people. Can you melt it down and make me a bangle using all the gold? I like sunflowers!”

It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s so nice to GENUINELY remodel gold that is of sentimental value to the customer.

We did a number of drawings for the inquiry.

Exploring design options on paper has to be the first step, before Chris starts to work on the chosen design in the 3D software. Following on from my sketches, the lady decided to have an open-ended round bangle, with a sunflower on each end.

Not being content with just a textured centre, Chris wanted to replicate nature’s mathematical pattern for the flower pistils. This expanding spiral effect is known as the Fibonacci sequence and features widely in our natural world: Many shells, flower petals, storm formations and even galaxy patterns follow this mathematical phenomenon. Stating with 0-1, each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two numbers: 0-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55 etc

When drawn out in rectangles, the sequence forms a spiral.

Great artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Gaudi referred to this sequence in their works.

From melting down the old jewellery into a new gold rod, the sunflower bangle finally comes together.

The sunflower heads were soldered to the newly formed bangle and the polishing process was started.

We didn’t want to make the flower heads too shiny, but rather leave them slightly dull and textured like a ‘real’ flower.

The sunflower bangle remodel was an absorbing project. The sunflower heads were created in very minute detail, which makes our work stand apart from other studios.