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| Tesla Triumph bracelet by DreamSteam - for sale on ArtFire |
Whenever I see coiled copper wire, I think of the inventions of Nikola Tesla. I believe the piece itself was a triumph of my ever evolving jewelry making skills, hence the name for this steampunk inspired bracelet.
So how did this piece come to pass? I wanted to make another truly steampunk bracelet from scratch. So I obtained my sheet of brass, cut it into strips, hammered it on my anvil, bent it into shape, and then removed any sharp edges. The brass clock gear at the center of the "cabochon" is vintage. To hold all of the pieces together, I came up with a wire-wrapping technique that was both strong and complimentary to a steampunk design.
The bracelet has been "aged" to give it a rustic look; you may see verdigris greens, glowing copper reds, and grungy steampunk browns among the colors that the metal has attained. To get the gorgeous patina on the brass, I used the vinegar and salt technique as described in a previous blog post. It turned out splendidly! I could have let it get even more developed, but I liked it the way it was and lightly waxed the metal to preserve it.
I put a lot of time, thought and effort into this piece, and I hope someone else decides that they like it as much as I do! It will never be re-created exactly, even if I try to make another, as clock gears differ greatly.
This bracelet is for sale in my ArtFire studio here (more pictures posted there). If you like it or know someone who might, please feel free to Tweet it from that page or otherwise pass it along. Thank you!
