2024
SOLID LAPISLAZZULI AND PALLADIUM PLATED BRONZE
HAND CHISELED AND CAST IN FLORENCE
~16CM TALL
 
THE MAKING OF A HOME JEWEL
LAPIS LAZULI IS SOURCED IN AFGHANISTAN AND HAS BEEN USED FROM THE BEGINNING OF CIVILISATION. IT WAS ALSO USED AS A PIGMENT MIXED TO PAINT SEAS AND SKIES AS IN MICHELANGELO'S SISTINE CHAPEL.
DURING THE RENAISSANCE IT WAS CONSIDERED A STONE OF GOOD LUCK AND LOVE. 
THE FINAL SCULPTURE OF LAPIS LAZULI IS MADE FROM A PIECE UP TO 4 TIMES THE GRENADES SIZE. IT IS FIRST ROUGHLY CUT INTO SHAPE WITH WATER JETS AND THEN REFINED AND POLISHED WITH A CHISEL AND OTHER STONE TOOLS. 
THE GRENADE HANDLE AND DRAGON ARE CAST WITH A PROCESS CALLED LOST WAX CASTING. THIS MEANS IT'S FIRST SCULPTED IN WAX BY HAND. A MOULD IS MADE AROUND THIS AND MOLTEN BRONZE IS POURED INTO THE MOULD, MELTING THE WAX AND LEAVING ONLY THE BRONZE SCULPTURE.
EVERY SCALE IS THEN HAMMERED INTO THE BRONZE TO CREATE THE FINAL EFFECT, MAKING EACH PIECE EVEN MORE UNIQUE.
THE BRONZE IS THEN JOINED TOGETHER IN THE RIGHT SHAPE TO GO AROUND THE GRENADE AND THE SEAMS ARE CONCEALED BY HAMMERING THE SCALE PATTERN OVER THE JOINTS.
LAPIS LAZULI HAS OFTEN BEEN PAIRED WITH SILVER, BUT AS SILVER BLACKENS, PLATINUM PLATING IS USED INSTEAD, MEANING IT WILL RAMAIN THE SAME COLOUR.
 
AS THIS PIECE IS MADE TO ORDER JUST FOR YOU, IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME TO SHIP OUT.
 
AS EVERY STONE IS DIFFERENT, THE STONE MIGHT DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE ONE IN THE IMAGE .