DIASPRO DI SICILIA & 24CT GOLD-PLATED BRONZE
A SCULPTURAL PIECE HAND-CHISELED AND CAST IN FLORENCE USING RARE SICILIAN JASPER AND RICHLY FINISHED IN 24CT GOLD-PLATED BRONZE.
 
EVERY STONE CARRIES ITS OWN NATURAL MARKINGS AND TONAL VARIATIONS, MAKING EACH WORK ENTIRELY ONE OF A KIND.
 
APPROX. 21 CM TALL.
 
CREATED TO ORDER IN LIMITED QUANTITIES. PLEASE ALLOW TIME FOR ARTISANAL PRODUCTION AND DISPATCH. SHIPPED WITH SPECIALIST COURIER. 
 
THE MAKING OF A HOME JEWEL
SICILIAN JASPER, KNOWN AS DIASPRO DI SICILIA, IS A NATURAL STONE FORMED OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS THROUGH VOLCANIC AND SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES UNIQUE TO SICILY. PRIZED FOR ITS RICH EARTH TONES, VEINING, AND ORGANIC PATTERNS, EACH PIECE CARRIES A DISTINCT CHARACTER SHAPED BY THE ISLAND’S GEOLOGICAL HISTORY.
 
THE FINAL SCULPTURE OF SICILIAN JASPER IS MADE FROM A PIECE UP TO 4 TIMES THE GRENADE'S 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 SNAKE 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.
 
THE BRONZE SNAKE  IS THEN JOINED TOGETHER IN THE RIGHT SHAPE TO GO AROUND THE GRENADE AND THE SEAMS ARE POLISHED AWAY. THE BUTTERFLY WINGS HAS IT'S DETAILS AND SHAPE HAMMERED BEFORE BEING ATTACHED TO THE BUTTEFLY BODY.