The is quite the statement cuff and one of the heftiest piece of jewelry I've made to date, and that says a lot. This big Mama Bear weighs in at 5.1 ounces of recycled Fine and Sterling Silver and with the stones it's fighting weight is a total of 5.5 ounces. The claws by themselves are 1 ounce each. I never hold back on using silver and always aim to create substantial, strong pieces that are wearable and will stand the test of time. As a result, this cuff is sturdy as f*ck. I also recylce, melt, mill, cut, file and form the silver myself by hand.
A lot of labor and love went into this cuff. It started with cleaning and recycling the silver, then making molds of the actual bear claw specimen. Then I cast them myself here at our home workshop. I taught myself to cast a while back and so much work goes into the entire process. Those heavy claws surround the turquoise like a fierce mama bear protector.
I hand fabricated and forged the two trillium flowers that adorn the offset, asymmetrical setting. Here in the Pacific Northwest, trillium grow among the trees and fern on the forest floor, and this first time I saw them I fell in love with their quiet, gentle beauty. I love the contrast between such a fragile flower and bear claws.
This cuff features a big, beautiful, polychrome Hubei Turquoise that I acquired from Jason Hill of Indigenized, quite a while back. I held onto it for the perfect piece, and glad I did. On either side are two, very flashy, round, natural Baltic Amber from my wonderful supplier in Lithuania. All three cabochons are set securely in hand cut, hand textured sterling silver bezels.
I formed the bracelet part of the cuff from two heavy half round sterling wires, and the center wire is round. I added hammer texture to all three and love the look and feel of it. The inside ends at the opening are layered with double half round wire in a design I create that helps keep heavy cuffs secure to wrist, as well as making it very comfortable to wear. I'm very sensitive to uncomfortable jewelry especially cuffs, so I make every effort to ensure my pieces feel good to wear and sit well. All edges were meticulously filed, sanded and polished buttery smooth.
The face of the cuff measures 2 3/8" in length and 2" wide. It tapers to 7/8" at the ends/opening.
This cuff is my Medium to Med/Large, meaning it fits my 6 1/2" wrists perfectly with a tiny bit of extra room. The inside total circumference is 6 3/4 " including the 1" gap/opening. It would best fit wrists 6 1/2 to 6 3/4" maximum, as I could open the gap 1/4" more
The back plate is pattern textured with trillium design and stamped with my LUPANYXA makers marks and STERLING.
This is a hefty, well made, one-of-a-kind piece of sculptural, heirloom jewelry. Every component hand forged and created by hand here at my little home studio. I'm so proud of this piece.
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***All my jewelry photos are taken in natural, outdoor light. No filters, no touch ups, no enhancements or manipulations of any kind are used, so as to represent each and every piece as close to reality as possible.
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