Creating wedding rings is one of the perks of being a goldsmith. It is such an honour to be asked to create something which symbolizes love, commitment and one of the biggest events in most peoples lives.
When I created the concept of Soundwave Jewellery over ten years ago I knew wedding and engagement rings would be the perfect application for the technique. I rarely listen to people's recordings as I feel they should be kept personal. However sometimes I listen to the beginning to verify the sound wave ( my biggest fear is mixing up sound waves so I'm a little OCD at triple checking them), other times I need to edit them for design purposes. Every time I catch a little sound byte of people's wedding ring recordings I also get a little emotional. There is so much thought, meaning and love put into them.
With every ring I make I try and put that same emotion back into the ring during its creation process. Being asked to create someone's wedding rings is a privilege and a sacred task. Objects of meaning carry vibrations within them and I want to be certain the vibration of the rings I create is Love .
These sterling silver pieces have been oxidized to make the sound wave black.
What does oxidization mean? It is a surface treatment which use the properties of metal to change its colour. Basically the silver has been pre-tarnished using a chemical called liver of sulphur and form a patina on the surface. It is potassium sulfide and it smells like rotten eggs! If you have ever hiked a volcano you know the smell, its hard to forget.
As an interesting fact you can achieve this look by placing your sterling silver in a plastic bag with boiled egg yokes for a few days, the results of this method vary. The method used by professionals is a little more controlled. The pieces are slightly heated and dipped in the solution 3-5 times or so, heating the piece too much can result in the black fading, Alternatively the solution can be heated, it is a little more smelly this way. I usually create a double burner and heat the solution on an element under a fume hood. Inhaling to much sulphur is bad for your health so proper ventilation in key.
It is important to rinse and brush the silver between dippings to ensure an even coverage. Neglecting this step will result in a patchy look and affect the longevity of the treatment. Because the technique is a surface treatment it can rub off with wear on surface that come into contact with the skin. Beware is you are buying a black sterling silver ring which is flat and has no textural details on the surface. Most likely this will fade with wear and your ring will end up silver coloured again.
In pieces like this Soundwave Dog Tag and Soundwave Bracelet the engraving is quite deep so the colour stays in the grooves and will not fade.
You can see Soundwave Bracelet at the back of the picture is not quite finished yet. Because the solution is a liquid it is hard to target a specific area. You need to colour the whole piece and remove what you do not want to be black.
To finish the pieces the oxidization is removed from the surface of the metal using various grits of sand paper. The oxidization stays in the grooves of the deep etching of the the sound wave.
Now you know how its made! If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below.
Yesterday I finished this pair of Custom Soundwave Rings in white gold . I love making wedding rings, it is such a privilege to be asked to help commemorate such a joyous life event. Creating something that will be worn everyday and become truly a part of someone can sometimes be a lot of pressure! As with all my work I always work hard to make sure that no detail is overlooked. Nothing leaves the studio unless I would wear it myself with pride.
When the bride received the rings she immediately gave me a call. My heart jumped into my throat, my first thought was that something must be wrong with the order. I took a deep breath and prepared to listen and get my problem solving cap on.
As it turns out she was calling to tell me she was thrilled with the rings! Whew! I was thankful for another happy customer and humbled by her effort to take the time to call.
It made me realize how uncommon communicating by phone is these days. Hearing someones voice adds a different dimension to communication. We have all been guilty of reading too much (or too little) into a text message or an email. I'm sure all of us have learned that an email is not the right medium to express sarcasm. Ask anyone over 30 and they will tell you that dating was much easier before the text message. Hours have definitely been spent debating over the meaning of these written communications. We even go so far as to read these correspondences to others to gather their opinions on the matter.
When we communicate vocally we hear the small intonations in a persons voice. We can feel their vibrations. It is these vibrations that keep us connected to each other. We need to listen to respond and be present in the moment. I immediately know if my mom is scrolling through FB while we are on the phone. You can feel when the person is not paying attention and it doesn't feel good because there is a loss of connection. This connection we feel on the phone is completely absent from text messages. In fact when communicating through text we expect people to be disconnected because we are as well. . It's kind of like saying "I want to share this with you but I don't want to deal with your response right now" There is no hiding on the phone. Your silence will defiantly be challenged with a " Hello? Are you still there?".
A phone call happens in the moment, there is no hiding. It is real. You cannot write and rewrite, delete and start over. There is an honesty in this form of communication. There is more of a flow to the conversation. It is not being interrupted by twitter notifications or an instagram post.
A good phone conversation is a unique, one of a kind experience shared between two people. It cannot be replicated or cc'd to a group. It is like a little gift. The phone is such a pleasant way to communicate. I immediately called a friend just to say hi. Call someone today!!!
This is the phonautograph, it is the earliest known sound recording device!
Invented by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville in 1860 it is said to be the first device to have captured a recording of the human voice. Similar to the phonograph invented by Thomas Edison, the phonautograph inscribed the visual image of sound waves onto a rotating cylinder. This means that in recorded history we have only been able to see sound waves for 155 years. That qualifies as recent history!
The technology to hear the recordings he created was only recently developed. In fact his recording itself was only discovered in 2008 and is know as the earliest recording of singing predating Edison's recording by 28 years.
Apparently Scott's intention was never to play back his recordings it was to see a visual representation of his voice. He was deeply invested in the study of stenography and hoped to create a form of stenography which could accurately record a whole conversation. Ahead of his time was Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville!
Obviously I feel an affinity towards Mr. Scott de Martinville. I like to think that I am continuing the work he started. Of course I can not do this with out the help of all my amazing clients, so in essence we are recording history together.
In order to record history objects of quality must be created so they can stand the test of time. Jewellery is a perfect medium to do so if it is created using quality material and proper craftsmanship. Fashion jewellery is fun for play however when grandma passes and the time comes to look into her personal treasure chest items of low quality are usually discarded. It is my personal mission to make sure that your recorded memories are created with the thought and integrity they deserve so we can all learn from them in the future.
I hope Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville would be proud.
The 45 Necklace is available in gold, sterling silver or gold coated brass. Part of the "SOUNDPIECES" collection by Danielle Crampsie the 45 necklace transforms this disposable plastic item into the cultural artifact it truly is. Cast from the original plastic adaptor and hand finished to a shine your necklace is also a fully functional 45 adaptor. Wear it proudly, use it in a pinch, own a piece of history and create a tribute to the 45.
Not the 45 adaptor you remember? Danielle will happily work with you to create a custom design, pls. contact info@daniellecrampsie.com
In the first week of April 1949 RCA Victor presented a whole new way of listening to music: The 45 Record
The release of the short play, seven-inch 45 record was in response to Columbia's new format, the 12", playing at 33 1/3. While both new vinyl formats had their advantages over the heavy, shellac covered 78s with the 45 record RCA set out to revolutionize the listening experience.
Introduced as a well thought out system 45 records were colour coded in reference to style and came with their own specialized player. The new turntable, exclusive to RCA had a 1.5 inch diameter spindle which stacked ten 45s. These records were played in the order the listener assembled them and allowed for one hour of uninterrupted play, a big deal before the luxury of iTunes. Perhaps there was some commercial rivalry between RCA and Columbia however like most revolutionary inventions there was more thought put to this then just gimmicks and marketing ploys. RCA set out to improve the sound quality of records, address their functionality and create a brand new listening system.
Advertisements in Billboard magazine screamed its praises, "the world's fastest record changer", "compact and light!", "convenient 7 inch size", "distortion free playing surface", and they were right.
The 45 speed was chosen specifically to make the music sound better and decided by a mathematical equation* , the turntable had its own 1.0mm stylus with a 5 gram weight, the reduced record speed allowed for mircogrooves, finer grooves assimilated into a smaller space, and the records had a raised edge to prevent the grooves from touching when stacked. So what's with the big hole? In order for the record to pick up speed when dropped on the platter a lot of torque was needed. The small hole on the records would stretch out causing the record to spin unevenly and affecting the sound quality. The larger hole reduced wear keeping the hole round and sound intact.
With its convenient size, affordable price and new lightweight material the 45 gained popularity. Jukeboxes replaced their 78s with 45s and went from having 30 songs on offer to over 100. The newest singles of the day were released on 45 to a hungry audience of young folk who enjoyed their compact size and cheap price in comparison LPs. From 1948 - 1950 the competition between 33 1/3 and 45 was on, known as the War of the Speeds the buying public and record companies alike were unsure which format would prevail. Eventually the 12" record playing at 33 1/3 became the most sought after format for full length albums and 45s settled nicely into its niche for single song releases.
In the 1950's when turntables were released with three speed option ( 78, 33 1/3, 45) and a standard small spindle something had to be done about the size of the hole in the 45 record. Enter the 45 adaptor, that little flexible plastic insert we all know and love. As any record collector will tell you there are many styles of the 45 adaptor. The patent on the first one was filed in 1951 and issued in 1955. James L.D. Morrison is credited as their inventor.
In the end the 12" record would become the most common format releasing full length albums as well as singles. However for a short period the 45 record spoke to the heart of music buyer of the time and still inspires loyal followers and collectors today. From single buying beatlemanics, Jamaican dancehall DJ's to the hands of indie grunge rockers fans of the 45 record all cherish their format of choice and respect the various styles of adaptors that allow us to hear the music.
* Calculus was used to show that the optimum use of a disc record of constant rotational speed occurs when the innermost recorded diameter is half the outermost recorded diameter. That's why a 7-inch single has a label 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Given the CBS vinyl groove dimensions and certain assumptions about the bandwidth and tolerable distortion, a speed of 45 rpm comes out of the formula." http://www.history-of-rock.com/record_formats.htm
Heat treating stainless steel Custom Soundwave Jewelry!
Yesterday I was working with gold and sapphires today I'm working with steel.
I studied to be a goldsmith which means you work with precious metals. Base metals, like steel where not taught. While each metal had its own qualities and working properties precious metals share similar techniques. Steel has its own unique properties and working techniques.
In 2011 when the price of gold (and silver) skyrocketed I stared introducing steel into my work to offer a more affordable option. I had to train myself and get to know the unique properties of the metal.
To this day I am still learning new things about this versatile metal.
Silver soundwave bracelet
custom soundwave bracelet
Stainless Steel Custom Soundwave Ring
