Polymer Clay Jewelry Set 2–“Mystical”

Close-up of the earring pair. These were created from the same block of clay as the pendant and hand sculpted.

Close-up of the necklace and pendant. The pendant, like the earrings, was created from a block of Mokume Gane polymer clay and hand sculpted.
Here is the second of my polymer clay art jewelry sets. I think this is one of the most sensitive and elegant of my pieces so far. As of right now, I’d say it’s my favorite.
Like the “Jungle” set I posted earlier, the polymer clay elements were created from the modified Mokume Gane technique adapted for polymer clay. I have developed my own unique process to create these Mokume Gane “blocks” of clay, and my favorite part about it is the surprise I find when I start to cut thin slices from the block and prepare to place them on the ball of base clay.
The designs are abstract, but I often find that as I start to sculpt the piece, my hands and mind coordinate to create figures of some kind. Usually I find myself creating animal and bird shapes, but in this case I found that the piece resembled a woman. The final shape is reminiscent of a mother carrying her child. The association is, of course, subjective, and you may not see the same resemblance that I do. And that’s the beauty of this technique, I think.
I strung the pendant with a variety of glass, hematite, and jasper beads along with Swarovski crystals. It took a lot of failed attempts to get the composition just right, but I am pleased with the way the combination of beads and crystals adds just a little sparkle while complementing the subtle colors of the mostly-black pendant.
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