I designed this necklace during an Advanced Metals class I recently completed from the City Of Savannah. My sister is an avid birder in the Pacific Northwest, and has one wild bird that will come when called for food. It’s a simple pierced and sawn profile in silver plated brass, with a 5mm Madiera citrine.

Madeira citrine is a scarce quartz gemstone with a deep golden-brown color that ranges from honeyed orange to bronzed brown. It’s named after the (rather tasty) fortified wine from the Madeira Islands off the coast of Portugal, which has a similar color range. The word “Madeira” is a Brazilian Portuguese word that means “wood” or “wood colored”.

The surface is textured with fine random chisel lines that evoke the idea of a rain shower. While it was rather time consuming to make, I’m pleased with the result… so much so that I several other designs on my bench right now. The next one will be a profile of a swallow, which is inspired by a recent trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Swallows are a popular design motif there, and stylized ceramic swallows appear as a decoration on the sides of buildings.