Gold & Silver: Annual Birthday Charm

I have been graciously invited to embark on an Annual Charm making journey with a wonderful family, for their new Little Girl!

This series will be grow by one charm each year…

Eighth Birthday Charm:

This year this girl is crazy about Cheer! She was accepted to an elite cheer squad, and this little charm marks her passion. Her Mom said that she’s seen her daughter do this pose thousands of times. : )

Sterling Silver. 2cm long

Silver rendering of a young girl striking a cheerleaders' pose. The charm is resting at the edge of ripped paper.
A girl doing a handstand in front of a window.
Green wax carving of a cheerleaders' handstand, on brown fabric.
A green sheet of wax with a figure cut out, resting on a jewellers bench pin, a saw blade in the mid-ground, and the paper design in the background.
Silver charm of a figure doing a cheerleaders handstand, resting on the tip of a finger.

Seventh Birthday Charm:

Annual charm, marking a move to the mountains.
With this simple charm, we played with finish of the metal – making the mountains a matte finish, and the snow caps on them highly polished. The river picks up shine, as it meanders from the mountains.

This was an exciting year, for this annual charm client – her daughter was able to have input on the design of this years’ birthday charm!
As always, I provided several design concepts, and this year the little girl was able to choose.
(She has wonderful taste – she chose my favourite design ; )

14K yellow gold. 2cm long

14K yellow gold mountain charm - three mountain peaks with polished snow caps, a river runs through to the foreground. There is a gold ring at the top.
14K yellow gold mountain charm - three mountain peaks with polished snow caps, a river runs through to the foreground. There is a gold ring at the top.
Fingers holding a green wax carving of mountains and a river, at the jewellery bench.
Green Wax, with white drawing on a bench pin, on the jewellers bench.

Sixth Birthday Charm:

Her Dads’ hockey jersey – what wonderful rink-side memories she must have!

Sterling Silver. 2cm

Sterling silver Oilers hockey jersey with silver jump ring.
Back of a wax carving of a hockey jersey, number 8
Roughed-in wax jersey on the jewellers bench.
Back of a sterling silver hockey jersey, "Turris" "8" with silver jump ring, being held in a hand.
Paper design, above a cutout wax of a jersey, on bench pin.

Fifth Birthday Charm:

A move to Edmonton, Alberta this year! So here we have a mini-map of Edmonton, with the North Saskatchewan River raised across it. The Alberta crest was laser engraved on the front as well. On the back “Hakuna Matata” (each word printed by each of her parents), this was laser engraved as well.

14K Yellow Gold, 2cm long.

14K yellow gold Edmonton AB charm
Back of 14K yellow gold Edmonton AB charm saying 'Hakuna Matata'
Wax carving - small charm - map of Edmonton AB
Wax carving - small charm - map of Edmonton AB
Small gold charm: map of Edmonton, with raised river, and Alberta crest inscribed.
Back of charm "Hakuna Matata"
Wax carving, with dust highlighting the river. Wax bar above.

Fourth Birthday Charm

Makeup was a big discovery this year. And Frozen is her favourite movie. So I created a teeny-tiny lipstick case with snowflakes on it!

Silver, 2cm long.

Hand carved silver lipstick charm, with snowflakes hand engraved.
Silver lipstick charm on it's side.
Hand carved lipstick charm on it's side.
Wax lipstick charm, on a dime for scale.

Third Birthday Charm:

This hair bow represents this little girls’ ‘signature look’…

14K yellow gold (1.7cm in length)

Gold hair bow charm.
Gold hair bow charm on a dime.
Back of a golden hair barrette charm.
Custom gold hair bow charm, with back clip, and the number 3
Fingers holding a custom wax carving of a hair bow, designs in the background.
Hand holding a carving tool, with wax carving of a bow on a bench pin.

Second Birthday Charm:

This year commemorates the family’s move to Nashville Tennessee.

Silver (height 1.9cm)

Silver map charm, with heart.
Hand made silver charm and design. Map of Tennessee.

First Birthday charm:

This little one loved the prism that created a rainbow in her room. She is the sunshine.

14K yellow gold rainbow (height 1.5cm)

Gold rainbow charm, with clouds and sun. On gold chain.
Side view of gold rainbow charm and chain.
Gold rainbow charm with clouds and sun.
Wax carving detail: rainbow with clouds and sun.
Side view of hand carved wax rainbow charm.