Sterling Silver Channel Inlaid Fish

This whimsical fish is fabricate from sterling silver and set with Obsidian, Onyx, Turquoise and Abalone shell. It doubles as a pendant or brooch. This type of inlay is a complex process, starting with a framework constructed from sterling silver strips which are then soldered to a backplate onto which a pin-back and bale are fashioned. Then pieces of stone are carefully cut to fit in channels created by the silver framework, and epoxied in place, ground down to expose the metal framework, and polished. The entire process takes about 30-40 hours.