Hallmarked Leaf Pendant - handmade from solid silver using a real leaf

A stunning handmade silver leaf pendant made from a real leaf. This is a really heavy piece and uses 12.1grams of silver - one of my heaviest pieces of work ever! 

• Approximate length of leaf 4.5cm
• Approximate width of leaf 3cm 
• (See photo with my hand for scale too)
• Hanging on a sterling silver snake chain (45cm)
• Hallmarked at the London Assay Office
• Presented in a gift box. (Esther Priestley gift boxes - are made from jewellery boxes are made from FSC®-certified cardboard and water-based glue and the foam insert uses Tall oil – a by-product extracted from tree pulp during paper production, making them an truly eco-friendly design)

The process: I was able to make my own silver clay paste using ground up recycled silver clay particles and water from my workbench in order to create this piece. The leaf was collected on local walk and whilst it was still fresh I coated it with the first layer of silver clay.  Then over a process of several weeks I added layers - up to 9 in total.  The delicate clay shape then went into my kiln, where the actual leaf itself burns away, leaving behind the imprint in silver.

I was later able tro add the bail so it could hang on a chain and refire it.