Silver Border Collie Bracelet: Jax and Lyra
When Katie wanted to find a really personal jewellery gift for her 30th birthday, she knew exactly who it had to feature: her two dogs, Jax and Lyra.
Jax is black and white with lovely floppy ears, while Lyra is brown and white with ears that stand proudly upright. They’re both collie-type dogs, but their colouring and markings make them completely different from one another.
And it was those markings that Katie wanted me to capture.
Rather than making the dogs from the front, she chose something a little different. She wanted the backs of Jax and Lyra, because from behind you can really see the beautiful patterns in their coats.
I love commissions like this because it’s often the details that might seem insignificant to someone else that make a piece instantly recognisable to the person who knows the dog.
For Jax, I used sterling silver as the base and then added oxidised silver to recreate his black markings. The contrast gave his coat that lovely black and white appearance, while his floppy ears helped give him his unmistakable shape.
Lyra was completely different. Her brown and white colouring was recreated using a combination of silver and rose gold, with the rose gold adding those warm brown areas of her coat.
Two dogs, two completely different sets of markings, but together they made a really lovely pair.
The bracelet means Katie can carry a little reminder of both of them with her, but it also feels completely personal because it isn't just a bracelet with two generic dogs on it. It is Jax and Lyra, right down to their markings, ears and colouring.
I really enjoyed making this one. There is something lovely about looking at a photograph and figuring out how to translate those little details into silver, oxidisation and gold. And I think Jax and Lyra look rather fabulous from behind.
If you’ve ever thought about having a custom piece made, whether it’s to celebrate a beloved pet or capture one of their quirks, I’d love to hear your ideas. You can read more about my process here: Custom Pet Jewellery.
Who knows? Your pet’s quirkiest habit might just be the next one I’m smiling about at my workbench.
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