Star: The most chilled out girl!
Every now and then, a commission comes along that makes me grin from ear to ear in the workshop. One such request came from a lady called Denby, who asked me to create a brooch of her dog — the wonderful Star.
Now, Star wasn’t your typical “sit nicely for a portrait” sort of subject. Apparently, her favourite position was upright, leaning back against the sofa like a person watching TV after a long day. Not exactly what you’d expect to see immortalised in silver… but that’s exactly why I loved this commission so much.
I set to work with sterling silver as the base, adding depth with oxidised silver and warmth with rose gold highlights. The trickiest and most satisfying part, though, was engraving her wire coat. I spent hours carving those little lines into the metal so that when you look at the brooch, you don’t just see a silhouette, you see texture, character, and a sparkle in her eye!
I couldn’t help but smile the whole time, imagining Star lounging on the sofa, utterly unapologetic about her chosen posture. Dogs are such individuals, and capturing their unique habits is one of the best parts of my job. Anyone can make a “generic dog brooch,” but a dog sitting upright like she’s waiting for a cup of tea? Now that’s special.
Because the brooch was a substantial piece, I also added a safety chain and pin for extra security. After all, the last thing I wanted was for Star-the-brooch to go wandering off and get lost. She might have looked relaxed, but I wanted her firmly in place!
I didn’t hear back from Denby after the brooch arrived, but that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes the joy for me comes just from the making — from taking a quirky idea and watching it come alive in silver and gold. This was one of those commissions where I found myself chuckling as I worked, genuinely enjoying the challenge of capturing not only the likeness of the dog but also her personality and her wonderfully odd sitting style.
Pieces like this remind me why I love custom jewellery so much. It’s not about perfection or predictability, it’s about character, memory, and the little quirks that make each pet completely irreplaceable. And to be trusted to capture that in metal is a privilege I never take for granted.
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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