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Compound CC3-R Cufflinks

Compound CC3-R Cufflinks

Compound CC3-RThese cufflinks were a very unique commission to be given to a post doctoral research associate at Liverpool University. Each link shows a representation of the compound CC3-R molecule.

The cufflinks are made from sterling silver with the molecule hand-cut into the face of the handmade links.

Designing the Cufflinks

The cufflinks were commissioned by my customer (and long time friend), Gavin, for his brother Marc. They were given to celebrate Marc’s 30th birthday and also his publication in Nature Journal about the CC3-R molecule that he and his colleagues developed. See the online publication at Nature journal here.

Since this project involved such a unique molecule that is built by Marc, neither I or the gift giver, Gavin, had heard of it. We worked together to get the design right for the recipient and enlisted some help from someone who understood more about Marc’s work. (Thanks, Alex!)

I’m pleased to report that the links were a hit.

 

 

 

Compound CC3-R Cufflinks

 

If you’d like to commission something unique to you, or as a gift, please contact me to talk about your ideas. You can also check out my portfolio to see other pieces that I’ve designed and made with customers in the past.

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Oxytocin Bracelet – Cuff in Argentium Silver

Oxytocin Bracelet

This chunky and heavy cuff was a custom design with the oxytocin molecule. It was a Mother’s Day gift for a lady who wanted something more chunky and made from argentium.

Argentium is a sterling silver alloy that is less likely to tarnish and is usually 935 silver (sterling is 925).

This handmade oxytocin bracelet was designed to be a cuff that would stand out and look beautiful and bold. The design on the front of the bracelet is a representation of the oxytocin molecule, with the different holes showing each element of the molecule.

The oxytocin bracelet made a wonderful gift for a mother – the hormone is the bonding chemical and is especially present with parental bonds. For new mother’s it’s the hormone that creates attachment and (among many other things) enables mother’s to produce milk.

Oxytocin Bracelet in the Making

Here are some images taken in my studio during the making of the oxytocin bracelet:

Oxytocin-Bracelet-Cuff-in-Argentium-Silver-600Aregentium-cuff---oxytocin-2---6003-6004-6005-6006--600Oxytocin-New-Description

 

Oxytocin Jewellery

See the full range of oxytocin jewellery in my shop here: (If you want to create a custom piece like the cuff above then scroll down to contact me)

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Do you want to create something special and totally unique?

Get in touch and tell me your idea and I’ll let you know how we can get started.

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Avidin and Biotin Rings

avidin and biotin rings

Avidin and Biotin Rings

This lovely commission left my studio this summer. Designed for a couple of postdoctoral researchers, they wanted a ring each that would also fit together to represent the avidin – biotin interaction.

 

Design and Inspiration

avidin cross

 

To give you a simple overview, Avidin is a protein and Biotin is a vitamin. The Avidin is represented by the central cross on the rings (shown in green) when they are placed together.

 

Avidin can bind up to four Biotin molecules. These molecules are represented by the ring shanks which curve around and join into the valleys of the cross. The ‘S’ and ‘N’ are the initials of the couple.

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

The shape of the ring shank represents the backbone of the biotin conjugate.

 

 

 

 

 

Finished Rings

These wonderful pictures were taken by my customer after the avidin and biotin rings arrived and she kindly let me use them here!

D600 C600 B600 A600

 

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Do you want to create something special and totally unique?

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The Atomic Structure of Iron

Iron – The 26th Element

Atom ring

As my readers and customers will know, I’m not a scientist by trade. I’m a jeweller. But science still fascinates me and I love to create commissions like this one.

My Customer

My customer wanted a special ring to give as a gift to her other half and asked me if I could somehow make a ring inspired by iron. It was to be a gift for a chemistry teacher named Felecia, who goes by ‘Fe’ for short. What a great idea for a chemist! Combine her name with an element.

I sent a few designs and we worked together to finalise it.

The Ring

The front of this ring shows the atomic structure of iron. Each of the 26 holes show the electrons and the engraved circles show the orbital rings. The dot in the center represents the nucleus.

There is an engraving on the inside of the band reading ‘that one’s all mine’.

Production

This ring was fun to make because it set me a bit of a challenge. Along with the usual cutting, drilling and soldering, I wanted to engrave the circles by hand, but in my mind they had to be perfect. After all, this is a scientific diagram, for a scientist and (unlike some of my other work) not really open to abstract ideas! After a few trial runs I was happy that I was going to be able to make them as I envisaged.

Capture3 Capture2Science ringThat one's all mineIron Element Ring

 

Feedback

 ”My experience was wonderful. Emily really worked to create my vision. She stuck in there as I changed my mind on the little details, and the ring was flawlessly executed, and looked and fit perfect. Fe loves it and hasn’t taken it off since Christmas. All her colleagues find it to be a perfect fit for her. I will definitely be commissioning another piece.”   L.Sullivan

Want to commission your own piece? Contact me, I’m looking forward to working with you.

 

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Fashionable, Bold and Exciting!

Lexus IS Press kits with Emily Alice Adrenaline Cufflinks

The Lexus IS Press kit

There are billions of molecules! But only one was right for the launch of the Lexus IS in 2013.

I was very proud to be approached by the team that runs the PR for Lexus and asked to make a batch of cufflinks that could be used in their press kits for a special launch.

Lexus Studio Shot

Adrenaline cufflinks

The PR team was using the adrenaline theme to compliment the personality of the car ‘fashionable, bold and exciting’ and my cufflinks were a perfect match. They designed the spherical pod to encase the cufflinks to echo the shape of the elements in the molecule.

Each pair of cufflinks were carefully handmade in my studio from sterling silver and given a blackened finish. Many hours of work went into making each pair perfect!

The PR kits were sent to journalists across the US and my wonderful contact kept me updated on the feedback they were getting. The cufflinks were a huge hit and  there was some great feedback from journalists at Cigar Aficionado, GQ and The Robb Report to name a few.

The cufflinks were so well loved that I even had an order for an additional few pairs of cufflinks to be presented to the (V)VIPs at Lexus/Toyota! I was so thrilled that my adrenaline cufflinks were such a good match – as were the PR team.

 

“Despite the time difference, Emily was incredibly responsive, easy to work with and flexible on timing when I commissioned her to create jewelry for a media press kit. She delivered ahead of schedule and each piece was flawless.”

K.Alford – Account Supervisor. (See this recommendation on my LinkedIn profile and connect with me)

 

Cufflinks in the making

123456Adrenaline Cufflinks 1

 

Have you got a project and need a unique gift to represent you or your brand?

Get in touch and we can discuss how to deliver your message beautifully and personally.

 

If you want to see more – check out my project with a VIP at Nescafe.

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Vasopressin Pendant

“The pendant was a huge hit with the recipient and others… Thanks again for doing such a great job!’ William E. Armstrong, Ph.D.”

Customer’s Requirements

My customer was looking for a very specific piece of jewelry. As the head of a department he was looking for a special piece to give as a retirement gift to recognize the great achievements of a person who had dedicated her working life to researching vasopressin. He wanted a pendant in the shape of the vasopressin molecule in the style of my oxytocin molecule pendant he had found.

Designs

The vasopressin molecule is quite complex compared to some of my other designs and my first step was to take the shape of the molecule and work out a shape I could work with – and was a true representation of the molecule.

I started by looking at the chemical structure for vasopressin – C46H45N13O12S2  (phew – big task ahead!)

Then I got some images like these – because I’m a visual person at the end of the day. I use the numbers above to check everything is looking right at the end.

File:Arginine vasopressin3d.png
Image from Wikipedia – Vasopressin.

File:Vasopressin labeled.png
Image from Wikipedia – vasopressin

 

To start the design I worked on the computer to combine the two images above – I wanted to chow each atom as a sphere but not to be so dense as the 3D image above.

After many hours of checking and creating I ended up with this –

Vasopressin molecule

After some discussion with my customer – we decided that an engraving was going to really make the piece special. So I suggested we place the molecule on top of an oval shaped back – giving plenty of space to engrave a message at the back.

Vasopressin pendant design

 

The customer also decided that a black outline of the molecule would really make it stand out – and I totally agreed!

Results

Here are some images of the pendant in the making and the final piece.

vasopressin
Hand cutting the shape

The back piece for the molecule
The back piece for the molecule

Getting ready to solder the 2 pieces together
positioning the vasopressin molecule

After soldering
After soldering

 

Vasopressin Pendant

 

 

 

 

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Commemorative Coin – Embrace the Chaos

Embrace the Chaos – Commemorative Coin

Customer’s Requirements

My client approached me wanting a commemorative coin for a 5 year wedding anniversary. She explained to me that her husband and herself would often make big life decisions based on a coin flip and she wanted to make a special coin to suit them.

Design

After some discussion we decided on the design for the ‘heads and tails’. Their custom  coin would have an elephant on one

side for the strong and sure path. he reverse would show an adrenaline molecule to indicate the more risky choice. She chose to have to words ‘Embrace the chaos’ engraved on this side too.

 Result

The sculpted copper coin really captured the essence of this couple, I’m told the husband carries it with him in his pocket daily! It seems that both sides of the coin are positive for them and they make the most of what they have or choose or is fated to them!

commemorative coin  commemorative coin

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Caffeine for a Nescafe VIP

Caffeine Jewellery

Cuffs-Set

 

This project was a private commission from a VIP at Nescafe. My client wanted to give some caffeine jewellery to his team as a Christmas gift and asked me if I could design some pieces for him.

At the time I didn’t have any caffeine inspired jewellery in my collection and was excited to create something new for him.

After sending over a few designs it was decided that I would make cufflinks for the men and pendants that doubled up as brooches for the women.

Both designs used the caffeine molecule with an oval shape. The oval was to represent the coffee bean.

We worked together to write a description to be featured on the packaging and each piece also had a personlised engraving on the back.

The gifts were very well recieved by the team and it was a wonderful to fabricate each meaningful piece.

Caffeine Cufflinks caffeine brooch 1

 

caffeine brooch 2

 

 

 

Have you got a project and need a unique gift to represent you or your brand?

Get in touch and we can discuss how to deliver your message beautifully and personally.

 

If you want to see more – check out my project with a the PR team at Lexus.

Emily Alice Ballemily-sign

 

 

 

 

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Oxytocin Pendant

This oxytocin pendant was commissioned as a Valentine’s Day gift. Oxytocin is hormonal superglue and is the bond in all out relationships. Read more about it here!

Oxytocin Silver Pendant Model
Oxytocin Pendant with a polished finish. Sterling silver 2013.

Oxytocin finishes.
Oxytocin molecule. Hand-cut. Matte finish above, black finish below.

Oxytocin from sheet silver
Work in progress. Time to take a breath before cutting out the last part of the shape.

Oxytocin BoxOxytocin Feedback

If you are interested in something similar or commissioning your own piece please contact me.

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Memorial Necklace

Customer’s Requirements

My customer had recently lost a family member and contacted me to make a memorial necklace with a piece removed so she could bury it with her loved one. She had lost one of her cousins leaving 3 in her family so she asked for 3 pieces on the necklace and one separate piece of dopamine.

Designs

I suggested that we design the necklace with a physical space where the fourth piece would have been, a way to remember her family member.

It also turned out that the separate piece was to be cremated so I had to find a new material to work with as the silver would not burn and would be removed at the crematorium.

Result

 After some experimenting I sculpted a dopamine piece from papier mache and painted it silver.

My client chose a design that had the outline of the fourth piece on the chain and would serve as a beautiful reminder for her.

You can see the result on the right, my client loved it:  “it’s perfect”, and it was a beautiful project for me to work with her on.

 

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Adrenaline Ring – My Life, My love, My Adrenaline.

An adrenaline molecule ring, with a beautiful custom engraving. The front shows the molecule adrenaline and the groom chose to have the ring in silver.

This ring was made as a wedding band for a groom and he was thrilled with his choice and the craftsmanship.

I’ve made a similar ring to this before, in the blackened silver style that you’ll see in my classic adrenaline collection. See below for pictures of the blackened adrenaline ring.

adrenaline ring adrenaline ring IMG-0433 IMG-0424