How to Make Cutwork Mother of Pearl Jewelry

A cameo is a type of relief carving created from layered stone or shell.

Cutwork mother-of-pearl jewelry is also called cameo carving. The process involves selecting a helmet or Queen conch shell that is suitable for carving. The shell is cleaned and cut into small oval shapes. Although the shell is hard, it is also fragile. Seashell blanks are available for jewelry artists who would like to explore this type of relief sculpting. It is a good idea to begin with simple subject matter until you gain a feeling for how the material is worked.

Things You'll Need

• Seashell blank
• Pencil
• Beeswax
• Dowel rod
• Gravers
• Rotary tool
• Rotary bits
• Dentist tools
• Jewelry files
• Mineral oil

Instructions

1. Place the seashell blank on a worktable and touch and move it around until you have a sense of which side is up. With most sculpture of natural elements, the artist tends to rely on a relationship with the object as if the object is co-creating the result.

2. Draw the design you want to carve on the blank. The blank should have the rough shell removed to the white undershell layer so you should be able to see your drawing clearly.

3. Place a warm beeswax blob on the end of a dowel stick to create a handle. Melt the wax to the back of the blank and allow the wax to harden. This wax will allow you to hold and turn the blank as you carve.

4. Carve with sharp steel gravers or a rotary tool with fine carving bits. Remove material away or outside of the outline of the design. This exposure will allow you to find the secondary color of the shell. Reduce the shell by thin layers of sanding and carving until the background is close to finished. At this point you will have a feeling for the material and how the tools you have work on the material.

5. Sculpt the details of the remaining raised material. Use dental tools for fine areas and jewelry files to create specific lines or textures. Carve with the gravers or bits that work best for you to create the three-dimensional forms you want for your design. Polish the cut work using polishing bits and clean the work with mineral oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear eye protection and try many different tools and bits to develop a good selection of tools that work well for you when sculpting shells.

References

• Antique Cameos; How Cameos Are Carved; Preston Reuther