BY ANTOINETTE RAHN AND ERIN DANA BALZRETTE

Artisan Alley is a space where we celebrate the collaborations of silversmiths and lapidary artists. In addition to showcasing their handcraThed art, we’ve asked each artist to explain a bit about the inspiration behind their contribution to the jewelry featured. The work is that of artists affiliated with the “Stone and Silver” Facebook group.

Wanong Dendritic Opal Pendant Silversmith: Barbara Bureker Lapidary Artist: Sherri Dougan

“As I designed the pendant for this wonderful cabochon, I knew I wanted the stone to really shine without too much distraction”, explained Barbra Bureker.

“At the same time, I have to put something of myself into the jewelry I make; I have a really hard time just putting a stone in a bezel and calling it good.

“Because of the ghostly dendrites in the stone, I decided to add my own “dendrites” to the setting. My first thought was to set the stone on either copper or bronze, with silver dendrites. But aTher playing around with the stone on diff erent metals, it was clear that a silver back really brought that rich golden glow out. My main desire always is to do justice to a beautiful stone like this.”