Lois Hill

Sterling Silver Granulated Square Slide Pendant w/ ID Chain, 16" by Lois Hill

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Accessorize your everyday couture or add a sublime accent to your evening wear with this Asian flavored, 16-inch sterling silver necklace with square pendant. Slip this ID-style chain around your neck and feel the cool sensuality of sterling silver against your skin. The hanging square pendant is divided into thirds, with a middle section swooping cut-out pattern framed on the sides by a paisley-like filigree pattern with granulated accents. Both patterns are offset against a black background, and the back of the pendant is polished sterling silver. The chain is joined by a toggle closure that features a twisted accent.

The industry standard for jewelry, sterling silver is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper (which helps to toughen the silver). Silver jewelry has been associated through the ages with healing powers as well as bringing the wearer good luck.

Working with precious metals in the tradition of old-world metal smiths, Lois Hill imbues her jewelry with the designs she unearths on her travels around the world and a craftsmanship that elevates a piece of jewelry from bauble to heirloom.

About the Designer

For an artist, choosing the world as one’s canvas is a romantic proposition not often realized. For jewelry designer Lois Hill, traveling overseas from America’s Midwest at the age of 23 was only the first step in what would become an international odyssey to fulfill this dream.

Stimulated by the intricacy of traditional silver and metal handicraft methods, Hill delved into her study of the forgotten arts. Traversing the globe on a quest to unearth ancient jewelry procedures, she explored exotic lands such as Israel, India, Indonesia, and Egypt.

After much research, what Hill found most artistically challenging was the supposition that all textile methods can be executed in metal. However when it came to guidance, she was on her own. While Hill was able to locate many rare examples of ancient adornment, discovering how they were actually constructed was a challenge--some pieces, once deconstructed, took months to reconstruct. Hill was able to use the artifacts she found in her travels and combine them with her own designs to create a classic, yet contemporary, collection of handcrafted sterling silver jewelry.

One of her signature weaves is the 18th century continuous wire weave. Hand woven from a single strand of silver, this unique art can yield anything from a tiny cufflink to a belt that takes over a month to complete. The most precious weave, comprised of tiny jump rings woven like a textile, originates from the Hill Tribes in Northern Thailand. This pattern is so intricate that only about one inch per day can be hand-woven.

Adding a final decorative touch, Lois Hill incorporates the skills of granulation and metal piercing into her designs. Used as early as 3000 B.C., granulation is a method of applying tiny beads of metal onto a smooth surface. While it has been widely used throughout antiquity--including King Tut’s tomb--Hill’s application is unique in that she uses beads in a graduation of sizes and integrates wire filigree-inspired designs to create an entirely new landscape. Piercing is an equally ancient method of working with assorted metals, dating back to prehistoric times. Using a set of handmade tools, patterns are cut out through the silver, creating an elaborate contrast of negative and positive.

Resurrecting ancient procedures, Lois Hill revives the distant past. Unlike many designs indigenous to a geographical area, Hill fuses a mélange of older techniques with a contemporary sensibility. The result is an anthology of jewelry that is both a collector’s item and an extraordinary example of modern art.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000C883F
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,326 in Jewelry (See Top 100 in Jewelry)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes