Most of what I write about here comes out of the ground. This one comes out of a fire.

A few of my pieces are built around a cast pendant sourced from artisans rather than a stone, and all were made the same way — by a method so old it predates writing, and so unforgiving that every single casting is a one-off. Here is what that actually means:

• A Model in Wax: The pendant begins as a wax original, carved and shaped by hand. Every line you see in the finished brass — the beaded rim, the engraved arms, the fine concentric rings — was cut into wax first.
• Packed in Clay: The wax is encased in clay and left to dry hard. A small channel is left open at one end.
• The Wax Runs Out: The mould is fired. The wax melts and pours away through the channel, leaving a hollow the exact shape of the original. This is where the method gets its name: cire perdue, lost wax.
• Brass Takes Its Place: Molten brass is poured into the void the wax left behind.
• The Mould Is Broken: And here is the part that matters. To free the casting, the clay must be smashed. There is no second pull from it. The mould exists once, for one pendant, and then it does not exist at all.

A Journey Through History

• The Baule of Côte d’Ivoire: The Baule are one of the largest peoples of Côte d’Ivoire and part of the wider Akan cultural world. Their brass casters are among the most accomplished in West Africa, and the same workshops historically produced the small brass weights used to measure gold dust — objects made to be handled every day, and still admired as sculpture centuries later. In Akan brasswork, geometry is not decoration alone: pattern carries proverb, lineage and protection.
• The Tuareg of the Sahara: The Tuareg cross is one of a family of silver crosses carried across Niger, Mali and Algeria, each associated with a different town or region. Traditionally a father gives one to his son with the words that he may go to all four corners of the world — the four points of the cross — and the piece is understood as both protection and compass.
• The Jerusalem Cross: One large cross with four smaller crosses set into its quadrants, adopted as the arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the eleventh century. The five crosses have carried several readings since: the five wounds, or the Gospel going out from Jerusalem to the four corners of the earth.
• One Method, Three Continents: West Africa, the Sahara and the Levant arrived at the same technique independently, because it is the only way to turn something shaped in wax into something that lasts in metal.

How to Style a Cast Pendant

A cast pendant has weight and presence. Give it room:

• Plain Necklines Only: A crew, a boat neck, an open collar. Anything patterned will compete, and the pendant will lose.
• One Piece at a Time: These are not layering pieces. Wear one and let everything else stay quiet.
• Let the Brass Age: Unlacquered brass warms and deepens with wear, which suits cast work far better than a permanent shine. Polish it only if you genuinely prefer it bright.

Somebody shaped each of these in wax, buried it in clay, and then destroyed the mould to get it out. What you are wearing could not be made twice.

With love,

Janette Marie 🧡

Care Tips

To maintain the beauty of your pieces:

• Store Properly: Keep them in a jewelry box to avoid tangling, and store cast pendants separately so they do not knock against softer stones.
• Clean Gently: Use a soft cloth to wipe away dirt and oils. Lapis is a softer stone — never use dips or ultrasonic cleaners on it.
• Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Keep them away from perfumes and lotions to prevent tarnishing.