Gold & Silversmithing & Natural History Curations by Katherine Edwards

About The Artist

Ghost-Lily  is operated by Katherine Edwards (me), a multidisciplinary artist, naturalist, and horseperson.
This is a one man show; everything from designing, curating fossils & minerals, to metalsmithing, photography, website and order fulfillment is done by myself.

Most of the small batch lost wax casting is done by a wonderful independent lost-wax casting artist in Colorado, who has been in operation for longer than I have been alive!

I do one-off lost wax casting in house to create
one-of-a-kind pieces and master copies.

First and foremost I am a lifelong naturalist, second I am a metalsmith. My work will always reflect my interests.
Metals have been fully reclaimed and recycled since the first day I began working with silver; commitment to using reclaimed metals
that will always come first.

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About The Process

Commitment to recycled and reclaimed precious metals

All of the pieces I offer are created with recycled precious metals, highly refined, and of US origin. Every step of their creation takes into consideration social and environmental impacts. I source conflict free, traceable stones whenever possible as well.


Studio Techniques
When designing and working with precious metals, I like to utilize a variety of contemporary and traditional metalsmithing techniques (some of them very ancient) to create and recreate unique textures. From reticulation, traditional hammering & forging, Keum Boo gilding, Kintsugi repairs, Japanese precious metal clay techniques, to bronze age Celtic lost wax and sand casting techniques, it takes a little bit of everything to create the wide variety of textures, structures, and recreations I enjoy creating.

Silver Cholla shard pendant, with orange Sapphire and 24k gold Keum Boo gilding from 2019

Curations

An enormous part of metalsmithing is understanding gemology & geology, & sourcing specimens. A small part of geology is zoology & botany, owing to to the existence of fossils.

The materials I choose to work with may be chosen on the basis of beauty, interest, provenance, or often all three. Sometimes I find a fossil or mineral which stands alone as an interest piece, sometimes I find something in nature deserving of recreation in precious metals, and sometimes I wish to create something other than jewelry, such as unusual lamps, shadowboxes, or desk curios.

The common thread of course, is a deep interest & appreciation for the world around us, past and present.

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Caring For Your Pieces

Gold, fine silver, pearls, emeralds, fossils, turquoise, opals,  and most other special interest & collector stones are relatively fragile, and require mindful care.
All will last many lifetimes when cared for properly.

Tips for Care

• Do not use silver polish on your piece unless you want to remove the patina. If your piece begins to look dull, gently but firmly rub with the proprietary polishing cloth included in your order; all metal orders come with a complimentary polishing cloth.
  

• Pearls can be gently cleaned with a soft dry cloth
  

and ordinary table salt

• Avoid subjecting your piece to undue wear and tear - it will last a lifetime or longer if it is well cared for.
  

• Depending on wear, the dark patina will gradually age to plain silver on smooth sections.
  

• Do not expose stones to excessive exposure to heat, cold, moisture, or UV light.
  

• Do not use an ultrasonic cleaner on jewelry with stones.
  

Fine silver and Shattuckite pendant from 2019

Coast Live Oak Earrings in solid Sterling Silver