Necklace, 'Owner of My Heart'

A heart blossoms into a silver treasure, completing a truly exceptional necklace. The florid engraving is highly detailed, attesting to the meticulous nature of Thai silversmiths. At first reserved for low-ranking officials and commoners, silver�s moonlight beauty soon became coveted by kings and queens - thus the argent metal was used in the elaboration of jewelry as well as utilitarian items. Presented by Ploy Intha, this loving rendition of tradition makes for a special gift on a memorable occasion. Silver and a small amount of copper are placed in a crucible, then covered with another crucible and this assembly is placed in the forge. When ready, some ground charcoal is blended into the molten alloy to prevent solid dross from forming when that mixture is poured out into a terracotta container. The silver obtained is beaten into the desired shapes with appropriate hammers on an anvil. A mixture of oil and pitch is heated, and a coat of this mixture is applied on a wooden surface. Another coat of that mixture is applied to the bottom of the pendant, which is fixed to the wooden surface and hand-detailed with chisels. Once engraved with a superb vegetal design, it is lightly reheated to remove the pitch and placed into a boiling acid bath to rinse out the impurities. Then the pendant, rings, little spheres and cones are soldered together, and a thin string, which has been previously braided out of long strands, is attached to complete the item. It is then washed into a solution of washing powder and tamarind, let to dry in the sun and filed with a brass brush and polished. Finally the artisan applies a secret recipe of his own to give the necklace a burnished finish.