Making "The Treasure's Trove" Jewel, The Beetle By Jewelry Designs

Making a Beetle

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Carving

We were commissioned to make, "The Beetle", a character in Michael Stadther’s book, A Treasure’s Trove, from an animated illustration of a rhinoceros beetle. The making of the "beetle" required several prototypes and weeks of planning to establish the direction of a design that we could get excited about. The ultimate task was to find a way to make the grotesque creature beautiful. Here, the artist is making a basic body form from hard wax to explore the posture of the beetle.

Preparing the Base

In this photo, the wax model maker is sculpting the underbelly of the prototype beetle. Once this foundation is done, he will fashion the legs and the outer exoskeleton of the beetle. The model is being made to the true-life size of a rhinoceros beetle that we borrowed from an entomologist’s collection.

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Exploratory Prototype

Here, the components of our first wax prototype are being finalized so that we can assemble them and establish the posture of the character to create a life-like appearance. In the background, you can see the rough horned head of the beetle and front leg assembly. The modeler is not shaping the outer shell with the hand-held rotary burs.

Prototype Model Assembly

All of the wax components from the preliminary prototype are now complete. The model maker is assembling them by bonding the surfaces together with a hot wax pen. The finished wax prototype will enable us to visualize the changes to formulate our final model.

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Second Wax Prototype

In our second model, we have realized that the beetle needs some zip. It seemed that little could be done to make the grotesque character beautiful on the outside, so we decided to create a surprise on the inside. In the new wax model, we created a cavernous area to hide a jeweled surprise.

Finished Wax Model

With the old wax prototype in the background, the model maker is putting the finishing details on the head of the beetle. After careful inspection and evaluation, we will now cut the model into eight segments. The legs will consist of three components to cast in platinum. The head will be jointed and hinged with upper and lower jaws, and will be cast in platinum along with the underside. The wings will be hinged and have pockets cut into them to support black enamel, and will be cast in 18kt green gold.

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Pre-finishing the Wings

Here, the jeweler is filing the sprue from the 18kt green gold cast wing segments. When this is complete, the wings will be sanded and pre-polished in preparation for the construction of the hinge and internal movement.

Wing Hinge Assembly

Here, the hinges have been installed in the wings and jaw of the beetle. The model maker is placing temporary pins in them to align the range of motion on the wings before the rest of the internal mechanism is built.

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The Inner Workings

In this photo, the model maker has fashioned part of the linkage that will allow the wings to expand when the platinum lower jaw is depressed. When the mechanism is complete, six different segments of the Beetle will simultaneously move at varied angles and distances to reveal the jeweled surprise that will be hidden inside.

Side View Wing Motion

Here, you can clearly see the rough, unset head of the beetle with the lower jaw in the depressed position. The jaw will only have to be depressed 3/8 inch to accomplish all of the movement in the piece.

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Fabricating the Cluster

In this photo, the model maker is assembling the various segments of wire and tubing which have been rolled and wrought from platinum and 18kt stock. Each prong is free-hand soldered into position with a micro torch. As with all fine detailed assembly, the model maker has to take great care to not melt or wilt adjacent prongs.

Finished Cluster

The finished cluster will be hinged and serve as a movable undercarriage that will support 3.68ct of diamonds and a magnificent 9.61ct cushion cut tanzanite.

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Designing a Movable Cluster

In the jeweler’s hands is the platinum underside of the beetle that is being pre-fitted with an 18kt pierced plate and the cluster. After fitting, the plate will be cut and hinged to the cluster to form the multi-tiered, multi-directional, movable interior.

Cutting the Lattice

The 18kt plate is being cut with a jeweler’s saw to create a delicate three-dimensional, lattice framework to display our tanzanite cluster. The lattice will provide a dramatic and drastic contrast with the beetle’s hulking body. Our goal is to create a breathtaking surprise for the viewer when the beetle is opened.

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Setting the Cluster

Here, the diamonds have been set and the detail work is now being applied to the prongs before the cluster linkage is assembled. The delicate tanzanite will not be set until all of the work on this mechanism is completed.

Assembling the Linkage

With the diamonds set, the model maker continues assembling his ingenious little invention that will ultimately shock even the most ardent jewelry connoisseur.

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Finishing the Cluster

Now that our cluster linkage is complete, the setter can tighten the tanzanite in its mounting. When the rest of our beetle is finished, set, and polished, the tanzanite cluster will be positioned in its lattice carriage and the pins will be secured with a laser.

Ready for Setting

In this photograph, all of the pieces of the beetle are temporarily joined and laid upon the legs. The model is marked for the drilling, the wings marked for the black enamel, and the head marked for the positioning of the black diamonds. The model will now be disassembled and all of the subcomponents will be set.

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Setting the Legs

The six platinum legs were cast in twin segments. Here, the setter is excavating eyelet shaped cutaways in the legs with a graver. After each of the eyelets is formed, he will raise beads to secure diamonds in the legs.

Preparing the Underside

The platinum underside of our beetle is being shaped and pre-polished with hand-held rotary tools in preparation for setting. The entire underside of this piece will be pavé set with 8.16ct of fine white diamonds. The fully encrusted diamond underside will provide the viewer with yet another drastic, surprising contrast to the otherwise hulking body of the beetle.

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Setting the Head

The platinum beetle’s head now contains the intricate mechanics that will enable the viewer to reveal the secret jewel inside.
With the head mounted in shellac, the setter is laying out and positioning natural black diamonds. Each of the stones will have pilot holes drilled, seats cut, and beads raised to secure them.

Preparing the Underside

The finished platinum head has 234 natural black diamonds weighing 8.60ct. The eyes of the beetle are gypsy set with vivid yellow diamonds. With all of the setting complete, the head will be released from the shellac, and all of the subcomponents will be polished, cleaned, and assembled.

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The Beetle Closed

The Beetle’s closed body features 18kt green gold wings adorned with black enamel demarcations. The legs are articulated with bead set fine white diamonds. The Beetle’s underside is further articulated with bead and pavé set colorless diamonds weighing 18.16ct, and the head is pavé set with 234 black diamonds weighing 8.60ct. The total finished weight of the sculpture is 107.48 grams.

The Beetle Open

When the lower jaw of The Beetle is depressed a mere 3/8 inch, the wings gracefully open to reveal a movable body riser that is set with one cushion cut 9.61ct tanzanite, surrounded by 12 near colorless diamonds weighing 3.68ct. Upon the release of the lower jaw, the internal workings retract the stone and latticework. They are concealed under retractable green enameled wings.

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