Back in my 20’s I had a love of flowers in jewelry. I was so fascinated by the technique of capturing and preserving nature in these clear baubles. Of course I didn’t know it was called resin or how people even made the pieces. I just knew the ring, necklace, bracelet and earrings that I had were some of my most coveted possessions. Fast forward 20+ years, and here I am making these same types of jewelry.
One type of epoxy/resin that you have to mix together has an A component and a B component. That type is used today in many applications. The piece of art I made in a class in Costa Rica earlier this year used the A/B mixture. This type of resin uses time and air to cure, or get hard. For smaller pieces you may have to wait 24 hours and larger pieces 46-72 hours. The curing time has many factors that go into it like ambient air temperature, thickness of the epoxy, if there are any fillers in it, etc.
The type of resin that I work with is cured or hardened by UV light. Smaller pieces like the ones we have in our September Nature in Resin Collection can be cured in as quickly as 2 minutes. I also didn’t have to worry about getting the mixed ratio of the A/B epoxy right, as the UV resin is premixed. You just have to make sure you keep it out of direct sunlight while you are working with it, so it doesn’t harden on you.
Because I’m not in the business of creating my own unique molds (yet….never say never!), we did use premade molds for all pieces. The types of molds used in resin jewelry are silicon molds. As witchcraftery (yes, that’s my word and I’m sticking to it) as curing uv resin is, the mystical features continue in that it does not stick to silicon. I could probably google the chemical reasonings behind all this and regurgitate it to you, but you can do it too. Even though we use molds for the shapes, we used our own creativity to decide what would go in the pieces.
Should you purchase one of our resin pieces (or own some from somewhere else), there are a few things you need to keep in mind in regards to care. While the resin itself can withstand water, the metals we use to finish the pieces could tarnish with excessive water exposure. You also want to be careful exposing the resin to prolonged periods of sunlight (as that is the most natural uv light out there) as it can cause yellowing over time. So if you are planning a day at the pool, don’t wear your resin jewelry.
Alcohol could cause issues with the surface of your resin piece. Most perfumes are alcohol based, so you need to be careful to not wear perfume on your skin where the jewelry piece will rest (like on your wrist if wearing a bracelet). Oils are another culprit that could harm the surface of your resin piece. One method to help fight against body oils is a dish soap that can fight grease (did someone say Dawn??). A soft cloth (like microfiber) with the soap and warm water you can easily clean your piece.
In conclusion, dried plant resin jewelry is a breathtaking fusion of art and nature that allows us to carry a piece of the natural world with us wherever we go. By encapsulating the beauty of dried plants in resin, we are able to create unique pieces that celebrate the wonders of the natural world. So, next time you're looking for a truly special piece of jewelry, consider adding a touch of nature with dried plant resin jewelry. And our Nature in Resin Collection could be the place to find that piece.
Until next time....
Dianna