25th March, 2014

​

Creating a Dolce and Gabbana-Inspired Crown for Kirsha Kaechele

​

After receiving an image of a Dolce and Gabbana crown for inspiration, I embarked on the challenge of producing a crown for Kirsha Kaechele's wedding day. It's not every day you get a crown commission, so needless to say, there were challenges ahead.

The most time-consuming part was piercing out the lacework with a jewellery saw. Given the tight deadline—coinciding with a wedding day—there was no room for extensions. So, I had to devise an alternative method that would be equally effective and compliment the custom designed, hand beaded wedding dress.

​

The Solution: Handmade Vintage Lace

The solution came in the form of vintage handmade lace, which provided a perfect base. When I visited Sabrina Evans of Sabio Design, she produced a fantastic piece that matched the required dimensions.

​

Preparation and Assembly

I cut the lace to fit Kirsha's head and stiffened it with three layers of diluted PVA glue. After stitching it up the back with fine thread, I sent it to Sydney to be cast in sterling silver.

The pieces were cut to shape and soldered to form the crown's peaks. Next came the bezel settings for the assorted stones—zircon, Swarovski crystals, citrine, garnet, and a Tasmanian sapphire. Once the stones were set, the final steps included 24-karat gold plating and polishing the details.

​

Follow the Process

If you follow the order of the photos below, you will get an idea of the making process.

​