One of my favorite unusual things I enjoy wire wrapping are really fantastic fish carved from seam opal. The opal seam is very thin and would be a real challenge to make a cabochon from. These fish are carved overseas and it is one of the few stones I purchase. As most of you know I generally cut my own cabs, but these fish are a whole different thing. They are one of those things I can’t help but buy.
A fine opal fish
Rear of fish
Originally I bought fish with no idea how I was going to wrap them, but after thinking about these for several months I had a dream of how to wrap them using a prong set method. By using prongs, the wrap does not distract from the stone. I find by hiding the bail behind the fish they appear to be hanging from a chain, but all that is seen from the front is the fish. Prong-setting is an advanced wire-wrapping technique, which I developed with some special proprietary methods for this “fishy” jewelry.
These fish are carefully carved on the rear, just as they are in the front, but there usually is no opal on the reverse. Some of these fish have their own personality. The carving is different and the rock appearance is different, giving each one a distinctive look. Different body and tail positions on the carvings convey different attitudes. Some people even name their fish!
The fish come in several sizes and it takes a bit of “fiddling” to set the prongs correctly. Hey if it were easy everyone would do it! Everyone that has acquired a fish raves about all the nice comments they receive. You cannot wear one and expect people not to see it.
I have several fish I purchased in Tucson this year, so expect to see a few on this site after the summer shows. If you need one before then, let me know and I will photograph what I have available.
This one was a special request to add a lure.
Another fish-front side
