24kt Gold Vertebrate Pendant

☆ with all of the right supplies, this is a simple and beautiful bone jewelry project☆

Supplies

• Already cleaned vertebrae bones. The bones I found are raccoon bones. The vertebrae bones naturally have holes in them. ( I found the bones in a forest where I live. The bones were already clear of flesh from wildlife eating it away. I cleaned the bones, to sanitize and whiten by letting them sit in a container fully submerged in 3% hydrogen peroxide for a week at a time. Each week I would empty and refill with new hydrogen peroxide until the bones were white and no connecting tissue remained (gently brush the bones with a old toothbrush each week to help remove remaining connective tissue). This process of cleaning had taken a couple of months to complete. I let the bones sit to dry out after the cleaning process was completed.

• 24ct gold leaf (enough to cover you vertebrate bone).

24kt gold leaf

• 2 gold jewelry links that will fit the bone you have.

• 1 Chain necklace that is gold color ( to match the gold leaf) or a chord necklace of your color choice.

• 2 jewelry pliers ( just to open and close the jewelry links).

• gold leaf adhesive (speedball brand)

• gold leaf sealer (speedball brand)

• 2 flat small brushes (to apply the adhesive, and a soft brush for applying gold leaf and the sealer).

• 1 toothpick

Applying the Adhesive

Gather your supplies listed above.

Take a vertebrae bone and brush the entire bone with a thin coat of the gold leaf adhesive. After brushing let the bone sit for about 30 minutes before applying the gold leaf in step 2.

Now It's Time to Apply the Gold Leaf

Apply the gold leaf by laying a few small square sheets of gold leaf on to the bone and then with a soft brush, brush the gold leaf down on to the bone, without touching the brush to the adhesive directly. Continue this process until the entire bone is covered. Use a toothpick to poke in to the areas where there are natural holes in the bone, to keep them clear of gold leaf for attaching the jewelry links.

Now It's Time to Apply the Gold Leaf Sealer

Apply the gold leaf sealer by using a soft brush coat one side of the bone then let sit to dry for 1 hour. Then apply the gold leaf sealer to the other side of the bone that hasn't been sealed yet and let sit to dry for at least 1 before continuing to step 4. Use a toothpick to poke in to the areas where there are natural holes in the bone, to keep them clear of sealer for attaching the jewelry links.
After using sealer, clean your brush with mild soap and water to remove sealer before it dries on the brush.

Now It's Time for the Jewelry Links

Then open the jewelry link with the jewelry pliers. Hold a link with pliers in one hand on one side of the link that you intend on opening with the end of the link facing up where the metal meets at the point of separation. With other pliers in your other hand place on the other side of the separation point of the link. Hold the link steady with one of the pliers while you move your other hand and pliers towards you to open the link at the separation point.
Put the open links through the natural holes in the vertebrae on either side ( depending how you want the pendant to hang on your necklace). Before closing the link add the necklace chain and close the link with the jewelry pliers. Hold a link with pliers in one hand on one side of the link that you intend on closing. The separated points of the link facing upward. Place the other pliers in your other on the other side of the separated point of the link. Hold the link steady with one of the pliers, while you move one of the pliers towards you to close the link at the separation point.

☆ Now your finished! Please show me pictures of your beautiful work.☆