Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Jewel of the Month: Virginia Woolf Whistle

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December’s Jewel of the Month is my most complicated mechanical piece yet: the two-pun Virginia Woolf Whistle.  The whistle pops open to reveal a Little Woolf with tiny diamond eyes. But the mechanical marvel is that the whistle really works. Make a working whistle that opened was a huge challenge because any gap that lets in extra air interferes with the creation of sound. I promise to do a short whistling video soon. Let me catch my breath first because, as I previously said, this piece took over a year of hard work to complete.

The Virginia Woolf Whistle, closed.

The Virginia Woolf Whistle, closed.

The inside of the whistle has been blackened to make the details of the Woolf stand out.

The Virginia Woolf Whistle, open

The Virginia Woolf Whistle, open.

Another view.

Another view. All photos by SquareMoose.

This is a MAY-JAH piece. You can see how big the whistle is in this photo of me from my pop-up shop last month.

woolfdistance

I’m wearing the Woolf Whistle.

What pictures can’t convey is the heft of this necklace. I love asking people to hold out their hands so I can see their shock after I drop the whistle into their palms. The pendant weighs a whopping 1.4 troy ounces of 18K gold. As a bonus, it’s covered with 112 diamonds, totaling 1.13 carats.

Like my previous Jewel of the Month — the Hen in the Egg — the Virginia Woolf Whistle is most appropriate for people who are passionate and knowledgeable about craftsmanship and are collectors of original art, antiquities and historical artifacts, couture clothing and/or other rarities. I’ve only made one so far. I envision making three, maybe: one for a very discerning customer, one for me and one for a museum. The price is available upon request. Serious inquiries only, please. If there’s anything on my website that exceeds your budget, be warned that this surpasses the rest. Virginia Woolf famously said, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Well, you don’t need a room of your own to have the Virginia Woolf Whistle, but you do need the money.

Don’t worry, Team Jacob Twihards! I have lupine jewelry at all price levels. Stay tuned for a buy-it-now post about those.

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Comments

  2. what a super cool pendant with such intricate details.
    dont have the money to buy it but surely have the eye to appreciate it. truly amazing.

  7. I am stunned. I cannot decide which this: is simply a piece of jewellery, or a piece of mechanics, or a piece of art but it is certainly an amazing work of design!