Spreading Hope with Custom Jewelry
Learn about the titanium and gold pendant we created for a local Sacramento non-profit
Welcome to the latest installment in our series on non-profit partnerships. This is a particularly fun story not only because it features a fantastic organization, but because we were able to use the new skills we gained from creating our Titanium collection to make something that would not have been possible before.
xHope is an Elk Grove, CA based organization that supports vulnerable children both locally and abroad. They have far reaching programs both in Uganda and right here in Sacramento designed to care for orphans and children in the foster system. Locally, this includes a community closet, scholarships, extra-curricular activities, child care kits, and more.
The team from xHope approached us leading up to their annual “Denim & Diamonds” fundraising auction. We love the work that they do, and the event seemed like such a perfect fit that we knew we had to create something special for them. The basic idea for this piece started to form the moment we saw their logo, specifically the color of their logo.
When we were creating our new titanium collection we experimented a lot with different techniques and styles. We discovered that at high voltages we could anodize titanium to a soft, sea-foam green color. We ultimately decided on a brighter pallet for the titanium line itself, but when we saw the green of the xHope logo, we knew we could recreate it using titanium. The rest of the design fell into place including the heart shaped center diamond that would fit perfectly into the “Denim & Diamonds” theme. Everything looked great on the drawing board; now all we had to do was create the piece. That was when the problems started.
First, because titanium is such a strong metal, even doing something as simple as cutting out a circle is a challenge. Since we needed this pendant to be a bit larger than our other designs, we had to get a special die just to cut out the titanium circle that formed the base of the design. We then discovered how challenging it was to get a uniform color/finish on such a large surface area of titanium. Our jewelers eventually resorted to gem cutting techniques to get the surface finish on the titanium clean enough to reproduce the color that was needed. Then, it was time to laser cut the logo out of a thin sheet of gold. Of course, our laser engraver is technically not a laser cutter, but we have used it to cut before, so we knew it was possible. It took three attempts using different gauges and alloys of gold before we were finally able to reproduce the complex xHope logo faithfully. The necklace was finished literally hours before the final deadline for the event.
In the end, all of the struggles were well worth it as we saw the pendant generate so much excitement and value for xHope at the auction. It was a huge success and a testament to the creativity and determination of our jewelers.
We hope (sorry, couldn’t resist) you enjoyed this story. We had a great time working with xHope and solving all of the many design challenges that this necklace presented. If you have an idea for a custom project of your own or if you know of a non-profit that you would like to see us partner with, please feel free to reach out to us anytime.
