Designing an Exquisite Heraldic Brooch in Sterling Silver
In response to a customer’s request to bolster their association’s visibility, we embarked on a task to create heraldic badges that would be a symbol of prestige and tradition and would serve as a beacon of their identity. Understanding the significance of heraldic symbology, we approached the task with reverence, knowing that each element carried a weight of history and meaning.
Central to their vision was the vibrant red flash of colour detail along the wings; a touch of colour meant to highlight their subtle meaning. Our aim was to fashion a design of a brooch worthy of sterling silver, a material synonymous with elegance and durability.
They provided a hand drawn image for us to adapt. However, unlike the original drawing, which embraced a spectrum of colours, our canvas was limited to the subtle tones of silver. This presented both a challenge and an opportunity—to translate the essence of the design into a medium known for its refinement.
To bring the vision to life, we turned to the precision of CAD software, harnessing the capabilities of programs like Illustrator and Zbrush to sculpt the design into a three-dimensional digital artwork. With meticulous attention to detail, we ensured that the final rendering captured the essence of the original drawing.
We produced the brooch design as a high quality render. This was sent to the customer for approval, along with the formal quote. This artwork was then processed to ready for CNC machining in to a die. These brooches would be unique. The brooch measured 30mm tall, and 20mm wide, as designed, and would have been 2.5mm deep, with a flat back.
As these were premium brooches, we used a combination of different depths to form a high relief brooch with lots of character and detail. This elevated them beyond the normal standard quality brooch. These premium brooches were finished in hallmarked silver metal with a brooch pin fitting attaching to reverse. They are designed to have a high shine after hand-polishing.
The design would have resulted in a production die. There is always a cost to producing a good quality hardened steel die, the results are worth the investment and that die will be available to reproduce the design in high quality for years to come.
In conclusion, every part of the design process reflects the care and precision that we put into our work. A brooch like this one may be small in size, but that can carry a great deal of importance, with a wealth of thought, prestige and tradition behind it.
Get in touch and let us help you to turn your vision into reality.