A lot of patience goes into the making of jewelry. Each nut has been hand selected, washed, sanded, drilled, and sealed all before it makes it to the jewelry making process.
Where, and how do you find the hickory nuts?
"All of the hickory nuts are found in Vergennes, VT.
I begin searching for the nut shells in the fall, all the way until the first snow fall. The two trees I collect from are very old, around 100 years old or more. They are home to very happy, and very well-fed squirrels. "
Where, and how do you find the grape vines?
"The wild grape vines are harvested in the fall, when the tendril is most durable. It is critical, that the tendril be taken at a time when it is not too young, or too late in the season when the vine is brittle and dry.
The best tendrils for jewelry making, hide along the sides of hay fields, fences, and heavily bushed areas. They tend to reach out and tightly wrap themselves around blades of grass and other twigs, which make
the most wonderful designs. "
Preparing the Hickory Nuts
After washing and letting the hickory nut dry,
its time to sand! The extremely hard Hickory shell is no match for the Dremel!
Next step is to drill the holes.
This part was a learning experience through trial and error. First Lesson?
HICKORY NUTS are HARD!
After I snapped 6 or so steel and carbide drill bits, I moved on to diamond tipped, and now, I have more success, but still have the occasional casualty.
The last step in preparation, is sealing the nut shell.
This is a very important step, as it preserves the nut, making it element resistant and enhancing the beauty of the wood. I use ALL NATURAL Shellac, NOT polyurethane. Shellac is a resin from tree sap. This was also a trial and error process. In the very beginning, I tried leaving the shell in its natural state, and applying natural oils for preservation, and end result, sadly was discoloration of the nut, and a dull grunge appearance.
The final step:
Creating the necklace, earrings, and bracelets!
This is the fun part! Enjoy!
By Jodi Farnsworth
Hickory Squirrel Jewelry
Middlebury, VT 05753
Did You Know?
Shellac comes from a bug!
The Asain female Lac bug ingests tree sap, and leaves behind a special resin we call Shellac. It has been used for centuries for sealing things!
The best tendrils for jewelry making, hide along the sides of hay fields, fences, and heavily bushed areas. They tend to reach out and tightly wrap themselves around blades of grass and other twigs, which make
