Sunflower Necklace

Heidi Gerstacker, Sunflower Necklace, 2002, fabricated 22k, sterling bi-metal, sterling silver, and onyx, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Bill and Sara Morgan, 2003.17, © 2002 Heidi Gerstacker
Copied Heidi Gerstacker, Sunflower Necklace, 2002, fabricated 22k, sterling bi-metal, sterling silver, and onyx, 7 1⁄2 x 9 x 1⁄4 in. (19.1 x 22.8 x 0.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Bill and Sara Morgan, 2003.17, © 2002 Heidi Gerstacker

Artwork Details

Title
Sunflower Necklace
Artist
Date
2002
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
7 1⁄2 x 9 x 1⁄4 in. (19.1 x 22.8 x 0.5 cm)
Copyright
© 2002 Heidi Gerstacker
Credit Line
Gift of Bill and Sara Morgan
Mediums
Mediums Description
fabricated 22k, sterling bi-metal, sterling silver, and onyx
Classifications
Keywords
  • Object — flower — sunflower
Object Number
2003.17
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2003.17

Artwork Description

Heidi Gerstacker once made gold petals for a corsage brooch that did not satisfy her design. She started using the leftover pieces for necklaces, and Sunflower Necklace was the third one she made with these petals. She describes it as a “balance between all the parts I love to fabricate and all the historical necklace forms I’ve studied.” She used oval onyx stones to represent the seeds in the center of the flower, and framed the piece using a bimetal material of 22-karat gold fused into sterling silver. This process is similar to gold plating, but bimetal is easier to work with and has a similar decorative effect.