Branding Day Western Ambrotype

19/21 Jewelry is my personal creative collection that are one-of-a-kind pieces using an early 19th century method of collodion and bringing it to life in the 21st century - hence, “19/21.” Each piece is magical in its own way and represents all things that are lasting and beautiful.

I shot a picture of a unique pen & ink drawing by western artist, Joe Milazzo. His work is stunning and I wanted to create a western piece that was iconic. The image of the man sitting on his horse as they brand cattle is the spirit of being a cowboy. My heart loves the wild west so much and creating this necklace was one of my favorites. The detail up close is pretty amazing.

This is a hand crafted, one-of-a-kind ambrotype! This necklace is a 1x2” pendant shot with a large format camera using a mid-1800’s method of wet plate collodion. The image is shot directly onto the glass itself and backed with a black alloy tray. Includes a 22” black steel chain.

These little gems are definitely labor intensive and no two are alike. If you are interested in a piece, I suggest to snatch it up before it is gone because there will never be another one like it again. The artistry of tintypes and ambrotypes can be intricate and intense. Chemicals often can react differently each and every time, therefore, giving each piece beautiful and unique attributes. Small inclusions, chemical sweeps or imperfections are a part of the charm of each piece and most are also individually signed.

I load and photograph each piece using my 10x10 Chamonix large format camera in studio and take much time and effort setting up each shot. I use an early 1900’s brass lens that enables me to capture such magical “gem” sized images. Each piece has an iridescent quality due to the embedded silver and looks curious at different angles.

Be sure to use a soft, 100% cotton cloth or microfiber to wipe and care for your jewelry and treat it kindly for years and years to come.

Each piece comes with it’s own suede pouch and cleaning cloth.