Ol' Saddle Ambrotype Bolo

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.

This is a hand crafted, one-of-a-kind ambrotype! This bolo is a 30x40mm pendant shot with a large format camera using a mid-1800’s method of wet plate collodion. The image is shot directly onto the domed glass itself and backed with a sterling silver and edged with sterling silver twisted ropes.

This original pen & ink sketch of the saddle is by western artist, Joe Milazzo. The scene came out beautifully with my camera and held so much detail. The imperfections of the glass mixed with the sketch of the saddle delivers a truly western and rustic style. My friend and silver/turquoise artist, Sydney Martinez, set the glass ambrotype into its silver bezel and put on the finishing touches! In essence, this is the work of 3 independent artists wrapped into one while combining, wet plate collodion, pen & ink and silversmithing. A lot of time went into this piece and it will last a lifetime.

I encourage you to check out their artwork links! They are stunning Nevada artists that you will enjoy exploring.

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, ambrotypes and on stone can be intricate and intense. Chemicals often can react differently each and every time, therefore, giving each piece beautiful and unique attributes with perfect imperfections. Small inclusions, chemical sweeps or blemishes are a part of the charm of each piece and come individually signed.

I 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. I shoot the image, develop it in my darkroom, fix and varnish every gem individually. Each one 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. They are beautifully exquisite and can be handed down for generations.