Comments on: Octopus Jewelry

By: Bethany

Bethany — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:08:47 +0000

I think that this is a very interesting and one of a kind piece even though Passerby is right; if you want to honor an animal, leave it alone. I'm sure cutting off the octopus arm would harm it, but thankfully they have seven other arms and possess the ability to regenerate a new one. (:

By: Maureen

Maureen — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:46:56 +0000

Make sure you check your shoes and your handbag as well as your lunch before you leave comment...they could be meat as well.

By: Passerby

Passerby — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:57:52 +0000

It seems foolish and wasteful to harm, if not kill a beautiful and intelligent creature to "honor" it, as the website seems to attempt to advertise. If the artist has any respect for her subjects, she'll start working on her sculpting skills and stop either hunting these animals or supporting wasteful and environmentally unsound fish markets. If you respect this animal, you will not purchase this ridiculous, wasteful and hypocritical jewelry to feed your own vanity. If you are wiling to purchase an item like this, you clearly are mistaken in believing that your temporary appearance is worth the pain and suffering and impending endangerment of a creature that belongs to an earth far superior to your singular existence.

By: tymon

tymon — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:52:14 +0000

Where could i buy this ring, or is it not for sale?

By: Soaked In Sin

Soaked In Sin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:45:37 +0000

I just got the same necklace from her store for my birthday - TWICE! I love her work!

By: Ursula

Ursula — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:38:06 +0000

Anthony - I have no experience sculpting in wax, but plenty of experience sculpting with Sculpey and other materials... and I can tell you that sculpting tentacles is wonderfully simple. I have to fight the tempation to put tentacles on every little monster I make, because tentacles are a cinch and they always look deceptively complicated and fiddly. First I'll make a bunch of little circles (the suction cups) and fire those, then I'll make the tube of the tentacles and I'll stick the fired, firm suction cups on, and fire that. Presto: a tentacle! And that surface detailing would also be easy to duplicate with a toothpick or pressing in a piece of some other material. I'm assuming (and hoping) this artist ISN'T killing the octopus, but they could avoid any ethical questions (and boost their crafter street cred) by sculpting the thing instead of using animal meat.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:20:27 +0000

Lost wax does not insure multiples. You lose the wax you've just carved. You could use a silicone mold to cast your wax, but that's expensive, more expensive than octopus legs anyway.

Having cast insects, paper, corn husks, branches, and other organic materials in bronze and silver, I am confident you could burn out a small part of an octopus.

By: avraamov

avraamov — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:11:44 +0000

Anthony - burning the flesh out of the investment would probably leave too much residue even at 1400 degrees, so you'd get inclusions in the silver, or just areas missing. also going through the lost-wax process means you can sculpt exactly what you need to happen - i have a feeling that an octopus tentacle wouldn't cooperate that well. it also means you can make copies...

silver is usually cast in a centrifuge to make sure it gets right into the investment - the amounts used for a ring. are too small to ensure gravity feed

By: Glasses

Glasses — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:19:38 +0000

I was recently devastated to learn the plural was not 'octopi'. And then I read an example in which 'octopoda' was used and this I can get down with. And I eat octopus.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:49:51 +0000

Sorry, Ursula, you'd have to be a world-class sculptor in order to pick up the surface detail of that tentacle.

Sculpting wax isn't as simple as just mushing it around like an autistic kid as you seem to think. That's like saying anyone could carve David, you just chip away all the rock that doesn't look like him.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:57:21 +0000

For the Jules Verne in all of us.

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:30:51 +0000

Would it be OK if the jeweler is buying them at the fish market for the sole purpose of casting their little legs?

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:14:41 +0000

Kudos to Ursula for not falling for the oh-so annoying [and incorrect] pluralization "octopi". Octopus doesn't come from Latin, so the -us doesn't go to -i in the plural. But even if it did, it's an english word (no roman ever said the word octopus), so it follows the usual rules for pluralization.

The only alternative plural you could possibly use is the ancient Greek - which is where the 'pus' comes from. It means 'feet', and the plural is podes. So you won't hear me rant if I see the word 'octopodes', but I'll still think you're annoying

As for the ring, I think it's beautiful. I don't see anything wrong with it - as long as the jeweler isn't catching the animals for the sole purpose of casting their little legs.

By: Ursula

Ursula — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:36:43 +0000

The thing is, a person with any sculpting skill at all could make something like this without needing to harm an octopus. Seriously, look at it: a tube for the tentacle, and then a bunch of circles stuck on, for the suction cups. A second-grader could sculpt that. Even if they're buying dead octopuses, and not actually killing live octopuses for this process... Why bother? Just sculpt the darn things! It's an intersting-looking object, I like the idea of octopus-themed jewelry... But using a REAL octopus for this is just gross.

By: Ajan

Ajan — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:27:20 +0000

i wonder if they would be able to make spoons out of small tortoises, ear rings with lil fishes and also garden fountains with dolphins.. don't you think so?? It would be a cool evidence to show that the person was related to the sea..

By: Evil Pundit

Evil Pundit — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:01:40 +0000

So when is the Japanese sex toy version coming out?

My ... friend ... wants to know.

By: Tempscire

Tempscire — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:16:19 +0000

How awesome. I'd wear it.

By: Emily M

Emily M — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:57:04 +0000

Oooh that's so nifty

By: Justin Lynes

Justin Lynes — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:30:40 +0000

Also, take up your moral dilemmas with all of Asia, I really don't think they have had a problem eating cephalopods, and sometimes dogs for that matter, for many many generations.

By: Justin Lynes

Justin Lynes — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:24:51 +0000

I'm not a big jewelry wearer, but I'm totally lusting after these rings. If only she made cufflinks...

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 31 May 2008 22:25:18 +0000

Dr Mento, ever eat bacon? Know how smart pigs are?

By: Peach

Peach — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:51:07 +0000

This is actually weird, in my opinion. A bit disturbing, with, you know, the fact that real octopus are used.

By: dr. menlo

dr. menlo — Sat, 31 May 2008 18:46:44 +0000

Looks cool but can it be done with killing the octopi? Who knows that octopi are smarter than dogs? When I worked on fishing boats up in Alaska fishermen would tell tales of how smart they were, how they would know where they were when caught and try to get out. But there was also a Michael Crichton book I was reading at the time (before he went nuts), Sphere maybe, that talked about how smart octopi were. I couldn't wear something or give it as a gift something that was smarter than a dog. Deserves better.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:48:08 +0000

You just throw it in a special plaster called investment and let it dry. Then, throw it in a kiln at 1400 degrees and burn out the flesh. Melt in some silver, and presto.