Shiny Things Gallery | Fandom | Final Fantasy | Jewelry | They'll Remember What You Did
I'd actually been looking for Ring of the Lucii (FFXV) references when I happened across OddWorks' model in Shapeways. As someone who'd been disappointed in missing out on snagging one of the FFVII models by joabaldwin before S-E's C&D (he even had chocobos dammit), I sort of... kept lingering on the idea of buying one in matte black steel for a while. Technically there is an official version... for $250. In silver. ...It's not silver in the game, it's black with a specific gold outline. *cough* And so, after looking for coupons, I thought... yeah okay why not. The 3D printed ring was absolutely beautiful on its own... but I'd like to believe that I improved upon it.
Trying to approach this without spoilers is. Difficult. Shall we say there are reasons why I actually hesitated both to buy this and to make anything with it. Symbolic and otherwise. Leaving it as a ring was never an option. I wanted to turn it into a pendant. Using gray/black labradorite was a no-brainer; depending on the light source, they're everything from black to silver, but if you turn them just right, they flash a very particular bright blue. Guess what I could almost not convince to happen at all in photographs. There are 15 (representing the game) beads on either side, altogether making 30 (it just so happens to have been made in Final Fantasy's 30th anniversary year). 13 (representing the Armiger weapons) knots in silk cord separate each bead. Some... thought went into this.
Minor aside: single-string necklaces are wrong and terrible and don't do it or eventually the string will break and you'll lose beads or just everything altogether. Despite how thin and small the cording looks, each side is comprised of three separate strands (two super strong nylon bead threads in medium thickness, and one of surprisingly strong silk cording), doubled and knotted, so technically there are 6 strands carrying the weight of the pendant and supporting the beads. It can be done, don't be lazy. Okay, back to my geeky not-shame.
And the best bit, as far as I'm concerned? The way it hangs makes it really subtle. You don't see the front unless you inspect it, it's just kind of a pretty weird ring pendant and then surprise, it's pain.
Oh, right, and of course the crystal is Swarovski. I mean, come on. The setting itself drove me nuts for a little while before I figured out how to make it work, as it's not sized for any standard crystal size in particular. Buuuuuut it gave me an excuse to play with a new material I had my eye on for a while, so. No complaints.
...Save one. ...I began this project with the intent to sell it. To send it far from here. But. Uh. ...I've grown attached. I'm more than happy to make more by commission, to individual specifications. But this one? ...I think maybe I want to keep it close. To remember. S-E has pretty much completely ruined my life at this point, yeah.
Trying to approach this without spoilers is. Difficult. Shall we say there are reasons why I actually hesitated both to buy this and to make anything with it. Symbolic and otherwise. Leaving it as a ring was never an option. I wanted to turn it into a pendant. Using gray/black labradorite was a no-brainer; depending on the light source, they're everything from black to silver, but if you turn them just right, they flash a very particular bright blue. Guess what I could almost not convince to happen at all in photographs. There are 15 (representing the game) beads on either side, altogether making 30 (it just so happens to have been made in Final Fantasy's 30th anniversary year). 13 (representing the Armiger weapons) knots in silk cord separate each bead. Some... thought went into this.
Minor aside: single-string necklaces are wrong and terrible and don't do it or eventually the string will break and you'll lose beads or just everything altogether. Despite how thin and small the cording looks, each side is comprised of three separate strands (two super strong nylon bead threads in medium thickness, and one of surprisingly strong silk cording), doubled and knotted, so technically there are 6 strands carrying the weight of the pendant and supporting the beads. It can be done, don't be lazy. Okay, back to my geeky not-shame.
And the best bit, as far as I'm concerned? The way it hangs makes it really subtle. You don't see the front unless you inspect it, it's just kind of a pretty weird ring pendant and then surprise, it's pain.
Oh, right, and of course the crystal is Swarovski. I mean, come on. The setting itself drove me nuts for a little while before I figured out how to make it work, as it's not sized for any standard crystal size in particular. Buuuuuut it gave me an excuse to play with a new material I had my eye on for a while, so. No complaints.
...Save one. ...I began this project with the intent to sell it. To send it far from here. But. Uh. ...I've grown attached. I'm more than happy to make more by commission, to individual specifications. But this one? ...I think maybe I want to keep it close. To remember. S-E has pretty much completely ruined my life at this point, yeah.
