Veneer and Jewellery

Mbuya Wood Veneer

I have always thought of veneer as being fairly useless as a medium to combine with metalwork, without reinforcing it with resin. This I have considered and have a few ideas I must still explore.

Although it could be fun to play with veneers, resin and precious metals, I think one of the most appealing aspects of combining wood with metal is the contrast in texture and finish. A reason the combination is more often than not a success so immersing the veneer in resin in order to stabilise and bring out the richness of the colours and grain wasn’t an option I was keen on as the glossy finish of the resin alters the woods natural appearance. I was oblivious to the fact that not all veneers are so frailly thin.

A friend then gave me some veneer off cuts. He studies industrial design so other than as samples the pieces were too small to be much use to him, but there was ample space for making jewellery. The sections consisted of several layers of paper-thin wood glued together 3.5mm thick. The Mbuya wood, a rich reddish colour and striking patterned grain with a plainly grained and cheaper wood alternately layered in between.