A bird sitting on a branch under an umbrella makes for a charming picture pendant created using a mould taken from a wonderful antique bead I managed to find, I thought the detail was terrific! The pendant is made from fine silver metal clay, which is 99.9% silver, sterling is 92.5%. The pendant is 2.4cm in diameter (just under an inch) and hangs from a 46cm (18 inch) sterling silver spiga chain which has a decent sized sterling carabiner clasp on it. I patinated the pendant to bring out the different depths in it.
If you haven't come across metal clay before it starts life as microscopic particles of metal, in this case fine silver, mixed with a clay binder, it can be sculpted, textured, moulded etc. it is dried and then fired, the binder burns away leaving a metal piece. There are so many metal clays available now, silver, copper, bronze, even gold, though gold is very very pricey!
I love metal clay and what can be created with it but it does not have the same smoothness as milled metal sheet, there is more texture to it.