Rough and refined handmade jewelry inspired by the past
Feros Ferio Jewelry is a line of unique handmade jewelry, designed by Moragh Chisholm in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
My pieces are created in bronze and sterling silver using the lost wax technique. Lost wax casting is an ancient art form, dating from the 3rd millennium bc, in which a molten metal (bronze or silver, in my case) is poured into a mold that has been created by means of a wax model. Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away and the metal is introduced.
I create all the wax models and take them to be cast at a local, independent casting studio just down the street (lucky me!) from my small home studio. I receive the castings in their rough state and clean them up by filing and polishing.
My influences are varied. I am an Art History major, and I absolutely love historical styles - from Etruscan, Greek and Roman, to Celtic, Viking and Medieval. I also love ethnic jewelry from Africa, India and the Middle East. Anything that is, or was made with very little in the way of technology fascinates me.
So, what does Feros Ferio mean?
It is the motto of Clan Chisholm (a clan from the wild Highlands of Scotland, of which I am a bastard descendant). It is translated as “I am fierce with the fierce” - a savage battle cry, maybe. But I like to interpret it to mean that, sure, I can be fierce with the fierce, but mostly I’m really nice with the really nice!
