World Gem Show 2020 Lapel Pins - Limited Edition ELAmental Design - FREE GIVEAWAY TOMORROW!!!
With the assistance of my graphics friend @EDXserverus, I designed a large lapel pin for the 2020 unofficially named World Gem Show held in Quartzsite, Tucson, and also encompasses the Gem & Jam Music & Arts Festival in Arizona USA - all held in the months of January and February (scroll down for video & giveaway info).
These lapel pins are top notch, crafted by skilled metalsmiths that use an ancient Chinese tradition of die casting, dating back thousands of years (with a few modern modifications of course). These lapel pins are comprised of a soft enamel zinc alloy, are gold plated, have riveted pins for maximum durability, and are filled in with various colored high grade ink. This was a very expensive project due to the large pin size, vast amount of different color inks used (along with specialty inks), large logo engraving, and back-stamped numbering out of 100.
The back of these lapel pins also includes a LARGE reverse laser cut of my @ELAmental logo, along with a raised number plate colored with black ink to indicate which number pin each one correlates with. When laser etching the logo, instead of cutting out the design to be embedded into the metal, all the metal around the logo was cut to create a raised metal element.
All the continents in the Earth section of this design vividly glow in the dark when charged with a blacklight. All the crystals surrounding the outer edge of the Earth are black light reactive, and the lettering of the words also use glitter ink.
The symbolism in this design is intended to depict all different types of crystals and gems growing out of the Earth - the glow in the dark continents are supposed to imitate a more lifelike space view of what the Earth actually looks like in the night (with lit continents from city lights).
Image & Symbol Info Source
The symbol in the center of the pin in an ancient Native American symbol dating back thousands of years, that depicts what is known as the Man in the Maze. This symbol represents a human's journey though life, and the obstacles he must overcome to achieve completion, and fulfill his destiny. Upon reaching center, man will have one final chance to look back upon his life and all his achievements before the sun god ushers him into the next phase of existence. This symbol originated from tribes that occupied the areas between Quartzsite and Tucson (Pima, Hopi, Tohono O'odham Nation, and a few others) where the World Gem Show is now held.
There are actually 2 color variants for this design. First I choose a western style font to represent... well, the wild west - which I think is appropriate. The first color choice of black and gold symbolizes the inclusion of precious metals like gold being combined (and grown) with gems, and I chose black to symbolize the origin-material of one of the most popular gems (diamonds) - coal.
Image Source
For the second color variant, I used an authentic turquoise color for the background by "pin-dropping" the color off a high resolution photo of an actual piece of turquoise stone. This is also appropriate considering turquoise is the most prevalent and plentiful stone in Arizona, and tribes that reside in this state have been crafting jewelry with it for as long as they have been there. The fading orange font color compliments the turquoise background nicely - representing the breathtaking Arizona desert sunsets.
These pins are limited edition, as only 100 total pins were crafted (50 of each color variant). The numbered back stamps and ELAmental logo on the reverse of the pin signify their authenticity, and will not ever be reproduced in the future. These things are strait up metal disks... they literally double as shuriken (throwing stars), and trust me, they can do some damage if you need them to.
Shuriken - A shuriken (Japanese: 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect.
Shuriken came in a variety of forms; some were manufactured, while others were improvised from tools. The edges of shuriken were often sharpened, so they could be used to penetrate skin or open arteries.
They are also known as throwing stars or ninja stars, although they were originally designed in many different shapes. Contrary to this nomenclature, the shuriken (ninja star) were not in the arsenal of those who practiced ninjutsu. Modern movies and tales portray ninjas using shuriken but they were mainly used by samurai and ashigaru soldiers. The major varieties of shuriken are the bō shuriken (棒手裏剣, stick shuriken) and the hira shuriken (平手裏剣, flat shuriken) or shaken (車剣, wheel shuriken, also read as kurumaken).
Shuriken were supplementary weapons to the sword or various other weapons in a samurai's arsenal, although they often had an important tactical effect in battle.[1] The art of wielding the shuriken is known as shurikenjutsu and was taught as a minor part of the martial arts curriculum of many famous schools, such as Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, Ittō-ryū, Kukishin-ryū, and Togakure-ryū. - Source
Designing and coordinating the production of these pins took several months, and I could not be prouder of the end result. There are various cultures represented with these pins, some subtle, some obvious, but all appropriate. I could not think of a more appropriate way to distinguish this event and what it encompasses. Anything great requires hard work, persistence, patience, sacrifice, belief, and strength. I hope you all appreciate this design as much as I and so many others have.
GIVEAWAY!!
At some point tomorrow (5/14/2020), I will be hosting a giveaway on the "AT" account, where one lucky winner will be selected randomly & mailed one of these spectacular World Gem Show 2020 lapel pins for free! These lapel pins are valued at $20 USD each (some left - available for purchase).
This will be the simplest contest to enter. All you have to do is:
- Follow "AT" on the H block
- Share the contest entry post to your blog
- Comment on the contest entry post to let me know you entered
The only catch is that that if you are outside the United States and are selected as a winner, you will have to pay for international shipping (usually not more than $10 USD) to receive your prize. It is also your responsibility to know whether the item can actually be shipped to your country based on covid-19 regulations in your area. All U.S. based deliveries ships for free.
THIS WILL ALSO BE A WEEKLY CONTEST HELD EVERY THURSDAY ON "AT" FROM NOW ON! EACH WEEK THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENT PRIZE INCLUDING VARIOUS PRECIOUS GEMS!
I am also open to prize donations from anyone including but not limited to members of "AT". I am pretty well stocked at the moment however, so no rush. Donating creative promotional items for your projects that hold value would be a great way to spread the love and promote your project(s) at the same time.
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