Tarot Charms

intuition897

This may be in the wrong forum, but it's sort of about creating a new kind of deck. I'm trying to find out if anyone out there would be potentially interested in collectible silver and gemstone Tarot charms/pendants. I've been thinking about creating some - probably starting with the Major Arcana first - eventually making the entire 78-card deck available to order. This is still in the concept stage right now, so before I run out and spend mega-bucks on tools and materials, I'd like to know if there's much interest. I can put up a link to a couple of quick-sketch examples.

Any thoughts?
 

Alta

Just thinking about this.... so, they would perhaps be in a bag and cast or randomly grabbed, like runes?

Also, I think that if you started you would have to commit to finishing at least some 'copies' of the full 78, or at least 22. Otherwise it is a novelty,
 

Dusk Till Dawn

I would be very interested in that! What a great idea.
 

intuition897

I'll be making the template pieces out of clay and then making molds with impression material. I still haven't worked out the details yet, but that's what I'm fishing around for: ideas so I can round up the details. :)

I don't know yet what I would charge for them, but they would be solid fine silver, possibly set with lab-created gemstones. I think I would probably just make them to order, so they could be customized. For example, you would have a choice of gemstone colour, extra gemstones, choice of pendant or charm, and, for the Pips and Courts, custom engraved keywords on the back.

I won't know how much the raw material will cost until I get started, but I'm guestimating between $20-30 each (CDN)? Of course if someone ordered 5 or 10 at a time (or the whole set), I would charge less per piece.

I'm also pretty handy at web design so I think it would be fun to create an online order form where you could either order exactly the cards you wanted, or you could use a randomizer to select your cards for you.

The pieces would be square; does anyone have a suggestion about what size would be best?

I'm lovin' the feedback so far!
 

AJ

I have four tarot earrings that I probably wear 5 out of 7 days a week, sterling, I really love them.

I have looked for tarot charms for my sterling charm bracelet and come up empty time and time again. But on the subject, I have see full 78 card charm bracelets sell on Ebay for 2-300 US range. What they've done is find charms you could say relate to the meaning of the card, and people are buying that ... not for me though :) I want the real thing. So as far as size if you don't have a charm bracelet go to a good jewelry counter or store and look at what they have size wise. 78 could easily get very heavy very fast but you'd still want lighter ones to say quality.

I'm talking about full 3-D charms that hang from a little ring, not the flat (lifeless)Italian charms, or the new glass circle charms.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with. That is a lot of pre-work to have a working model to show. Start with the moon :)
Best wishes. (I'll be happy to be a beta-tester!)
 

Mellaenn

I would love to see something like this. I echo what AJ said about the charms; it would be lovely to see actual charms like for a charm bracelet. Maybe do one for the Major Arcana? I wear charm bracelets and when you get more than 20 or so, they are just way to heavy.
 

intuition897

Huh. Oddly enough, I hadn't thought of 3D sculptured charms! I was planning to do flat ones, sort of like square coins. I might have to do two separate designs: one for pendants and another smaller set for charms. Maybe flat coin-type charms for the Pips/Courts and 3D sculptures for the Majors.

I'm not sure how well the 3D sculptures will work with the type of metalworking technique I was planning to use. Although I guess they would be very small pieces...

Sooo I don't actually own a charm bracelet. :D The type of charms you guys are talking about, are these the type that are strung like beads (Pandora beads) or dangly clip-ons?
 

AJ

Here is mine. I inherited it from a friend about 20 years ago. The weird charms (hat, Queen, antique sewing machine key) are mine, the others were hers.

I have a little stack of more weird items I want put on it but the last jeweler I left it with had it 2 weeks and still didn't get around to it. I gave him a raspberry and took it back...

So yes they can be flat-ish, my earrings are very flat and thin but they don't get banged around on desk and steering wheels..

These are Italian charms
http://www.google.com/images?q=Ital...GLJ&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
Wouldn't give 'em house space but many people like them and they'd probably be easier to do for you.

There is another kind, fairly new that look like rings, pretty but nothing 'charming' about them. Charm bracelets were originally for keepsake memories. To me they still are.

Were you thinking something like this?
http://www.google.com/imglanding?q=...s=isch:1&start=0#tbnid=MstxL7Gms4dAxM&start=1
Boy, that is a mile long link, hope it works.
 

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intuition897

AJ said:
Here is mine. I inherited it from a friend about 20 years ago. The weird charms (hat, Queen, antique sewing machine key) are mine, the others were hers.

I have a little stack of more weird items I want put on it but the last jeweler I left it with had it 2 weeks and still didn't get around to it. I gave him a raspberry and took it back...

So yes they can be flat-ish, my earrings are very flat and thin but they don't get banged around on desk and steering wheels..

These are Italian charms
http://www.google.com/images?q=Ital...GLJ&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
Wouldn't give 'em house space but many people like them and they'd probably be easier to do for you.

There is another kind, fairly new that look like rings, pretty but nothing 'charming' about them. Charm bracelets were originally for keepsake memories. To me they still are.

Were you thinking something like this?
http://www.google.com/imglanding?q=...s=isch:1&start=0#tbnid=MstxL7Gms4dAxM&start=1
Boy, that is a mile long link, hope it works.
Click to expand...

Dang. Well, so much for originality, lol. I don't like the Italian charms. I was definitely thinking of something like the RW-looking ones. I think getting the size and thickness/weight right will be the tricky part.

The basic plan is to have pictorial or symbolized Majors with the name and number of the card on the reverse, and then the Minors will be very simple with just the card number and suit symbol on one side and a (customized?) keyword on the back. I'd love to make an entire set of these for myself, maybe with a simple silver chain that has lobster clasps on it for attaching them. Then I could just grab my daily dose of Tarot, clip them on, and that's my Tarot message for the day.

I'm thinking I'll probably put more time into making the pendants and make them larger and more intricate. If I can figure out how to set them after firing the silver, I'll start including natural gemstones in those.

Tell you what, I'll do up a couple of prototypes in clay and put up a link to them and everyone can tell me what they think.
 
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