Hello!  My name is Barbara Sacco and many folks ask how I go about creating my beautiful cat jewelry.  As an artist,  I've worked in oils, water colors, pastels and charcoal, as well as gold and silver.  I've been a part of the jewelry industry for over 20 years, and I'm not only a bench jeweler, but I'm also a manufacturing jeweler.  What that means is that I do repair work and that kind of thing, but I also do all the wax carving, casting and polishing for all my breed and CFA jewelry.

When I start a new project, I first talk to breeders and borrow from them photos of cats that are National Winners, or at the very least, Regional Winners, so that I can be sure that I'm working with images of cats that are true to the breed standard.  I read and follow the breed standard as closely as possible.   I also try very hard to be as realistic in my work as possible - I take no artistic license.  For example, I like to use a typical pose for each breed - you will see that with the lifted paw for the Scottish Fold, or the cocky strut and raised tail of the big Maine Coons. 

Putting hair on each cat is another area where I work hard to reproduce the look of the coat of the breed I am working with, whether it be the curls of the Cornish Rex, or the chamois-like, wrinkled skin of the Sphynx.  Transparent enamel is a medium I use to give certain breeds their distinctive spots or tabby markings, like the gorgeous Oci cat or the lovely American Shorthair.  

Once the original wax is carved, I go back to the breeders, as well as to judges, for input on the finished wax.  I'm always willing to make corrections based on comments from these folks, since they work hands-on with the individual breeds and thus are much more familiar with them than I am.  Once the wax has majority acceptance, I make a mold and work from that.  I always keep my original wax so that I can make new molds as the old ones wear out.  I can also make changes to the original wax, as changes are made to the standards.

I like comfortable jewelry that is easy to wear, so I design each of my pieces with this in mind.  Details are important, too - hidden bails on the large pieces mean no distracting loops showing between the ears of the cat.  When the piece is cast and polished, I use genuine gemstones that are the closest to the natural, accepted eye colors for each breed.   

My first love in life is, and always has been, cats - live, warm, furry, purring beasties that give unconditional love and expect little in return. I've had many wonderful cats grace my life in the last forty odd years, and I think my love of them shows in my work.  Every cat I carve is done with love for the species, commitment to detail and dedication to realism and the breed standard.  When you own a piece of my work, you own a piece of my heart as well.

At the moment, there are three wonderful cats in my life - Casper, 15, is a Norwegian Forest Cat mix, pure white and deaf from birth, and who is diabetic.  Missy, 13, is a solid black shorthaired cat, and is a diabetic in remission.  Sami is a 10 year old Bengal boy who runs the household - or thinks he does!  All of them are rescue cats, as were all the other cats who have shared my home, and they are all very special to me!   Please see our Memorial page for some photos of many of the wonderful cats who have graced my life, and now wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge, including Romeo, Missy's brother, who recently succumbed to lymphoma.

Missy         and         Casper

Sam

One last quick note: Casper's diabetes was in remission for almost two years, until he was overdosed with radiation for hyperthyroidism - now he will always be diabetic.  Missy became diabetic because of some dental issues, and has been in remission for some time now.  Remission is not only possible for many diabetic cats, it's actually probable, given the correct diet and insulin treatment.  For more information, please visit Diabetic Cat Care where we practice Tight Regulation, a protocol developed by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM.  The information you find there about diet and diabetes can save your cat's life, just as it saved Casper and Missy's!

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