What Does the Mirror Image Show?

by Virginia Vivier
(Tucson, Arizona USA)

Petroglyph Rainbow Spirit Guardian Pendant

This is a very simple, yet often forgotten tip.

If you are working on a hand-drawn or computer generated design, it's a good idea to first copy it on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper before transferring it to precious metal or expensive materials.

Hold it up to the mirror and look at it carefully, as a "first-time viewer" would see it.

Is it supposed to be symmetrical? Does everything line up correctly? Does it have good positive to negative balance? Is it a good scale for the materials? Is it wearable? Are the colors pleasing?

I have been blown away at what a difference it makes when viewed this way.

It is amazing how many tiny glitches can show up in a mirror image.

If you love it just the way it is, great!

If you see anything out-of-whack, great! You caught it early, before it was transferred to costly materials.

And, saved yourself hours of grief to make corrections or worse, starting over.

Hope this helps!

Virginia Vivier
Esprit Mystique
Esprit Mystique etsy shop
Tucson, Arizona

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What Does the Mirror Image Show?

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Excellent tip
by: Rena

Thanks for this valuable tip, Virginia!

I've never done this, but you can bet I'm trying it out on the very next piece of jewelry I make.

Especially with metals, as you say, this tip can save a lot of time, materials, and money!

Thank you for sharing this excellent step in jewelry design!

Hmmm
by: Patricia

If I move to metal only work I will have to remember this tip!

Not just metals....
by: Virginia Vivier - Esprit-Mystique

The mirror tip applies to any design you draw by hand or scan on the computer. I was given this tip when I was taking courses in textile design: batik, weaving, quilting, etc.

ANY originial design relating to any materials, textiles, metal, beading, etc., can benefit by this quick mirror trick. Try it a few times. It's amazing what you see when viewed in the mirror for the first time. It's like viewing it through another person's eyes.

Virginia Vivier

Really Smart
by: Tanya

Really Smart Tip!! Best of All--it's free!

Great tip!
by: Michelle Buettner

This is a wonderful tip. I stand in the mirror and hold things up to my neckline as I'm making them, but being short and with little 'D�colletage' it's hard to get the exact reference to how things will look and feel on others, so I tried this w/out using myself as the model and it worked great - plus I use this method now on my jewelry props and that helps, too! Thanks again and great design you've shown here!