The Story of My Venture Into Creating Gun-Themed Jewelry
Could I have ever imagined the impact that my interview for GunTech magazine
would have?
Almost a year ago, Robert Dunn’s questions made me reflect on how my work began, my childhood hobbies, and the dreams that still live within me today…
The choice of metal at the time was quite evident to me. Brass is too soft for the mechanism’s parts to not wear out over time. I couldn’t immediately think of any more complex alloys. The first thing that came to my mind was gold. And no, it wasn’t because I had watched too many Bond movies. I think it was simply due to my previous experiences.
As a child, I loved going to work with my grandmother. At that time, she was the head of a large jewelry store and a true craft enthusiast. She adored telling me about gemstones, metals, and jewelry in general. I was always happy to help around the shop—untangling chains, cleaning, arranging items in the showcases, and even standing behind the counter to show jewelry to customers. Of course, I was always under adult supervision, but I was truly inspired by that work.
The very first model I created was a 1mm caliber Derringer.
Later, as an adult, when I started selling antiques, I noticed how well gold objects held up over time. Gold coins, seals, or jewelry could maintain their original appearance for centuries or even millennia.
Gold doesn’t corrode like iron or turn green like copper, and zinc even develops white rust – but gold remains perfect. Naturally, my first miniature gun was made of 14K white and rose gold. For the handle decoration, I chose mammoth bone. I love combining different textures in my creations; they always look attractive, sometimes even luxurious. Besides, I was still influenced by familiar collectors and fans of antiquities and fossils, which gave me access to such exclusive materials.
Afterward, we created a ring with an even smaller shooting Derringer
Then, my work with precious metals was put on hold, and only the questions from the interview above reminded me of producing gun jewelry — jewelry in the shape of weapons.
Here, my team reminds me: yes, at the very beginning, we also had a ring-gun (ring-revolver), but for me, it still belongs more to the category of miniature weapons.
ALL THIS TIME, I CONTINUED TO MAKE JEWELRY LITTLE BY LITTLE, MOSTLY FOR MYSELF AND MY LOVED ONES, NOT FOR SALE.
But last year, the Universe practically screamed at me to start creating jewelry for a wider audience and stop hiding this passion of mine. Once I realized that I could no longer delay, I began receiving offers. Now, I say YES to every one of these opportunities.
My first individual commission was a silver signet ring from a retired U.S. military officer. I eagerly dove into the work. For me, custom orders are more than just making a piece of jewelry. I aimed to embody the client’s core trait – his ability to face challenges with dignity.
I began by designing a classic, understated form and added a stencil-style font used for marking military cargo. Simple, yet not simplistic, it adds depth and dimension – just like the client’s personality.
In my design, the final finish was intended to have a deliberate aging effect, as if this ring had served alongside its owner and returned home. It is noble and restrained, yet tempered by life. Here’s what I came up with.
I WAS SO INSPIRED BY THIS WORK THAT I DECIDED TO CREATE A SET OF SIGNET RINGS WITH REMINDER INSCRIPTIONS. ONE OF THEM WILL HAVE THE INSCRIPTION “ALWAYS SAY YES”
These statement jewelry pieces will undoubtedly attract attention and provoke conversation. These rings embody a sense of humor and a playful spirit while maintaining elegance and restraint. They reflect a life philosophy that resonates with me: to see the Universe’s opportunities and seize them rather than wait for a better moment because we live life in full, not in draft. However, following the heart’s call to live vividly, one must first let go of fears and weaknesses, allow oneself to be uncomfortable, and give oneself time for decision-making and preparation.
Well, I just wrote this for you, and now I find myself in line to create these rings. I love aesthetic things with meaning that set the mood for the entire day.
Then I received an order from my regular client, who has many of my miniatures. He wanted a silver pendant in the shape of an HK416 assault rifle. And here’s what came of it.
These pendants have even started to be ordered by people who were not my clients before
All this time, I have been showing my followers the jewelry I make. Eventually, I received a request that initially shocked me. However, I still took on the challenge of realizing it.
Our client, who has a 1mm golden derringer with natural diamonds, wanted to encase his mini gun in a ring frame. Why did this initially confuse me? Yes, we had already made such a ring that opens (locked ring) for the smallest derringer. However, the 1mm derringer is nearly twice as long.
So before accepting this order, we estimated using 3D modeling whether the ring would look harmonious, taking into account the client’s ring size. In my opinion, it turned out great.
The next challenge was to find sapphire glass of such a large size. But I eventually succeeded. We will be using the type of glass typically found in luxury brand wristwatches. So we launched the production process, and I am filled with pleasant anticipation. It’s going to be truly statement jewelry of royal caliber.
We have already programmed to cut the model from wax using a CNC machine. We cut and finished this wax model by hand.
We cast the model in silver, and now we are hand-finishing it to perfection. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but the final look is already taking shape.
I STILL DON’T GET THINGS RIGHT ON THE FIRST TRY. WHEN SOMETHING BOTHERS ME, MY CONSTANT SLOGAN IS, “EVERYTHING IS GREAT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE REDONE.” THIS GIVES ME PEACE OF MIND. I FEEL THAT I HAVE DONE THE BEST I COULD. I HOPE YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH ENERGY IS INVESTED IN EACH PIECE.
My friend reached out to me with a request. At the beginning of the full-scale war invasion, she gave her blessed locket to her husband, who went to war as a volunteer. She wants to order a medallion for this relic. Inspired by this very personal story and having opened up new possibilities for glass, I began sketching medallions. While I was in the creative flow, I also started creating a medallion that could serve as a frame for a mini pistol.
Then my imagination really took off. The locket will allow for the insertion of both a photo and a small personal relic, serving as a memorial piece. I have started developing this design in two sizes and two types of embellishments: one made of silver with sapphire glass and another fully metallic with a 24K gold plating.
Thanks to this medallion, I’ve already gained interesting experience with artificial intelligence. I tried to persuade the AI to create a realistic image based on my drawing of how the medallion for the 1mm Derringer would look. Here are the two best options we managed to produce together.
Still, I don’t have to worry about being replaced by a robot 🙂
AI makes silly mistakes and doesn’t perform well in minimalist design. So let’s not rush things. We’ll wait until I finish the first locket and photograph it to show you.
Another piece is almost ready. A silver pendant in the shape of a Colt 1911. It was created with lightness, and it is itself light and cool, yet embodies a multitude of unique skills I have developed over the years with miniatures.
When the design of other pieces (some of which I haven’t shown yet) wasn’t going smoothly, I needed a small achievement to boost my morale. I decided to step into my zone of proximal development and add a touch of novelty to my usual work.
Moreover, I reviewed many offers for pistol pendants and couldn’t find anything like this. It’s a tiny miniature Colt with moving parts made entirely of silver. It cocks, and the trigger pulls. Additionally, I am making the grips from black wood to give it texture and a realistic appearance.
I’M CURRENTLY MAKING INDIVIDUAL PIECES RATHER THAN RELEASING COLLECTIONS. I’M EXPERIMENTING TO ANTICIPATE MISTAKES IN ADVANCE. MY JEWELRY’S DNA IS DEFINED BY A COMBINATION OF MATERIALS, TEXTURES, AND MINIMALIST FORMS. I ALSO CREATE PIECES FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE TRUE WARRIORS OR COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF.
LET’S SEE WHAT COMES NEXT.
Golden Derringer (scale 1:6)
The miniature 1 mm caliber gold Derringer is a handcrafted model with ivory grips, made of 14 karat gold, white and rose.
It is a miniature version of the “Derringer” pistol. It is the author’s design: today any other workshop doesn’t produce working models in this size.
About the Author
My name is Olha Polah, and I have been working in miniature weapons production since 2015. I started the mini firearms brand and have been running the brand’s Instagram page since 2016. The brand’s miniatures are popular worldwide, with fans in 25+ countries. I became the sole owner of the brand in 2018 and created a comprehensive line of miniatures. More than 60 models of miniature weapons from various historical periods have been created. In November 2023, I was interviewed by Robert Dunn for the GunTech magazine, where I talked about the hardships I had to endure in my business. I also run a newsletter for the brand’s customers, which has evolved into a full-fledged magazine with in-depth articles published on the wpolah.com.
My mission is to make people’s lives more joyful by sharing interesting facts about miniature weapons and inspiring everyone to express themselves.