Here is a fantastic picture of the near-complete medallion. All the major components are now safely in the “background” disc. The black globs are drops of optically clear epoxy, used here to secure many of the sterling silver stars.

Once the remaining stars are glued into place (you can see where their positions have been drilled through the Ebony), the entire medallion will be sanded and ready for the next step, where it will be attached to a backing and encircled in a ring of sterling silver. This ring will help differentiate the border between the medallion and the top wood of the guitar. Once all this occurs, the entire piece can be inlaid into the body of the guitar. The only element that is not represented here is the smoke from the pipe, which we have chosen to eliminate.

It is amazing to see this come together, after such a long planning process!