Construction Details:

For version 1.0 I used Firm Sculpty and flattened it into a thin sheet by rolling it through a press. I then carved the design of the crown flat into the clay using the best reference image we could find. Shiva had the largest gems needed for the crown and so I scaled the design off of those. I then...(Read More) had her carve the "Wit Beyond Measure is Man's Greatest Treasure" on the bottom because her handwriting is much better than mine. I baked it until it was almost hard, then I took it out of the oven and used a towel to press it to Shiva's forehead while it was still warm to bend it to the correct shape. I then let it harden into the curved shape, painted it with silver Rub and Buff and glued on all of the gems. Shiva found silver chain which she used to embellish the back of the headpiece.

For version 2.0, I molded the crown in clay and created a mold instead of baking Sculpty. I then cast the crown in resin, and shaped it into a curve before it had completely set. It took a few tries to get the curve right to match Shiva's forehead properly. I then painted it in rub and buff and glued on the gems. This version has survived several conventions and a parade Shiva marched in, so I am much happier with the durability of this version.

Personal Thoughts:

My wife, Shiva, was being Rowena Ravenclaw for our Hogwarts Founders group at Dragon*Con, and the diadem was the only Horacrux which can't be bought from a replica store so I decided to make her one. I threw version 1.0 together in two days, and we both loved how this came out, but because it was made from Sculpty it was fragile and didn't survive the plane ride home intact. For version 2.0 I created a mold and cast it in resin, which is much more durable, and if anything happens to it, we can just cast another.

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