Buff Lizards and 140kg Rocks
When Yulia reached out to me about a custom piece for Tomer, I knew we weren't going to be making a dainty minimalist heart or a simple pair of initials. No, this brief was significantly more heavy metal - literally and figuratively!
You see, Yulia loves Tomer. And Tomer has two very specific, very badass passions: Komodo dragons and lifting Atlas stones.
For those of us, regular people, whose heaviest lift is a double-shot of espresso, Atlas stones are those massive, spherical concrete boulders you see in Strongman competitions. The lightest official stone starts at a casual 140kg. That’s roughly the weight of two full-grown men, or one very disgruntled panda.
Making a Lizard Flex
The goal was to marry these two worlds into a single piece of Sterling silver. We didn't just want a lizard standing near a rock; we wanted a Komodo dragon that looked like he’d been on a strict protein-and-deadlift diet since the Stone Age.
I got to work sculpting out a pendant that captured that raw power. The result? A muscular, Alpha Komodo dragon mid-lift, hoisting a textured Atlas stone over his head in a display of reptilian strength. We framed it in a rugged, rectangular dog-tag style to keep it grounded and masculine.
It’s All in the Details
While the front is all about power, the back carries the personal soul of the piece. Yulia requested a specific, spidery engraving - a delicate contrast to the heavy-lifting beast on the flip side.
I've cast the whole thing in Sterling silver, giving it that hefty, high-quality feel that Tomer’s hobbies demand. It’s oxidized to highlight the textures - from the scales on the dragon’s tail to the rough, weathered surface of the stone.
Looking at the photos Yulia sent of Tomer actually lifting those massive stones (and hanging out with his reptilian friends), I think we nailed the vibe. It’s rugged, it’s weird in the best way possible, and most importantly, it’s one of a kind, just like the man wearing it.
Do you have a "too weird to be true" idea for a custom piece? Whether it’s a gym-rat reptile or something even more out there, I’d love to help you bring it to life.
