This piece was created using a combination of casting and fabrication techniques (The lost wax casting process)
Hanna carved the body of the piece, working the wax around the boulder opal on which the crane is standing. (The opal was removed before casting.) The head and neck of the crane, where the diamonds would be set, were left flat so a sheet of white gold could be cut and soldered on top.
After casting and finishing the body of the piece, the white gold was soldered on and the diamonds were set en pave', which means edge to edge in a field. This is done by drilling holes for the stones to sit in, then using engraving and beading tools to raise small beads of metal and push them over the edges of the diamonds. A properly executed pave' is a "brilliant" achievement! Note that this crane has a tiny emerald eye pave' among the diamonds.
After the diamonds were all set, the pin unit, consisting of hinge and clasp, was soldered to the back of the crane and the pin tong rivetted in place. Then the texture was applied to the crane's crown, using a graver called a "liner", because it cuts tiny parallel lines in the metal surface. Finally, the opal was fitted into its "seat" and the toes of the crane, designed to serve as prongs, were worked over the edges of the stone.