Another Diamond Ring

HAPPY MAY DAY!

It is the first of May and bright and sunny in South Carolina.  We have a saying around here, "It's not hot, wait until August."  Temperatures are in the mid 80's but very nice.  I finished this ring about 0330 this morning. 

This is the second diamond ring made with small (2 mm) diamonds for the same customer.  In this case the shank is made from 10 gauge round halfhard Sterling Silver wire that was wound around a ring mandrel.  This was soldered together with hard silver solder.  (The difference among the solders is the temperature at which they melt, hard is the highest.)  Then an oval plate was sawn from 26 gauge Sterling Silver sheet and soldered to the shank with medium solder.  Finally the prong heads were soldered to the plate with easy solder.  Pickling and cleaning after each soldering.  The polishing to high gloss before setting the stones.  The diamonds were then set in the prongs and the ring was done.




Thanks for looking. 

John

Stylish Cabochon Pendants

Hello to all,

I have been thinking for quite a while about how to make a pendant without wire around it.  I knew that I would have to drill a hole at the "top" of the stone, but I did not really know how to make the bail.  Then while shopping in the new Walmart that has just opened near my house (within 1/2 mile), I saw some bails that would be perfect.  They had gunmetal and copper, no silver.  On Thursday night while at Downtown Alive Arts, I went into the little bead store, and there were "clip" bails made of Sterling Silver that were obviously not priced at the current price of silver.  So I bought ten.  One of the stones that I used was too thick for the purchased bails, so I made one with 9 gauge Sterling Silver half round half hard wire.  And in one photo, here are the pendants:



Now we will see what I can come up with for May.

John

Diamond Ring

A friend (and now a customer) asked me to make him a ring with 9 diamonds (2 mm diameter) that were in another ring that he had worn through the metal in the shank.  He wanted them channel set.  I contacted the company where I buy castings and got three three stone channel settings and a shank that would go with them.  Taking the three channels, I soldered them together with hard silver solder; then after pickling and cleaning soldered them into the ring shank with medium silver solder.  Pickled and polished the ring.  Hand polished to a very high shine.  The stones were then placed in the channels and with my parallel jaw pliers the channels were narrowed to secure the stones in the setting.  The ring is then finished.



This is a lot of fun to make these.  Working on another with six stones for the same customer.  This will be more artisan as I will make all the components myself (no casting to be done).

John

AJG MD Competition

The results of the Artisan Jeweler's Guild competition for Mother's Day are in....I won.
http://artfireajg.blogspot.com/

There were several very high quality entries. One of the distinctions in this guild is that ARTISAN jewelry is handmade, but all handmade jewelry is not ARTISAN. An artisan jeweler does not just assemble pieces made from components made by another person/company. An Artisan makes the components of the jewelry piece. Thus from design to finished piece, the components are made/cut/polished/pierced/cast by the artist.

Yes, I do make some beaded items where I assemble someone else's components, but these are not ARTISAN! While the distinction may seem semantic in nature, it is actually vital to the jewelry community. High end jewelers who design, smith and put together their jewelry are ARTISANS. My congratulations to all who participated in the competition. Please visit the AJG blog and express your support for the Artisan Jeweler.

7000 Bracelets Blog Hop

It's BLOG HOP day. I'm late, sick wife. Here are the participants and my entry:

Bracelet Blog Hop

1. Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
2. Jayne Capps, Mama's Got To Doodle
3. Kym Hunter, Creatively Kym
4. Mandy Duffy, Beads for Brains: 365
5. Charlene Sevier, The Bead Dreamer
6. Lisa Boucher, Lisa's Clay Happenings
7. Mary Harding, Mary Harding Jewelry
8. Barbara Lewis, Painting With Fire
9. Amy Severino, Amy's Beads
10. Jennifer Pride, Jewelry by Jennifer Pride

11. Jenny Cameron, Glass Addictions
12. Susan Ferguson, Windrock Studio
13. Mortira vanPelt, Inspirational Beading
14. Brandi Hussey, Brandi Girl
15. Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design
16. Angela Barribou, Re: Angela Rae
17. Stefanie Teufel, Stefanie's Sammelsurium
18. Sue Hodgkinson, Hello Gorgeous
19. Jean Yates, Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading To Be Done!
20. Nicki Keller, Nicki's Reef

21. JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
22. Stacey Curry, Star Hitched Wagon
23. Carrie Tahquechi, Carrie T
24. Deci Worland, Gem Trails
25. Debbie Goering, Prairie Emporium
26. Staci Smith, Staci Louise Originals
27. Francy Inman, 8 Second Studio
28. Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings
29. Cherin Poovey, Lanyard Lady
30. Deb Price, Green Shoot Jewellery Designs


31. Suzette Bentley, Ellies Bijoux
32. Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads
33. Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
34. Kate Gardenghi, The Tropical Blonde
35. Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
36. Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
37. Linda Djokic, Lutka and Co.
38. Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie
39. CJ Baushka, 4 His Glory Creations
40. Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass, and Recycled Trash

41. Sandra Richardson, Sandy's Coloring Box
42. Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe Designs
43. Kim Roberts, Bahama Dawn
44. Hilary Frye, FryeStyle
45. Emanda Johnson, Artemisia's Studio
46. Lisa Kavanaugh, Beading Bliss
47. Sue Kennedy, Sue Beads
48. Raquel Amaral, Raquel Amaral
49. Robyn Hawk, Daily Jewel
50. Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry


52. Krista French, French Elegant Jewelry
53. Andrea Robinson, Madame Magpie's Shiny Things
54. John Rasmussen, Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry
55. Breana Fry, Vault 31
56. Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found
57. Cyndi Lavin, Beading Arts
58. Dot Lewallen, Speedie Beadie
59. Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
60. Heather Pyle, Aquariart

61. Adrienne Campbell, Adrienne Designs
62. Dee Gordon, Runako Designs
63. Judy Glende, Judith B. Designs
64. Susie Hibdon, Vintage Susie & Wings
65. Tania Spivey, Moobie Grace Designs
66. Norma Agron, Norma's Clay
67. Ana Novak, Cat's Pajamas, Dog's Tuxedos
68. Johanna Rhodes, Fire Phoenix Creations
69. Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads
70. Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman


71. Holly Westfall, Silver Rose Designs
72. Catherine Pruitt, Boo Beads
73. Deana Hager, Just Deez' Art & Life
74. Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
75. Valerie Norton, Hot Fused Glass
76. Janet Bocciardi, Honey From the Bee
77. Kitty Durmaj, Perles and Life
78. Rose Noble, Lady Noble Design
79. Sally Russick, WireWorked
80. Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter


81. KJ, KJ's Beadacious Beads
82. Lana Kinney, Something Unique by Lana
83. Melissa Meman, Melissa Meman ... Art, Life, Love
84. Karen Bien, Everyday Gypsy
85. Rebecca Anderson, Songbeads
86. Cyn Gagen, Creative Edventures
87. Niky Sayer, Silver Nik Nats
88. Deb Beechy, Beetique
89. Marian Hertzog, M's Place
90. Kerry Bogert, Kab's Creative Concepts


91. Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
92. Charlene Gray, Gray Girl Studio
93. Erin Fickert-Rowland, Elysian Fields
94. Sharon Palac, Sharon's Jewelry Garden
95. Maryse Thillens, Glass Bead Art
96. Christine Altmiller, One Kiss Creations
97. Eileen Bergen, The Artful Crafter
98. Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
99. Rebekah Payne, Tree Wings Studio
100. Mari Aparicio, Mis Amores

101. Tracy Statler, Make Bracelets
102. Marcy Lamberson, Studio Marcy
103. Kim Stevens, Picking Poppies
104. Karyn White, Releases by Rufydoof
105. Elisabeth Auld, Beads for Busy Gals
106. Lisa Hamilton, Simply Irresistible Jewelry
107. Serena Trent, All Things Made Jewelry
108. Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Artwerks
109. Debbie La Rue, For the Love of Beading
110. Maggie Towne, Maggie's Bead Towne


111. Cassandra Watsham, Designs by Cassandra
112. Mary Ellen Parker, BeeTree by m.e.