Tube

[Patstone]

Someone has asked me to make a ring that really sparkles, and I am a bit stuck. She was looking at a moonstone, in a cabachon type setting, cant think of an extremely sparkly stone other than a white topaz which she saw and said it wasnt sparkly enough. If I get a facetted cubic zirconia to give it sparkle it means it will have to be tube set, but I am having difficulty buying tube that big, 6.5mm inside diameter. I have tried to make it out of the strip with a shelf on it but it is quite hard to bend to a small size, has anyone any ideas where I can buy a short length of tube that size. Bellore do it but they have a minimum order so it wouldnt be cost effective as I dont intend making any more that size and at the moment I dont need anything else.

[Wallace]

hi Pat,
have you tried Rashbel? http://www.rashbel.com/Products.asp?cat_id=211

[Dennis]

. I have tried to make it out of the strip with a shelf on it but it is quite hard to bend to a small size.

Pat, I have made lots of those. I think the trouble you are having is because you are using sterling sheet. if you change to 4.0mm fine silver there is much less problem because it is very soft when annealed, but quickly stiffens when bent. The inner bearing can also be a jump ring, rather than another tube.

It helps to have a little bezel mandrel to shape them. Dennis.

[Wallace]

Pat, I have made lots of those. I think the trouble you are having is because you are using sterling sheet. if you change to 4.0mm fine silver there is much less problem because it is very soft when annealed, but quickly stiffens when bent. The inner bearing can also be a jump ring, rather than another tube.

It helps to have a little bezel mandrel to shape them. Dennis.

good point, I wasn't thinking wider than your question and should have, given that you like to make many parts yourself. Fine silver sheet is a doddle to work with. I purchase loads of it at .4mm and make mounts to fit the stone. (except for the 1 - 1.8mm sizes and then I purchase tube or, depending on the time I have, drill holes in thick enough wire as it is cheaper and seamless).

[mizgeorge]

If you do want tube, Rashbel have a reasonable range, or better still is Argex - you have to phone them, but they're always incredibly helpful and sell even very short lengths. http://www.argex.co.uk/categories.php?cat=64

[Patstone]

Well I have got around the problem now, thanks for all your help though. I bought ages ago a strip of silver with a shelf on which I tried to use to set the stone on, the first attempt was with a 6mm stone, which failed dismally, I couldnt bend the strip small enough. I had a huge 10mm AAAAA Diamond CZ stone that I was keeping for something for me, but I thought I wonder if it will work for this bigger stone, well it did. Problem solved. Only downside is that I now have to go and look for a stone for me. Very pleased with the result, my daughter is my "quality control" so she has to look at it before it goes out to customer but I have uploaded a pic for your comments.

[ps_bond]

Pat, I've got some 9mm CZs as practice stones if you'd like one.

Time was a 9mm CZ meant something very, very different to me