Making a Silver Moon Tassel Pendant

Learn how to make a silver pendant featuring a moon and textured design. This is ideal as a gift or for yourself.

Step One

Take the silver disc and use something round to draw around with a pen or scribe to create a crescent moon shape on the disc.

You could also use dividers to make this shape.

Step Two

Place the silver disc on a bench peg and use a piercing saw to cut along the line to create the moon shape.

Step Three

Support the moon shape on a bench peg and use a half round file in long strokes to smooth the curve.

Smooth the edge completely by using curved emery sticks in long smooth strokes working from the coarsest (240) to finest (2000).

Step Four

Add a dotted pattern by placing the moon shape on a steel block and placing a centre punch on top. Hit the top of the centre punch with a hammer to make a dot. Repeat this until the moon shape is covered in dots.

You may want to practise using the centre punch first or draw lines on the moon shape to follow.

Step Five

Take an oval jump ring and cut it in half. You can use wire cutters to do this or use a piercing saw to cut.

If you use wire cutters you may need to file the cut edge if it squishes.

If you use a saw, support the jump ring on a bench peg.

You can use flat or parallel nose pliers to hold the jump ring whilst cutting.

Step Six

Place the moon shape on a heatproof block, pattern side up.

Add a small amount of medium solder paste to each end of both pieces of the jump ring.

Place the one half of the jump ring in the middle at the top of the moon shape. To create a loop at the top.

Place the other half of the jump ring in the middle at the bottom of the moon shape. To create a loop at the bottom.

Ensure that all the ends touch the moon shape.

Heat the moon shape until the solder melts and flows.

Leave to cool for a minute.

Step Seven

Quench (cool) the moon shape in water using tweezers to hold it.

Add the moon shape to a warm pickle solution for 5 minutes or until clean.

Remove the moon shape with plastic tweezers.

Step Eight

Take a silver bezel cup and cover the reverse with a small amount of easy solder until it is just covered.

When clean and dry place the moon shape on raised wire mesh.

Place the bezel cup on the moon shape in the middle towards the top, solder side down and flush with the moon shape.

Heat the moon shape with a hand blow torch from underneath the wire mesh.

Step Nine

Quench (cool) the moon shape in water using tweezers to hold it.

Add the moon shape to a warm pickle solution for 5 minutes or until clean.

Remove the moon shape with plastic tweezers.

Step Ten

Open an oval jump ring by gripping the jump ring with a pair of snipe nose, flat or chain nose pliers on one side and a pair of snipe nose, flat or chain nose pliers on the other side. Twist one pair of pliers forwards to open.

Step Eleven

Thread the open jump ring through the ½ jump ring at the top of the moon shape.

Close the jump ring by gripping it with a pair of snipe nose, flat or chain nose pliers on both sides. Twist one pair of pliers back to close the jump ring flush.

Step Twelve

Open another oval jump ring in the same way as you opened the first one.

Thread the open jump ring through the ½ jump ring at the bottom of the moon shape and thread on the tassel.

Close the jump ring in the same way as you closed the first one.

Step Thirteen

Place the moon on a heatproof block and add a little easy solder paste to the join of one of the jump rings. Using a blow torch, heat the jump ring until the solder melts and flows.

Quench the moon shape in water using tweezers.

Place the moon back onto the heatproof block and add a little solder paste to the join of the second jump ring.

Using a blow torch heat the jump ring until the solder melts and flows.

Step Fourteen

Leave the pendant to cool a little before quenching (cooling) in water using tweezers and adding to a warm pickle solution.

Leave the moon in the solution for 5 minutes or until clean.

Remove from the pickle solution using plastic or brass tweezers.

When clean and dry use an emery stick or paper to remove any excess solder if needed.

Work from 240 coarse emery board grit to 1200 fine emery board grit.

Step Fifteen

Polish the moon pendant using a silver polishing cloth or in a barrel tumbling machine with shot, barrelbrite and water.

You could also use a pendant motor with mops and rouge as well as silicone polishing wheels to add shine.

Step Sixteen

Set the stone in your pendant by placing the stone in the bezel cup. Using the bezel pusher, push the silver over the stone on one side and then push the silver over the stone from the opposite side.

Repeat this process of pushing the sides of the bezel cup until the stone is secure in place and there are no gaps.

Step Seventeen

Rub the burnisher around the silver bezel cup to smooth the silver.

Step Eighteen

To finish making your silver moon tassel pendant, thread the silver chain through the jump ring at the top.

We hope you enjoyed making your Silver Moon Tassel Pendant. If you have any questions or want to know more, get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’d also love to see what you’ve been making so please share pictures of your creations with us too, tagging Cooksongold.

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