Setting a stalegmite

[Patstone]

Yes you did read the title correctly. I have half a disc which was a stalegmite or maybe tight, not sure which way it was growing. Anyway its very pretty, and I am not sure how to set it for a pendant as it looks quite fragile. When I went to the Rock and Gem show the other day one of the chaps exhibiting had a sliver of a stone which had silver painted on the edge. I asked him how he did it and he only said it was PMC painted on, however my stalegmite probably wouldnt stand up to firing, dont want to take the chance anyway, has anyone any other ideas, the bottom edge is crystalised so dont really want to put claws on it. It is about an inch across the straight bit and about quarter of an inch thick.
4665

[medusa]

oooh! pretty!

Could you make a kind of bezel setting but only rub over the edges along the cut side? I'm thinking if it's that thick and the unfolded over bezel is close enough it might stay on.

The only other way I can think of now is to maybe glue the back of it. How stable are the crystalised bits? Are they very loose?

[Patstone]

No the crystalised bits are quite firm, but I saw the piece that the chap had and it was pretty, delicate but firm and sculptured to fit the uneven bits. I wondered if to do it the way you said, but make it a bit bigger and squeeze the edges on the top, or even have two loops, one either side to hold the edge but artisically, but I dont want to cover too much of it. I have seen other flat stones done that way, but never found out how to do it.

[solitarysmagick]

If it were me I would cut a strip of silver and use this to cover just the non-crystallised edge, bending over both sides to secure it (perhaps a bit of glue if it won't hold on it's own) and a loop or tube soldered to the top of this for a bail. I have just been making a similar bail for a piece of antler I am making into a pendant.

[trialuser]

Would it be possible to drill it in two or three places and rivet it?
Perhaps you'd think that would spoil it or it would be risky to do.

[medusa]

if the crystal bits are firm then maybe really fine bezel strip closely following the contour edges and then just rubbed over enough to hold it all in. It would look really cool with one or two silver or gold rivets holding it in place on a backing of silver sheet, as TU suggests but I'd be afeared of drilling into it!

[Dennis]

It's a beautiful slice Pat, and I would hang it from a hidden back-plate, with extensions cut out as part of it, or with soldered on wires, made in the flat and then bent over.

I have tried to draw three claws and a bow, all about 02.0mm wide. Dennis.

[Patstone]

Thats the sort of thing I was thinking of Dennis, but with a bail hanging from the top. I even wondered whether to set it into a half round bezel, even though it wouldnt fit very well, fit where it touches. The one that I saw in the show was pretty with the edge done, it wasnt cast, or formed, so it must have been painted on or dipped, but it followed the curve of the stone exactly.

[mizgeorge]

I wonder if it was an electroformed piece you saw Pat?

[Patstone]

I dont know what an electroformed piece looks like so I couldnt say. I wouldnt think that the chap did it, my guess is that he bought it in. If you use slip from PMC which he said it was, and you let it dry naturally, does it still have to be fired or could it still be polished to a fine shine.

[Goldsmith]

I dont know what an electroformed piece looks like so I couldnt say. I wouldnt think that the chap did it, my guess is that he bought it in. If you use slip from PMC which he said it was, and you let it dry naturally, does it still have to be fired or could it still be polished to a fine shine.

I was going to suggest that it was electroformed. I have seen pieces that have been treated this way. I was told that they use a copper metalic paint on the surface before silverplating the dried copper paint, then it can be polished. I have no experience of any PMC so I do not know about that, but I thought as you that all PMC needed firing to harden up. As to your slice, if I was going to turn it into a pendant I would perhaps solder a few wire settings on a disc, texture the areas of the disc that show around the stone, perhaps with a sunray pattern streaming from the crystal area.

[Patstone]

I thought a bit along those lines, thinking that perhaps its would show it off better if it had a backplate of some kind also as it it a bit rough to wear next to the skin I should think. The sunray design would look good, better get some practice in using the scorper then !!!!! Good job I have plenty of copper. I was going to have it so the points were downwards, but it may look better upwards and the flat side could have a little shelf with a rim on to hold it in place. I will let you know what happens with it. I keep taking it out of its box and admiring it and then putting it back again. Thanks for the ideas, sometimes I sit in my workshop (my spare bedroom), which has a view over a field albeit surrounded by houses, which are quite a way back and just get lost in the comings and goings of the wildlife and when I look at the clock another hour has gone by.