Process pics of a ring Im working on

[Lucy]

Hey guys,

Just working on this ring for me Im almost done now, just have to set some more stones tomorrow. In the meantime, Im having an issue with getting the heavy silver prongs to sit flush against the center stone, springback is driving me nuts (I hate silver) I have abused the damned thing with everything going including pounding it with the gravermach hammer handpiece but still there is .3mm ish between the tips and the stone. Any suggestions? I am thinking of just filing the prongs back a smidge to where it does meet, but Id rather not if i can figure out some other way.

Cheers everyone

[Lucy]

last pics

[Dennis]

Hi Lucy, I have been admiring your work in progress, but most suggestions about the prongs would be too late in the day (Cutting a notch inside the prongs before bending, annealing again when partly bent, but the stone not yet trapped, leaving the prongs long until you are sure they are quite down).

My only remaining suggestion other than shortening them, which you don't want, would be to insert a saw blade under each prong and saw in about 1.0 mm. this would give you the relief to lower them a little more. In fact I suspect you could do that more then once.

I do think a hand pusher would be better, as an automatic mallet probably work hardens the prongs and makes them resist more. Dennis.

[Lucy]

Hey Dennis,

I have got them down a fraction further, but Im sure its me being a perfectionist.... anyway this one is for me, so if its not quite perfect its ok. Next time I will definitely do as much pushing by hand as I can and only resort to the air power at the last minute, I think you are right that they got work hardened too quickly, and I would anneal the prongs again for sure, at the last possible moment. Anyway, its finished now and sitting happily on my finger

[ps_bond]

Late to this one

As Dennis says - if you can notch in about the girdle with a fine sawblade, that would have helped (weakened the claws a fraction though) - with the caveats on the hardness of the stone though. I wouldn't have grabbed the hammer handpiece for that either; I'd have used pliers if they were big enough, followed by a hand pusher.

It looks a nice piece of work - were the back & surround domed with a doming block? And any chance of a close-up of the settings around the amethyst?

As an aside, other than Jewellery Manufacture and Repair, are there any books that detail the construction of more traditional jewellery? That's the only one I can think of that describes a basket-back cluster setting thoroughly, for example.

[Lucy]

Hey Peter,

I started out with pliers, and got the prongs to a good location, then used a hammer and punch to do it manually, then hit it with the hammer handpiece - so the springback definitely occured with the use of the hammer handpiece.... I will use it sparingly with silver prongs going forwards. I could put a sawblade underthere, but I think I would end up with a worse situation and no contact because of the spring back. I would not use pliers at this stage though for fear of marking the metal on the ring, they remove chunks very easily out of silver.

The bottom was domed and pierced, but the top was made from 2.5mm sq wire originially and then formed, domed and filed to fit the stone then holes drilled and azures cut.



Unfortunately there are no books that I have found on making real jewellery, it all tends to be more arty stuff.

THese are the only pics I have as now, but I'll get the camera out later and hopefully get some better shots!

With

[ps_bond]

That's larger than I'd realised! I've got some trillions that might lend themselves well to that treatment... Not sure what I'd use for the surround though.

Out of interest, how are you using the pliers? I set one jaw alongside a prong, so it can't dig in, then use the other jaw to lever the opposing prong over. There might be some slight flatting of the prong, but no dings (Hopefully). First one I did was with 9k and there was no significant springback doing that.

Hammer handpieces are great for heavy bezel work, but they do work harden the outside of the metal quite quickly - the plastic deformation isn't that deep, so you don't get the dislocation of the lattice further in.

On the Benchmate, what do you do with the other attachments when they're not in use? Do you park them on another mount?

(Even) More photos would be great - I'd like to see the azures particularly (especially given my recent saw cutting of so many, I'm quite keen on the look).

[Lucy]

Hey Peter, when Im not using the other attachments I just chuck them on the shelf at the back of my bench pan, or leave them lyning around so I can spend an hour looking for them later

With the pliers, I just leave the prong long enough to grab it at the end without having to touch any of the ring, once its pre polished etc, Im not risking any dings to the piece, gold or platinum maybe, but silver it just freekin chews it up with a touch of the pliers.

The ring is huge, very new york style! I wanted a funky cocktail ring! its actually not an amethyst but a flame fusion synthetic color change sapphire - its actually rather pretty, could be cut better though! but at least its not going to scratch up so easily.

Most of my hammer handpiece work was actually scuplting the prongs to shape, rather than pushing them down further, to try and pack in the metal and add a bit of strength, rather than just filing it all away,

I will get out my good camera later on and get some pics of the azures

[ps_bond]

Hey Peter, when Im not using the other attachments I just chuck them on the shelf at the back of my bench pan, or leave them lyning around so I can spend an hour looking for them later

That's my worry... That and trying to make sure all the inside ring fittings are all in one place - currently they're in a small box, still mulling whether that's the best solution.
The worst is the engraving ball on the shelf - it's sufficiently heavy & awkward as to make things fun when changing it over.

With the pliers, I just leave the prong long enough to grab it at the end without having to touch any of the ring, once its pre polished etc, Im not risking any dings to the piece, gold or platinum maybe, but silver it just freekin chews it up with a touch of the pliers.

Ah - that's a difference. I don't grab the prong. Not sure if any of my pliers would have the reach on that size stone tho'.

The ring is huge, very new york style! I wanted a funky cocktail ring! its actually not an amethyst but a flame fusion synthetic color change sapphire - its actually rather pretty, could be cut better though! but at least its not going to scratch up so easily.

It looks a lot of fun - I like cocktail rings, unusually for me, because of how impractical they can get.

I will get out my good camera later on and get some pics of the azures

I shall look forward to that. Need to sort out my macro technique - the focus was off on the recent ring I did.

[Lucy]

The engraving ball shelf is one grs product I don't like, its too bouncy and isn't a solid enough surface, I end up just putting the engraving ball in my bench pan and engraving in there. I don't know how I haven't lost all my attachments though