Wedding Ring Project

[ShinyLauren]

At the risk of spamming the Show and Tell section and being all "ooh, look what I made", I thought I'd share another recent project.

Some friends wanted wedding rings made in silver, complimentary, but not matching, with a hammered texture. So far, so easy right? However, the bride's engagement ring is a large emerald cut stone (she has two, couldn't decide what stone she liked so left me with her spare to design around luckily!) and she wanted it to fit around the stone. Having googled shaped wedding rings for emerald cut engagement rings, I hit a total blank. Most wedding rings seemed to be a standard flat band that fits under the stone, rather than shaped.

So I tried two different ways. First, I carved out of wax, as I'm trying to practice my wax carving skills but am still a bit clueless, so wanted a back up option in case the casting came back not quite right, as bride's ring size is a J and the wax ring tube I have is also a J. Am still a bit baffled by shrinkage.

Whilst it was being cast, I tried version two. Measure engagement ring accurately. Cut from 1.65mm sheet silver in shape of ring, but leave opening for stone smaller to allow for being hammered like buggery around triblet. Hammer like buggery around triblet to two sizes smaller than ring size, the cut through and solder joint at back. File out nice neat hole, angling it so setting fits in perfectly. File to thin out back of band and sides, sand and bit of a polish. Gentle hammering with ball side of my lovely Fretz repousse hammer to add the hammered texture and bring it up to a size J.

Tada!



Groom's ring - much easier.

Ring tube two sizes smaller, cut to required width, finish edges, sand, polish, hammer texture with gently rounded side of repousse hammer.

Done.



And they loved them, hurrah!

[ps_bond]

I see no spam!

Matching to engagement rings is... Fun. Faffing about with a piece of paper wrapped around a ring mandrel, dropping the paper, the mandrel or the ring...

Looks a really good match. And I like the engagment ring too - what's the stone?

In my peregrinations yesterday, I learned Weston Beamor's approach to matching wedding rings - they have a 3d scanner with a damn good resolution. About 2 working days to get a CAD model of the ring in question so the wedding ring model can be made to fit.

Not as much fun as the benchwork, admittedly.

I gather you're pleased with your hammer then? They're very nicely finished. I've got (I think) 6 now, all in shapes that were going to be too much aggro to grind from larger hammers.

[Toni]

I think that looks amazing.

people don't tend to be going for the simple band any more, unique seems to be what everyone wants...cant get more unique than that's

Lovely work

[Petal]

That's lovely Lauren and I'm so glad they liked them. I wish I'd gone for a wedding band to fit my engagement ring, as I now can't wear it as its worn away the setting.

[ShinyLauren]

Thank you - I'm just glad they liked them!

Dennis, the 3D scanner option sounds amazing, but I think very much out of my customers' budget.

And yes, I do love my Fretz hammer. I'd popped into Cooksons just to get a cheap doming hammer, but fell in love with the shape and feel of this one so thought I'd splash out a bit and get a good one.