Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

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HE APPLIED TECHNIQUES

involved in this project

represent the principal

foundation of goldsmithing: forging,

forming, fi ling, sawing, piercing,

soldering, and annealing. I designed

the ring with several subtle features

not only for visual and aesthetic

appeal, but for the purpose of skill

refi nement and fi nessed use of tools.

The carved and rounded bottom of

the setting adds a tailored fi nishing

touch. The beveled interior of the

insert is another tailored detail that

invites the eye to look at the pierced

back plate inside. The pattern of

alternating double and single prongs

creates an excellent opportunity to

practice accurate layout and skillful

execution of steps to make design ele-

ments uniform. The inner corners of

the notches in the shank are rounded

off to fi t perfectly between the double

prongs of the setting.

The stirrup shank is an effi cient and

expedient forging exercise to illustrate

the malleability of our material. And,

after all, who doesn’t love to include a

hammer?

Fabricating the setting and insert

to fi t tightly together requires work-

ing with precision and accuracy.

Constructing parts that are aligned

and self-supporting makes soldering

more controlled and comfortable

without the need for clips, clamps,

binding wire, or extra hands.

These small details promote

controlled use of the relatively

modest number of primary tools

involved in creating this ring. They

are intentionally integrated with

the project design to assist you in

advancing your skills and increasing

your confi dence, while learning a

few tips and small refi nements to

the practice of our craft. The design

itself off ers unlimited potential as a

concept for individual expression and

personalization.

MATERIAL AND DESIGN

1

The thickness of the bezel stock

provides suffi cient dimension to

create a decorative setting by carv-

ing the bezel wall into a contoured

relief pattern of prongs and scallops.

Using thick material for the bezel

precludes the common bezel making

approach of wrapping metal around

a stone, marking the overlap, and

cutting to length. Using thick material

requires accurately measuring and

cutting the metal to precise length

fi rst, bending closed, soldering the

seam, and then adjusting the shape.

DO THE MATH

How do I know the precise length of

metal I need before I bend it? First, I

need to know which piece of metal:

the setting that fi ts around the

stone, or the beveled insert that

fi ts inside the setting. There is a

formula to determine the precise

length for each component. This

pair of formulae works for making

any type of setting or tube or com-

ponent where parts fi t precisely

together, one inside another, like

telescoping tubing. (See the box

"Measurements" on page 28 to see

how I did the math for the rings I

demonstrate here.)

• Round bezel length = (stone
  diameter + metal thickness) x
  3.14. This formula adds metal
  thickness to stone measure-
  ment to provide the circumfer-
  ence to fi t around the stone.


• Oval bezel length = [(l + w)/
  2 + metal thickness] x 3.14.
  Here, use length and width to
  determine diameter.


• Insert length = (stone diam-
  eter - metal thickness) x 3.14.
  Deduct metal thickness to
  make circumference equal to
  the stone.

Learn a new technique while creating a cabochon ring

with a carved prong setting By Michael David Sturlin

Sawing for

3D Effects

1

20 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST