Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

4f

File scallops with a marking
fi le as needed to refi ne the
shape and make them identical. A
marking fi le is a tapered half round
fi le with cut on the domed side only,
and a smooth surface on the fl at
side.

4g

File the setting bottom with a
square fi le to expand notches
into grooves.

4h

Refi ne the grooves with a
barrette fi le to contour the
bottoms of the prongs and scallops
into a rounded profi le.

4i

Sand the bottom to keep the
shape of the prongs and scal-
lops straight and even. Crease a nar-
row strip of abrasive paper around a
barrette fi le and use short strokes of
the tool to refi ne the surface.

5d

5b 5c

5e

5

Sand contour with paper on

fi le to smooth and refi ne all

surfaces of the prongs and scallops

— another task made much more

fi nger friendly by using a ring clamp

as a holding aid.

FINISH THE INSERT

The bottom of the insert has an inte-

rior bevel. This is a design feature

intended to emphasize the view of

the back plate.

5a

Mark the insert bevel with

dividers set at ⅔ the thick-

ness of the insert. Mark outwards

with dividers measuring from the

center of the oval.

5b

File the inner bevel with a

half round fi le or crossing

fi le. Hold the oval insert at an angle

on the bench pin, and fi le through

the opening to remove the inner

corner of the square wire. Hold the

work fi rmly on the pin and use equal

strokes to create an even inner bevel

around the oval. Refi ne the beveled

surface with sandpaper wrapped

over the fi le or with a rotary sanding

mandrel.

5c

With the setting and insert

apart, you can see the fea-

tures of the carved pattern and the

bevel of the insert.

5d

Here, the setting and insert

are together and upside

down. The interior position and

elevation of the insert is determined

by the height of the stone and the

combined thickness of the insert

and back plate. Elevating the bottom

of the back plate slightly above the

bottom edge of the setting reveals

the profi le of the carved pattern

more distinctly.

FORM THE SHANK

A ring needs a shank for it to be

worn on a fi nger. This stirrup design

is formed by forging and bending

square wire. Forging hardens the

metal through cold work as the

shape of the wire is changed from

square to rectangular. Forging

the cross section of the wire also

stretches the length.

I started with 55 mm of square wire

that elongated to 68 mm after forg-

ing. Bending and fi tting the shanks to

my settings resulted in fi nished rings

with fi nger sizes 7½-8. The stirrup

shape makes fi nger size inexact, so

it’s best to record lengths and dimen-

sions accurately before and after

forging.

5e

Mark the center, and 15 mm

from each end, of the square

stock for the shank.

About Time

My time including prepping material

from scratch and fabrication was 6

hours per ring, helped by making

three rings efficiently. More than

anything else, though, this project

is meant as an exercise in skill

refinement, and worth repeating.

The amount of time it takes to do

each step is of less consequence

than doing each step properly.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 27