Jewelry Project/Technique SAWING FOR 3D EFFECTS
5f
Forge the center of the square
wire into a fl attened rectangle
with a goldsmith or planishing ham-
mer. Work from both sides of the wire
to keep the developing shape even
and tool marks to a minimum. Turn
the wire 90 degrees and position it
with the forged section vertical.5g
Forge the ends into rect-
angles, working on both sides
of the shank equally.5h
Opposing tapers transition
in shape from horizontal to
vertical rectangles. Before bending,
the forged shank is a long, elegant
lozenge.6
Anneal the shank with an
oxidation preventative coating
of boric acid/denatured alcohol
solution. Quench, clean, and dry.
Measure and record the shank
length and other dimensions.BEND THE SHANK
6a
Forming the shank into
a stirrup shape requires
persuasive leverage.6b
Bend the shank over a
mandrel, pressing down
with thumbs and fi ngers or heels
of the hands.
Adjust the shape with a mandrel
and mallet to the desired fi nger
size. Flatten the ends by forging
with a goldsmith hammer to refi ne
the shape. File, sand, and fi nish as
desired.ASSEMBLY TIME
6c
The forged stirrup shanks
have now been marked for
notching.6d
Saw notches to remove the
metal where the shank and
setting fi t together.6e
File notches with a barrette
fi le to adjust the fi t of the
shank to the setting. Then round
off the edges and faces of the
notches so the shank nestles
securely between the double
prongs.6f
Te nsion -fi t parts ensure a
stable and secure connec-
tion and proper alignment during
soldering.THE BACK PLATE
BECKONS
Whether a setting requires a back
plate depends on the stone and the
design. Here the insert supports the
cabochon by providing a fl oor for the
stone to sit on, so a back plate is not
structurally necessary. The concept of
the back plate is more about added
design space and personalization, or
the desire to display the back of the
stone. One of the cabochons I used in
my trio of rings is a semi-transparent
amethyst. Because I did not want to
obscure the stone’s transparency with
a design behind it, that ring has no
back plate.6g
Lay out the back plate design
with dividers, mechanical
pencil, and markers.7
Drill the back plate entry holes
for piercing.Measurements
Use the formulae given in the text to determine the amount of metal you need
for the stones you have and the size ring you want. As examples, here are the
measurements and calculations I made for these three rings. My oval stones
measure 14.5 x 17.5 mm and 7.5 to 9.0 mm tall. I determined 5 mm bezel
height is needed to set the stones. I added the combined thickness
of 1 mm back plate and 2 mm insert increasing the bezel height to 8 mm.OVAL BEZEL, 1.65 MM STOCK
Oval bezel length = [(l + w)/ 2 + metal thickness] x 3.14
14.5 + 17.5 = 32/2 = 16 (l + w converted to diameter)
+ 1.65 = 17.65 x 3.14 = 55.42
I used 8.0 mm x 55.50 mm for my bezel blank.OVAL INSERT, 2.00 MM STOCK
Insert length = (stone diameter - metal thickness) x 3.14
16 – 2 = 14 x 3.14 = 43.96
I used 44 mm for the insert.
STIRRUP SHANK, 2.85 MM SQUARE STOCK
I started with 55 mm which lengthened to 68 mm after forging. This allowed
for the small amount I trimmed while shaping the shank and fitting it to the
setting. At the center, the shank is 2 mm thick x 3.5 mm wide; at the ends,
it’s 4.5 mm wide x 1.25 mm thick. I bent the rings at a size 7 on my mandrel
or inner diameter of 17 mm.Drawings not exactly to scale28 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST