Jewelry Project/Technique SAWING FOR 3D EFFECTS
2e
Squeezing the oval with a
pair of ring holding pliers
lets you make very subtle changes
to the shape. These inexpensive
pliers are intended for holding a
band ring to polish the inside on
a spinning felt cone — they work
quite well for bending and shaping
circles and ovals.FILE THE BEZEL
2f
After the bezel is shaped to
fi t the stone, fi le the exterior
and top and bottom edges fl at.
Hook the bezel over the end or
point of the bench pin to make the
bezel stable and controllable while
fi ling.2g
File the bezel interior and
sand smooth.Tip: Round and oval things tend to
roll when held on top of the bench
pin. A handy way to prevent that is
to hold a narrow strip of leather or
fabric over the bezel for a better
grip. It’s more comfortable to hold,
and more secure on the pin.FINISH THE INSERT
With the bezel interior ready, the
insert can be adjusted to fi t inside.3
File the insert exterior until it fi ts
into the bezel perfectly. This will
likely require 5 to 10 minutes, but is
worth however long it takes.3a
Here is the bezel with the
insert fi led to fi t inside.3b
Fit the insert by tapping in
place with a mallet. The snug
fi t of the two parts will enable you
to adjust the insert to the desired
elevation and stay in position during
soldering.CREATE THE PATTERN
3c
Using graph paper and a
black marker, lay out the cen-
ters of the two ends and two sides
of the oval. Mark the positions on
top, bottom, and sides of the bezel.
These marks will be the center lines
of the four sets of double prongs
on the sides and ends of the bezel.
Draw the prong pattern with pencil.Lay out the four single prongs in
the corners of the oval by dividing
the space and working evenly
around the bezel from the center
marks.
Next, color in the pattern.3d
Use permanent black
marker to indicate the lines
of the double and single prongs
separated by scallops.3e
Use red marker to color in
the scallops. Using a second
color for the areas to be removed
makes it easier to see that section
as it is sawn away.3f
Patterns applied in black and
red markers make it easier to
visualize the 3D design emerging
from the fl at surface.SAW THE PRONG LINES
Start by making notches at the top
and bottom corners of each center
mark with a short upstroke of the
saw blade. I hold my fi nger on the
back of the blade when doing so.2e 2f
3 3a3b
2g
24 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST