Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

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A

N ART DECO image I’d seen

online inspired this project.

The piece was an emerald

and turquoise necklace, but it was

made more than 75 years ago by

master jewelers trained from an

early age as apprentices. So I’ve

dialed back my ambitions, yet am

happy with the fi nal result, which has

a kind of naïve, Old World charm.

This is still a very challenging proj-

ect, and you’ll also fi nd more acces-

sible options. The special Easier Ways

section on page 93 off ers short cuts

and ideas for simpler projects you can

make based on techniques I used to

create this frog-encrusted jewel.

DESIGN

1

To get started, print out a life-size

version of the Art Deco necklace

to fi t your neck. Then put together a

collage of images and components,

and take a snapshot for reference.

To simplify fabrication, the turquoise

beads will be strung on SoftFlex

instead of rosary-style wire loops.

CUT THE SLAB

2

The RusGems emerald has a

hardness of 7½, within the range

of natural emeralds. Translated

into practical terms, this means it

took me 20 minutes to cut out the

rectangular focal stone, using my

old Inland Swap Top lapidary saw.

The rippled surface of the stone and

the angles are a result of the manu-

facturing process. The stone I used is

very dark and needed a raised, open-

back setting and lots of window-like

facets to let in light. Using a 1200-grit

diamond fl at lap, quickly smooth

the top and cut side facets, holding

the stone in your fi ngers. This is

followed by a 3000-grit diamond fl at

lap, which is slow going, and fi nally,

Fabuluster on a clean muslin buff on a

bench polisher. The result is a velvety

green stone with an ancient vibe.

3

I held the stone up to a light bulb

and noticed it contained a lot of

rod-like inclusions.

BACK PLATES

Cover a square-inch piece of

16-gauge sterling silver sheet with

black ink, using a jumbo chisel point

Sharpie Permanent Marker Pro.

Once the stone is dry, place it on

the surface and use a scribe to etch

its outline. The contrast between

the black ink and bight silver makes

the line easy to see and cut with a

jeweler’s saw.

4

The next step is to fi le and sand

the edges smooth. Set your

digital calipers at 2.50mm. Position

the silver square on a smooth bench

block and use the caliper’s sharp

points to scribe the inside line.

A lab-created emerald in a fabricated necklace with lots

of frog appeal By Betsy Lehndorff

Manmade /

Handmade

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88 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST