2020-05-01_Lapidary_Journal_Jewelry_Artist

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NTIQUE BUTTONS ARE

a great way to get more

detail into your jewelry

— especially if you like making

pendants and earrings. A master

craftsman has already created an

eye-catching design for you. Your

task is to create the setting — one

you can also use with gemstones,

glass-covered mementoes, even

rare coins.

On a warm, sunny day, I work slowly

on this project, practicing some

steps over and over in advance to

make sure I can do them. I want to

try to improve my craftsmanship, so I

take extra care to measure carefully,

protect surfaces from damage, and

use a minimum of solder.

PREPARE THE BUTTON

1

A year ago, I bought a Japanese

Satsuma button at a bead

show. Produced around the 1930s

for export, it is made of glazed

earthenware and features a gilded,

hand-painted swan. Because I have

concrete fl oors in parts of my studio,

I’ll keep this button safe in a box

when I’m not using it. Meanwhile,

my fi rst step is to place a sheet of

320-grit sandpaper on a fl at surface.

Holding the button face up in my

fi ngertips I gently sand off some of

the shank on the back of the button.

This stubby post contains a small

hole that allows the button to be

sewn on clothing.

Note: “No harm button jewelry” is

a movement among some button

collectors, who prefer that no button

be modified or glued in place if

used for making jewelry. Since I will

sell this necklace in a gallery for

around $600, about six times the

value of the button, I opt to remove

the shank so I can create a better

design.

FABRICATE A BEZEL CUP

2

Blacken the surface of a 2-inch

square piece of 20-gauge

sterling silver sheet with a jumbo

Sharpie Pro permanent marker.

Let dry. Position the 35mm circle

template against the metal and use a

sharp scribe to etch the round shape

into the metal.

Place the sheet on your bench pin

and cut out with a jeweler’s saw, fol-

lowing the bright silver line. Set on a

bench block and use a heavy chasing

hammer and stamps to hallmark

your piece. Stamping will cause a

slightly raised area in the middle of

your disk. So, fi le it smooth. Then

place it on a bench block and strike

with a non-marring mallet until fl at.

File gently to true up THE circle, then

remove fi le marks with 320 and 400

grit sandpaper.

3

Cut one end of a strip of 4mm

bezel wire fl ush and fi le, making

sure your cut is perpendicular to the

length. Shape by wrapping the strip

around a steel mandrel that is about

10mm smaller than the button, so

that the bezel wire will curl uniformly

and hug the button. (I use a 24mm

mandrel.) Gently fi t the strip around

the button.

Mark the trim with a fi ne point

Sharpie, cut and fi le the second end

Create an elegant pendant with an antique hand-painted

button and a pearl drop By Betsy Lehnsdorff

Vintage Swan

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70 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST

70 Lehndorff_VintageSwanPendant_mayjune20.indd 70 3/17/20 9:45 AM