15
I place this half-round “tube”
in my vise and use a jeweler’s
saw, lube, and a 4/ 0 blade to cut
the jump rings off. I use two pliers
to close these jump rings and use a
half-round fi le to cut a slight curve
at the seam of each jump ring. This
helps them to fi t the outside curve
of the bezel cup. For the pearl drop,
I use a small, 20-gauge jump ring.16
I draw a cross on my soldering
board, using a straight edge
and a ballpoint pen. (Sharpies don’t
work.) I use this visual to position
the jump rings with precision. I apply
medium solder to the seams of the
jump rings, quench, pickle, and rinse,
then fl ux them again, putting them
back into position. I heat the piece
all over until the solder fl ows.17
I spot a perfect half-drilled
pearl cup in a Rio Grande
catalog, a sterling silver swirl pearl
pendant mounting, and order a set.
But I’m too impatient to wait for
them to arrive by mail, so I attempt
to make my own version. I put a
3mm mandrel in my vise, wrap half-
round 14-gauge wire around it toform an eye, twist legs around each
other to form the swirl. Then I solder
a 20-gauge wire peg to the under-
side using a #00 Smith torch tip. I
practice a dozen times until I get it
right. The half-round wire twists best
when unannealed.18
To make this project even
more challenging, I decide to
fabricate the pearl setting directly
onto the bottom jump ring. After
quench, pickle and rinse, I use
cutters and a sanding stick to refi ne
the legs and texturize the peg with
pliers.
During fabrication, the back of the
pendant gets scratched. So, I sand it
smooth using 600-, 1000-, and 1200-
grit paper, rinsing well between grits.
I also sand off the bezel join visible
at the bottom of the pendant. Then I
polish the setting on a bench polish-
ing machine using Fabuluster and
a clean muslin buff. To protect the
shine, I cover the back with painter’s
blue tape.
Note: For this project I only use
Fabuluster. Tripoli is great as a
pre-polish, but its cutting action will
remove all of the fine wire details.STONE SETTING
19
Before I set the stones, I attach
the chain and clasp, then slip
them into a small plastic bag taped
shut to protect their fi nish. I epoxy
a half-drilled pearl onto the sterling
silver fi nding and let cure overnight.
The next day, I place the square
wire circle in the bottom of the
bezel cup, position the stone, and
gently press it in. Working at my
bench pin and wearing magnifi ca-
tion, I start burnishing at the base
of the bezel cup, pressing the steel
against the north, south, east, and
west sides of the bezel. I use the
fi nger of my other hand to prevent
the blade from slipping or scratch-
ing. The bezel is surprisingly soft. I
work all the way around and burnish
the top of the bezel with the tip of
the tool until tight. If necessary, I
can touch up any scratches with
tiny strips of 1200-grit sandpaper or
a 3M bristle brush.BETSY LEHNDORFF has been freelancing for
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist since 2010. She
posts Studio Notes every other week at http://www.
JewelryMakingDaily.com and sells her work in
Michigan art galleries. Got questions? Betsy can be
reached at betsylehndorff @gmail.com.15
17 18 19
16
3 Wire Cuffs
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