Tag Archives: bezel

Dark Grey and Baby Blue Drusy Rings

Dark Grey and Baby Blue Drusy Rings

My lovely and ever stylish client Rosie chose these two titanium coated drusy stones to be made into rings to add to her collection of Silver Forge pieces. Fabulous!

Botryoidal Carnelian Ring

Botryoidal Carnelian Ring

I love all the cabochons I source, and it is a bit of an obsession with me! I’d love to keep them all, but that’s just silly – so one of the many joys of being a silversmith is sharing these gorgeous finds with nice people.

Botryoidal Carnelian Ring

Once in a while, though, I come across a cabochon that I just can’t part with. This botroidal carnelian is one of those.

Botryoidal Carnelian Ring

It’s a great ring to wear with earth tones, which I’ve been more drawn to lately.

Botryoidal Carnelian Ring

If you’d like a custom made gemstone ring of your own, check out my gemstone collection, and let me know which one you’d like to wear!

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 3

smithing – creation of a pair of gemstone and sterling silver earrings

Lots of people like to know the process behind the creations I produce, and I sometimes forget – just because I know how I do this, doesn’t mean everyone does! These lovely dangly gemstone earrings were a wedding gift from my friend and client Natasha to a dear friend of hers.

Natasha found these sparkly amethyst, Rose de France and aquamarine rose cut cabochons in my gemstone collection.

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 1

First I shaped the bezels.  A bezel is the part that goes around the stone and holds it in place on the piece. I take a strip of silver, bend it into shape with my half round pliers, and solder the join. Once the bezels have been immersed in pickle (an acid solution) to remove the buildup of borax and the oxidisation, I rinse and dry them and hammer them into shape with a mallet on my ring mandrel.

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 2

I solder the bezels onto a silver backing plate. After I pickle, file and emery the bezel settings, I check that the stones all fit nicely into their little housings.

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 4

Then it’s time to add some links to join the bezels together. I create the links, line them up and solder them on.

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 5

I add the ear wires. As always, I am amazed that something that looks so unappealing will soon become something beautiful!

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 6

After some more cleaning up, I mount the earrings in sealing wax to hold them still while I set the stones with my engraving ball and chasing hammer.

Three Gemstone Earrings Creation 7

After yet more emerying and finishing, the earrings are ready to go off to their new home!

Amethyst, Rose de France and Aquamarine Sterling Silver Earrings

In case you want more, I have written before herehere here and here about my processes. Happy reading!

Peach Moonstone and Sterling Silver Flower Brooch

Peach Moonstone Flower Brooch

This brooch I created for a client is in the shape of his wife’s business logo.

Peach Moonstone and Sterling Silver Flower Brooch

The peach moonstone reflects the colour of the logo, and provides a nice focal point to the design.

Peach Moonstone and Sterling Silver Flower Brooch

What an apt and thoughtful gift!

Lemon Quartz and Sterling Silver Wedding Rings

Lemon Quartz Wedding Rings

Natasha and her partner Philipp were in need of some new wedding rings. These lemon quartz cabochons from my gemstone collection had a good feel to them, and Natasha had a number of designs that she gave me for reference.

Lemon Quartz and Sterling Silver Wedding Rings

We worked together to come up with the perfect rings.

Lemon Quartz and Sterling Silver Wedding Rings

It’s always a joy to create for someone who is like-minded, I feel very fortunate to meet such lovely people!

Black Drusy Squared Sterling Silver Ring

Black Oblong Drusy Ring

Some very kind friends gave my client a Silver Forge gift voucher for her birthday.

Black Drusy Squared Sterling Silver Ring

This oblong shaped drusy cabochon makes a gorgeous piece!

Black Drusy Squared Sterling Silver Ring

Round Labradorite and Sterling Silver Ring

Round Labradorite Ring

My lovely client, Natasha, chose this cabochon from my gemstone collection, and commissioned me to create this labradorite ring for her mum.

Round Labradorite and Sterling Silver Ring

The gorgeous stone is offset beautifully by the silver. I’m very happy with the end result!Round Labradorite and Sterling Silver Ring

Thanks, Natasha, it’s always a pleasure to create for you!

Mookaite and Sterling Silver Men's Ring

Mookaite Men’s Ring

My lovely client Natasha commissioned me to create this mookaite ring for her partner.

Mookaite and Sterling Silver Men's Ring

She chose the cabochon from my gemstone collection. Doesn’t the mookaite look great with a reticulated silver shank!

Mookaite and Sterling Silver Men's Ring

It’s always a pleasure to create with like-minded people. I’m so lucky!

Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant

Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant

One of the lovely mums from school had inherited this gorgeous piece of smoky quartz, and asked if I would be able to make it into a pendant for her to give to her mum. The stone even came to me in a cute little vintage box!

Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant

I created the setting so that the stone would be protected, but the maximum amount of light would come through – I always aim to make the stone the star of the show!

Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant

Thanks, Emma, and I’m so glad your mum loves her new pendant!

Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Pendant

Green Freeform Drusy Agate and Sterling Silver Ring

Green Freeform Drusy Ring

One of my lovely regulars, Karen, reserved this stone from my collection, and when she was ready, asked me to create her a ring.

Green Freeform Drusy Agate and Sterling Silver Ring

We worked on the design together, and I love Karen’s request for a wire border of silver around the stone.

Green Freeform Drusy Ring

Love the sparkly crystals in that drusy!