I had a request from a client to turn her husband’s Australian Army major’s crowns into a set of cuff links as a surprise for him.
After a quick refresher to make sure that the melting point of the metal would not be too low to take the soldering, I removed the existing toggles, soldered cuff link backs on the crowns, et voila! (OK, I confess I had to change the direction of the links after a little misunderstanding, but hey – cuff links achieved!)
On a trip through China with my family in 2008, as part of a tour of Shanghai we visted the Jin Mao Tower (at the time the sixth tallest building in the world). Our tower entry tickets rather bizarrely entitled us to a free pearl each at the top of the tower (don’t ask, I still don’t know!), so we wandered past many vendors of tourist tat, and found a counter where a girl whisked out some big flat oysters, popped them open with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver, and offered us a choice of pearls!
We each chose one, and I held onto them for some time, then decided to set them in a ring so that I could enjoy them.
The top of the ring is reticulated – a method that involves heating a sheet of silver to almost melting point, so the surface becomes textured. Fun stuff!
As another addition to my family was on the way at the time, my very kind teacher Sue, gave me a little seed pearl to set in the top of the ring along with the other three. I treasure this ring, and still wear it today!
Pink Magnolias (image credit Angel McNall)
Share The Dignity is an initiative run by two Queensland based women, Rochelle Courtenay and Heather Ranger. Their aim is to provide homeless and at-risk women across Australia with sanitary products to allow them a sense of dignity at a time when they need it most.
Because no woman should suffer the indignity of choosing between eating or buying sanitary products, Share The Dignity have a network of homeless and domestic violence shelters who they supply the donations to and allow them to distribute the donations where they see the need.
To help, you can donate sanitary items at one of the many collection sites, or if you’re not close to one of those, through the Tsuno website. Tsuno make environmentally friendly pads, and is also a social enterprise which exists to donate 50% of profits to charities helping women in the developing world.
Another way to help is to pop into my online shop – I will be donating 10% of all The Silver Forge proceeds from this month to this worthy cause!
The garnet gemstone cabochon shown here is 8mm long, and is available to be handcrafted into a custom piece for you.
The sweet agate cabochon shown here is 41mm long. It is available to be handcrafted into a custom made ring or pendant for you.
I previously created this cross for a lovely customer to give her partner.
As my client’s partner is a personal trainer, the dimensions my client requested turned out to be a little large for everyday wear – so she asked if I could construct a second cross, leaving the first one for special occasions.
I enjoyed revisiting this process – thanks, Bella!
I love all the cabochons I source, but once in a while I come across a cabochon that I just can’t part with. This grey drusy agate is one of those.
I love this ring, and I’ve been wearing it nearly every day!
If you’d like a custom made gemstone ring of your own, check out my gemstone collection, and let me know which one you love the most!
I was contacted by a lovely person who wanted a ring made for her partner.
She came to visit me, and after checking out my collection of gemstones chose this piece of moss agate, which she felt would really suit her tall Nordic girlfriend.
I was so pleased with the way this ring turned out – it was a pleasure to create it!
Some years ago, my gorgeous husband came home from a work trip to Hong Kong with this beautiful piece of jade for me. Yes, I love him!
I created an elaborate design for the stone, and built that during my goldsmithing classes. Part of the component creation included making some chenier – which is hollow tubing, to go through the middle of the jade, which was cut in a donut shape. That was fun!
At the end of the day decided I didn’t like what I had made, so removed a good portion of the framework and left a simpler way to wear the jade. Sometimes, you have to modify your original idea to make the piece work!
That long hanging thing in the middle of this picture? That’s my flex drive. The first flexible shaft was invented by the famous Scottish engineer James Hall Nasmyth (1808-1890), who is best known for his later development of the steam hammer.
The motor is this part the top, which, through a long spiral shaft, drives the little piece at the end. If you’re thinking ‘dentist’, you’re absolutely right! These are used by dentists, too. They’re like a tiny drill at the end of a long hose.
There are endless variations of bits you can use with your flex drive.
My favourites are a particular diamond burr, kindly given to me by the lovely Bill from my Goldsmithing class (I use it all the time!) and my slotted mandrels (for emery paper – that’s one you see on the flex drive head in the picture above this one). I have so many other very useful attachments for this great device! I use my flex drive on just about every piece I make. Thanks, Mr Nasmyth!