One of my gorgeous clients, for whom I have created a number of fabulous rings, asked if I could create a special ring for a dear friend of hers.
I was able to source a suitable drusy cabochon, and create this ring!
Thanks again, Charmaine – you’re a lovely!
The lovely Kirsty commissioned me to create this ring for her sister’s birthday.
She chose the stone from my gemstone collection – a gorgeous ruby zoisite. Kirsty’s sister loves it!
Kirsty even matched up this pair of Silver Forge earrings to go with the ring.
As well as being a fab sister, Kirsty is also the creator behind the very sweet 2 Favourite Girls jewellery. Check out her gorgeous creations below, and in her online shop!
After some customers posted some great pictures on my FaceBook page recently of themselves wearing some of their Silver Forge jewellery, I thought I’d love to ask you all to show me pictures of your beautiful selves wearing pieces I’ve created – it’s such a buzz seeing someone wearing something I’ve made!
With that in mind, I thought I’d run a competition ~ the prize will be a $100 voucher to spend in The Silver Forge shop. All you have to do is post a photo of yourself wearing your Silver Forge piece: either to The Silver Forge FaceBook page, or on your Instagram or Twitter account. The winner will be randomly selected from all the entries across the board.
Most important – don’t forget to make sure you use the hashtag #silverforgeselfie so I can see you!
If you aren’t on any of these social media, don’t despair! You can email me your picture and I’ll make sure you’re entered in the draw.
If you enter the competition, I may post your pictures onto my social media accounts as mentioned above, or pop some of your pictures in the customer testimonial section or as part of my product listings on my website to show you off – just so you are aware! 🙂
The winner of The Silver Forge selfie competition will be randomly selected on 14th February 2015. (Valentine’s Day, I know!) You may enter one photo for each piece of The Silver Forge jewellery that you have – each photo will count as one entry, because it’s nice to have your loyalty rewarded.
I know I said ‘selfie’, but if you’d really rather someone else took the photo of you, I can bend the rules a little!
If you have given someone else a Silver Forge piece, it is fine to enter a picture of them wearing it, as long as you have their permission.
It doesn’t have to be your best glamour shot unless you want it to be; you can make it quick, make it fun, make it quirky – just show me your Silver Forge selfie! Darers go first, so they say, so here’s me with some pieces I’m wearing atm just to get you started. Go for it!
One of my lovely customers, Trish, wanted another pair of clip-on earrings – hoops this time.
At the same time, she got me to make these triangle earrings for her daughter. What a nice mum!
Rosie, one of my gorgeous repeat customers, asked me to find her a stone similar to this ring that I made for myself. I couldn’t find one exactly the same, but I did find this one.
Setting stones with corners presents a challenge, and I’m really pleased with the way this one turned out.
I enjoyed making it – thanks again Rosie! 🙂
Mookaite is a type of silicified porcelanite, which forms in silt-stone from the lower Cretaceous period that is found over much of the Carnarvon Basin in Western Australia.
(photo credit Michelle Pemberton)
The name Mookaite is derived from Mooka Creek, where the rock is mined. According to locals, the Aboriginal word “mooka” means “running waters”.
(photo credit Creative Crystals)
Mookaite is believed to be a healing stone that bestows strength. It is said to shield the wearer from difficult situations and to connect us to loved ones who have passed away. It is thought to assist with assessing problems and making decisions. Mookaite is used to treat glandular or stomach disorders, hernias, ruptures and water retention.
Mookaite comes in many lovely colourways. I have these pieces in my gemstone collection just waiting to be made into something fabulous!
One of my gorgeous repeat customers, Rosie, asked me to find her a stone similar to this ring that I made for myself. I couldn’t, but I did find this one which she was very pleased to have made into a ring!
It’s gorgeous, very high and lusciously sparkly.
It was such a pleasure to make – thanks again Rosie! 🙂
My customer has loved this sixties band forever – and he asked if I would be able to replicate their logo on a ring.
We were both pleased with the way it turned out!
Heyden even sent me a link to listen to their music while I worked. Groovy, baby!
Orange is one of my favourite colours, and this carnelian cabochon is just so luscious!
I was happy to make it into a ring for one of my lovely customers to give as an 18th birthday present to her daughter.
I do have lots of smaller gemstones in many gorgeous colours, so if you’d like something similar, do let me know!
I love seeing other people’s processes, and I thought it was time to give you all another look into what goes on in my workshop. I have blogged before about how I create one of my signature big chunky rings, and I thought it was time to examine that process again. Here’s how I do it!
Firstly, an appropriate width strip of sterling silver sheet .6mm thick is selected.
This is curved by hand using a pair of half round pliers to fit the gemstone.
Next, the strip is cut to approximately the right length on my bench peg using my jeweller’s saw, leaving a small extension for soldering against.
In this video, you see me prepare and apply the borax, position the solder (not usually quite so fumbly, I had a bit of stage fright!) and solder the bezel together.
Once the metal is cool, it goes into the pickle to be cleaned. An explanation of pickle can be found in my previous blog post.
I trim the excess bezel metal away from the solder join.
I check to make sure the bezel is a good fit.
I emery the bottom of the bezel so that it is completely flat and will make a good join with the base plate.
I select a piece of 1mm thick sterling silver sheet to fit the bezel.
I solder the bezel to the backing plate. Here you see me applying the paillons of solder with borax, and soldering the join. Then it’s back to the pickle.
After rinsing and drying, a bit of a check to see how it’s looking!
Now, I saw the excess metal from around the bezel setting.
After filing the edges of the bezel setting, I start creating the ring shank.
Using the appropriate width of 1.2mm thick sterling silver plate, I bend the shank to the right shape and size.
I trim the shank to the right length.
I hammer the shank with a mallet to get it perfectly round (this shot is for explanation only, I actually have the mandrel hard up against the bench to absorb the force when I’m really hammering the ring!).
Emerying the inside of the shank with my flex drive makes life easier.
After more filing and emerying, I stamp the inside of the shank with my maker’s mark and 925, which marks the metal as being sterling silver (the 92.5% is the fine silver content).
I solder the shank to the bezel setting assembly.
Then it’s time for plenty more filing, and coarse to fine emerying to bring the ring close to it’s finished state. (Zen or tedium, you decide!)
Next, I head over to my trusty engraving ball to set the stone.
Plenty of gentle hammering with my setting hammer later…
And my work, bar some tidying up, is done!
There it is, a beautiful drusy agate ring. I do so love what I do!