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!
Even though I am not the most massive tweeter on Twitter, I am on there! One of my twitter friends, Anne, admired this malachite ring that I had made for another of my lovely customers.
I happened to have a similarly lovely malachite cabochon in my gemstone collection, and I was happy to use it create this lovely ring for Anne.
I love the contrast and patterns in this stone, and I think it makes a stunning ring against the silver setting. Thanks for commissioning this ring, Anne!
Jordan fell in love with the howlite ring I created for myself, and asked if I would be able to make her one.
I was luckily able to source another howlite cabochon of the same size.
I love how this one turned out, and I think Jordan is pleased too! Thanks Jordan!
I was honoured to be asked by my dear friend Judy to create a matching pendant and earrings set for her to donate to the ArtSound FM Radiothon fundraiser.
Judy asked me to incorporate the ArtSound logo into the piece.
She and her colleagues chose sodalite from my gemstone collection to really make these pieces gorgeous!
You can head to the ArtSound webpage on 17th November to pledge your donation and get your chance to win this set!
I occasionally get around to creating something new for myself, and since I’ve been having a little love affair with faceted cabochons of late, I thought I’d make myself another ring!
I needed a black ring, for everyday wear, and this one is great.
I do have a couple more of similar cabochons coming, so if you’d like one of your own, do let me know!