"So it's pavé setting."
"No, it's thread setting."
"Then when you add migrain its pavé setting."
"No, it's thread setting."
"Everyone would call that pavé setting."
"But it's thread setting."
"But it is bead setting, right?"
"Yes. But specifically, it's thread setting, a type of bead setting."
"Regular people don't call it thread setting. They call it pavé setting."
"But it is called thread setting."
*Sigh*
"So what should I call it?"
"Thread setting."
"But no one will know what that means.  I wanna call it pavé setting."
"Potato-Poh-Tah-Toe. But you should call it what it is: Thread setting."
"Ok, fine. I'll call it thread setting."

Anyone that knows me, knows I like my information correct. I want to get my facts straight and clear.  I don't particularly take to blended foggy information or information that contradicts what I have been previously informed about (instert: doesn't like to be wrong, but will grudgingly admit when I am.)  Hence the conversation that took place this week. 

Week 7- Open Channel Setting

We began our week with open channel setting.  Stones all hanging out suspended between two sides.  Carefully, we aligned the stones and created their little seats and hammered them into place.  Simple but careful layout and attention to levels is needed to be successful.  The clean lines and sleek modern look of this setting has always been appealing to me.

The graver is an indispensable tool.  All of them.  Flat, round, onglette.  And the many more I have yet to pick up.  I love them.  I am not sure how I made jewelry without them.  The details are just lost without them.  I love them.  Did I say that already??

Graver control is crucial in getting this to work.  You need to know the proper type of gravers to use as well as how far to cut the metal with the gravers.  And you must keep them sharp.  Blaine uses a diamond coated sharpening plate at the bench to keep the graver sharp and adjusted for specific techniques.  It's quick and easy to use and less fiddling and musing happens than using a sharpening stone.

One slip up and you could blow your whole piece.  which comes back to the "patience" part of the process.  I enjoyed the process as much as the end result.  I am hopeful to get in more practice soon, as to be any good at pavé, I am going to need lots of practice.  Like hours and hours.  Maybe days and weeks.  Who am I kidding?  Probably years and years.  Who doesn't want to aspire to be half as good as Alexander Sidorov. 

Pavé Setting

I was so excited the night before pavé setting, that I couldn't sleep.  Seriously.  I never thought that I would have the skill level to even attempt this type of setting.  It is crazy precise and detailed.  But I do.  And I did.  It was so much frigging fun!!  I now want to pavé EVERYTHING.   It is very time consuming and requires patience but it really can add a look that no other type of setting can.  It means "to pave" as in pave it with diamonds.  Um, YES!  I will be paving anything and everything.  Well most anything...maybe not this.  But ya' never know!

Oh yeah.  And we set this.  And then retipped it.  Sweet.


We completed the 7th week. Wow. Time is flying by.  I am excited about the next few weeks: more advanced stone setting, more hand fabrication, ENGRAVING!!!!! and a few other fabulous things to keep us on our toes.  Can you tell I am excited about engraving??  Beyond belief excited.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Yes it's true.  I like to paint too.  During one of my "Mommy needs quiet time" moments, I decided on a pet portrait of one of the most adorable dogs, Taco. (Instagram: frenchtac0 follow him.  You won't be sorry.) He's a French Bulldog and so friggin' cute.  It was nice to let my mind wander from jewelry...

Week 6

But back to the jewelry...We pretty much worked on stone setting all week.  It was a bit of a "meh" kinda feeling for me after the "Big Project" ring last week.  I wanted another.  Instead we set.  And set.  And set.  Much of it was fancy shapes: princess cuts, marquise cuts. The exercise of setting the stones was very informative and I learned a ton about effectively avoiding breaking the fine tips of pointed stones.  The "pocket" or "parking garage" are key in making a space for the tips.  I've set a few princess cuts and pear shapes over the years but really got a clear picture of how it is actual done. 

Marquise cuts were on the menu, much to my dismay. Marquise cut (aka: Football or eyeball) aren't really my favorite cut.  Actually I kinda think they are fugly.  Yup. Fugly.  The v-tip prongs with the four standard prong setting pretty much looked like a crab.  It made me a little crabby to be setting the marquise all day long. *Snort* Even with the lack of enthusiasm on my part, I finished them up and learned some very practical details.

The middle of the week a little milgraining practice was thrown in.  I love milgrain.  I want to milgrain everything.   It's kinda like "bedazzling" but on a micro scale.  It makes it all sparkly!! 

More setting: a semi bezel, teeny bezels, marquise bezel and oval basket head settings (to prep us for setting our "Big Project" ring.)  

With all of this stone setting going on, I began to get a little bug eyed from all of the micro vision.  Lots of breaks and giggles from my bench neighbor, Nick, were helpful in keeping me entertained.  

The week rounded out with another bench test.  We half shanked a ring, set and polished a ring and made a chain repair.  We had about 1 1/2 hrs to complete.  I think it went well for everyone and the tension was much less than our last test, er, timed exercise.

After spending all day, every day at the bench during the week, I find it difficult to sit at the bench much on the weekends.  With the holidays around the corner, I have got to get some new product in my Etsy shop.  A moissanite rose gold wedding set and a two tone gold ruby ring were finished and are soon to be listed for sale!  All that stone setting came in handy!  These were a breeze and much cleaner than BB (Before Blaine.)

Week 5

5.5 days.  49.5 hours.  2970 minutes.  178,200 seconds.  All spent on this ring.  Well, ok, maybe I went pee once or twice and maybe I ate a Chick-fil-a sandwich and had cupcakes (yes, plural, don't judge me) to celebrate Christina's B-day.  But realize, this is pretty much all we did this week. 

We began last Friday with the shaping of the plates for the three stone oval ring and the layout of the top gallery. Monday morning began the rest of the story...

The upper or top gallery was established first.  We cut out our layout pattern to stone size and left guides or arms to help us hold the piece.  The stone size is 8x6mm oval faceted stones.  I was using CZ's to establish sizes, while deciding which type of real stones I wanted to set into the finished piece.

Little "bricks" were added to establish the spacing between the upper and lower galleries.  The bricks helped keep spacing between the galleries while we attached the wire prongs.

The top gallery was then soldered on.  Carefully we cut out the lower gallery to taper in from the upper gallery.  The lower gallery outer shapes we established and then clean up of the outer ovals to perfection.  It really was beginning to take shape. 

Each step was explained with care and diligence to make sure we understood the exactness and care that is needed to make this come together.  The huge 3 screens are a huge help but can also drive you nuts!  I want to be able to see everything at 150 times magnification.  Obviously, my eyes can't do that.  Even with a loupe or microscope.  Using a loupe has changed my jewelry making world, but a microscope is in my near future.  I just can't see myself wanting to create without one. 

Next came careful filing of grooves for prongs to be applied.  This part kinda bummed me out.  My perfect little ovals now were all indented with slots for prongs.   Once the prongs were attached, I was less annoyed with them, but I was a little pissed they invaded my ovals.  Little buggers.

Prongs in place, a little magic clean up and we were ready to start the shank.  Well, ok.  Maybe the prongs didn't go that smoothly.  This point really was a critical step.  One wrong move and your ring goes to shit.  Prong angles and alignment are crucial to have the ring look proper and balanced.  Gaps, off angles, wonky attachment... all can pose problems with the end product.  I resoldered one prong three times and another twice.  Frustration could be felt in the air in the classroom.  It was thick as pea soup.  And honestly, who really likes pea soup?  Bleh.

Day 4 on the ring we created the shank for the ring.  The shank began as an ingot that was then was pulled into square wire.  The square piece of wire was grade rolled down into a taper.  Once the shank took shape and finger size was established, it was time to cut throats in the sides and attach the pieces together!! YAY!  The "Big Project" was finally coming together.

Careful alignment and angle adjustments are required for a well executed fit of heads and shank.  We learned way back in week two how to attach a shank and three stone head together.  I had lofty ideas of adding side bezels and all kinds of other foofy additions. But in the end, I just wanted to keep it simple.  I could get fancy pants with my next one. 

From scratch?  Like by hand?  Lordy.  I like little things.  Obviously, been obsessed with them since I was little.  If it was a miniature, I coveted it.  Making itty bitty, teensy weenie, little things are another matter.  I have successfully been making little things, because, hello?  I make jewelry.  But a hand made basket head?!?!  Gonna break me.

Jump rings.  No problem.  Now we have to file them with little grooves.  That are even.  That match.  And have the perfect angle to them...well ok then.  An hour later, I have what is acceptable.

A double secret method to assure prongs attach, and viola!  Basket head!  Blaine announces, "Now make one that matches."  Luckily the second one went much quicker.  A pair was born.

Three Stone Ring

This project leads us to the first "big" project of the course.  A hand built three prong oval basket style head ring.  The time estimated is 4-7 whole class days spent making it.  Woah.  That is a ton of time on one project. We start with simple strips of silver and magically we  transform them into plates for the three stone galleries.  Holes are drilled, top gallery has started to take shape.  Day one on the "big" project complete!  Next week is gonna be a doozie!  Open studio time on Saturday!! WooHoo!  Working on a pair of earrings made out of that pair of basket heads with a matching pendant.  Take a peek below at their beginnings!