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!

Week 4- Part 1



Apparently it is required of me.  This isn't a situation of whether or not to leave 15% or 20% after your delicious dinner.  It's a save your ring or lose the stone kinda situation.  I know re-tipping ring settings is pretty standard basic bench repair knowledge but I never really was interested.  Seemed tedious and fiddly.  With a clean, simple approach (ha! The New Approach!) it really was easy and actually a good exercise in evaluating and problem solving.  I know a worn tip or prong when I see one.  Figuring out the best way to repair it was new for me.  I actually ended up enjoying the process and it will not bore me in the future when I help rescue rings.

Part two of week four coming tomorrow!  Stay tuned for the adventures of graduate bench jeweler's school!

Beginning of Week Three

We started off the week with bead setting and channel setting round stones into bands.  Bead setting was quite the challenge but actually came together pretty well.  It's so much simpler to learn with huge screens showing you a step by step process broken down into parts.  It takes away the fear of too much information all at once and then trying to repeat it at your bench.  Blaine's approach to channel setting was a simple and clean technique that I have done a little before the program but not with the control he teaches.  The little things make all the difference.  It's in the details.  It really is.

Mid Week Three- Bead Setting Style 2

Here is where it started to get real for me.  This is the beast that kicked my ass this week.  I understood and felt good about bead setting the traditional method. (Style 1)  I understood bead setting Style 2 (Style 2 = Fancy Pants Style.)  Putting into practice was the difficult part.  Graver control is key.  I was swerving all over the road.  I could have easily gotten a DUI the way I was driving that graver.  Sigh.  I went home that day all frustrated, exhausted and a little bit pissed that I couldn't get it right away. 

End of Week Three

The next day, I came in determined to get it right.  Before I could even get in another practice stone, we jumped right into milgraining the edges after some minor shaping and clean up.  Milgraining is a beautiful thing.  It adds a little beaded rim to frame your bead set stone.  (It also is a wonderful concealer to hide blemishes that never seem to go away.)  It is done with a tiny little wheel that reminds me of a ravioli or pastry wheel just on a micro level.  It makes your stones pop, stand out and elegance to the piece.  I've used it before but not with bead setting.  I will be using it more often in my work as the look appeals to me.

Woo Hoo!  Stone setting!  Something about setting stones is always exciting!  It's like you are putting the heart into the piece.  The part that makes it alive.  The spark that lights up the jewelry.  Needless to say, I was glad to jump right into this section.  I know that I have been approaching my setting with only partial knowledge, as most all of my stone setting knowledge has been self taught through books. Or by me pestering my generous goldsmith/metalsmith friends to no end.

We started with gypsy setting and flush setting.  Both I use regularly in my work.  While I struggled through the first few, I realized that I need to dial it back a step to really listen to what was being taught.  After a few more, making adjustments in how I had been tackling it, the new found approach became second nature.  Something I thought would be a no-brainer, took me a few tries to realize I needed to refine my current process to make for a better set stone.  Correct my depth, watch my burnisher angle and make a tight bearing. 

As week one closes of the Graduate Bench Jewelers Program at New Approach School for Jewelers, I am amazed at how much I have actually learned.  These are all skills I had coming into the program: sawing, filing, piercing.  However, I now do them much more efficiently and logically while viewing the techniques with a new appreciation of the process. 

With a new approach (ha! pun intended) to holding my saw frame, my files and flex shaft, I gained a new control over techniques that I have never experienced before this program. 

Death grip on the saw frame no more.  Three gentle fingers give me better control over the frame and blade action.  Files can actually be used in the backwards motion. Who knew?  I was previously taught it would clog my files and ruin the "teeth" if I ran a file back and forth over a surface.  I am not really finding that "rule" to be true.  The flex shaft actually seemed to be the biggest eye opener.  I held the flex shaft in a "potato peeler" grip for most operations.  I have now learned that a pencil grip will give me better control and smaller fine motor control.  I certainly did not think that putting my finger on the shaft of a bur (while running!) was a good idea before this week.   Now, I can't imagine having the control I need without using it that way.

I really thought I would sail through this week and maybe even be bored. So, so, so not the case.  I gained a whole new level of control and finesse.  Now to break those bad habits...they are already starting to fade. :)