Calling LD and Other Jewelry Makers

[LD]

Oh Circe WOW! What metals have you used? The two tone effect really works. You are so talented but I hear you about taking on just so much time before it becomes a pain!

It took me two days to make another wire necklace the other day and I kept picking it up and putting it down and it started to annoy and bore me. I just wanted to finish it. When I did, I looked at it and just don't like it! It was a good way to practice my wirework but perhaps I should have stopped sooner.

How long does it take you to make one of these pendants?

 

[Nicki]

Circe, that is ADORABLE! Is it made from jump rings? I've got a spess that would look amazing in a setting like that! Are you setting the stones like a bezel set? Sorry for all the questions. Hope you don't mind.

 

[minousbijoux]

Okay, pure and simple, you all are scaring me now. Way too much talent not to be professional. Circe, Nicky, you guys are full-fledged metalsmiths! Beautiful work. And you, LD, you KNOW what I keep telling you...

 

[LD]

Finally! Two I'm happy with!

The ring contains blue Mother of Pearl stones and the necklace/bracelet are dyed purple Tiger's Eye.

 

[minousbijoux]

That ring is awesome! You have completely ROCKED IT! Congratulations! God knows how you made that ring the right size, lol!

[Because I say this with frequency and I don't want you to throw your best pair of pliers at me, I'm saying this quietly: its time for you to take classes...]

 

[Lady_Disdain]

That ring is awesome! You have completely ROCKED IT! Congratulations! God knows how you made that ring the right size, lol!

[Because I say this with frequency and I don't want you to throw your best pair of pliers at me, I'm saying this quietly: its time for you to take classes...]

She would never do that. Best pair of pliers are to be cherished, not thrown. But a ring mandrel makes such nice damage.

 

[minousbijoux]

That ring is awesome! You have completely ROCKED IT! Congratulations! God knows how you made that ring the right size, lol!

[Because I say this with frequency and I don't want you to throw your best pair of pliers at me, I'm saying this quietly: its time for you to take classes...]

She would never do that. Best pair of pliers are to be cherished, not thrown. But a ring mandrel makes such nice damage.

Oh, Lady D, a woman after my own heart! Heaven forbid she do damage to her pliers, but I am soooo ducking if the mandrel comes my way!

 

[LD]

Yep ring mandrels are lethal! Actually Minou that's how I got it exactly the right size! No chucking of pliers here!!! As Lady D has said, they're my babies!

Minou - I like learning on my own. I don't want to do classes! I can see I'm getting better so whilst that's happening I'm happy to continue but once I stop learning or developing then I may take classes!

 

[minousbijoux]

Yep ring mandrels are lethal! Actually Minou that's how I got it exactly the right size! No chucking of pliers here!!! As Lady D has said, they're my babies!

Minou - I like learning on my own. I don't want to do classes! I can see I'm getting better so whilst that's happening I'm happy to continue but once I stop learning or developing then I may take classes!

Okay, okay, I guess I'll let you manage your own life, grumble, grumble.

 

[chrono]

Circe,
Amazing handiwork. I, too, am curious to know what metal you used. Did you start with a plain piece, that you have to shape into a cup, then pierce? What methodology did you use?

LD,
I'm impressed. You are improving by leaps and bounds and I question Minou if she thinks you really need classes. I know you are busy but with classes, I think your skill will go way up much quicker. You are very adventurous to swing this on your own.

 

[Nicki]

LD, those are lovely! I tried my hand at wirewrapping and was NOT good at it. Your wraps are super even and I LOVE the design of the ring, especially. It's beautiful and unique.

 

[Kismet]

Those are awesome LD! I love the overlapping petal effect on the ring. So pretty.

 

[Starzin]

I am sooo behind on this thread... illness, bizzyness, or sorts of 'nesses. I promise to be back and oggle, ooh and ah tomorrow.

Please forgive my tardiness ladies - I am BLOWN AWAY by the couple of pics I've checked out. STUNNING!!!!!!

 

[Circe]

Yikes, I kept meaning to come back to talk but it turned into the hellmonth in terms of jewelry stress (see also, my crap thread in RT: I WISH some of you guys were the benches I was dealing with, 'cause y'all are actually GOOD). But after a particularly dreadful discovery today I retreated to the bench and figured I'd come on back again ....

Oh Circe WOW! What metals have you used? The two tone effect really works. You are so talented but I hear you about taking on just so much time before it becomes a pain!

It took me two days to make another wire necklace the other day and I kept picking it up and putting it down and it started to annoy and bore me. I just wanted to finish it. When I did, I looked at it and just don't like it! It was a good way to practice my wirework but perhaps I should have stopped sooner.

How long does it take you to make one of these pendants?

Heh - thank you! These are all prototypes while I'm getting the design right, so they're all copper and sterling. Once I have it down pat, I figure I can make them in sterling and gold (or sterling, OR gold, I suppose). Project-wise, I have a little brass box on my bench, about 8" in circumference. It is FULL - like, to the brim FULL - of half-finished projects, everything from peacock feathers I meant to set with alexandrites to art-deco-y wirework I wanted to set with rubies and opals. Someday, I guess ...?

The pendants are easier than the rings - I can do one of those in about five hours, give or take (and assuming a simple-to-set stone). The rings have been taking longer because figuring out the shanks is killing me! New version below from stock which I like enough that I figure I'll try next in plain half-round, or hand-engraved ....

Circe, that is ADORABLE! Is it made from jump rings? I've got a spess that would look amazing in a setting like that! Are you setting the stones like a bezel set? Sorry for all the questions. Hope you don't mind.

Nicki, thank you! You got it in one, if you mean thick wire cut to round and closed (when I think "jump ring," I usually mean the ready-made kind that look like little tiny key-rings ... come to think of it, if I used those, it'd take a lot less time!). And the stones are totally bezel-set: I've tried prongs a time or two, but frankly, even when I get the pros on my side, I almost always want bezels! Something in my OCD-self likes a setting that CAN'T be off.

Okay, pure and simple, you all are scaring me now. Way too much talent not to be professional. Circe, Nicky, you guys are full-fledged metalsmiths! Beautiful work. And you, LD, you KNOW what I keep telling you...

Minous, merci! I am beginning to wonder if PS counts teeny-tiny amateur silversmiths as "dealers" - am betting they do, and at this point, it's one of the few things keeping me from opening an Etsy shop, 'cause while on the one hand I love making these and am running out of room for where to keep them, on the other, I don't want to be barred from ever posting my purchased pieces again.

Circe,
Amazing handiwork. I, too, am curious to know what metal you used. Did you start with a plain piece, that you have to shape into a cup, then pierce? What methodology did you use?

LD,
I'm impressed. You are improving by leaps and bounds and I question Minou if she thinks you really need classes. I know you are busy but with classes, I think your skill will go way up much quicker. You are very adventurous to swing this on your own.

Chrono, thank you! It's copper wire shaped and soldered, then domed, soldered to the bezel, shaped, and set. All fabrication.

And, LD - I LOOOOOOOOVE that wirework! Such pretty color combinations. And I, in turn, know just what *you* mean about preferring to be an autodidact - I've taken a few jewelry classes, and they've almost always driven me nuts. But leave me to my own devices, possibly with a well-written book for inspiration? Voila, creativity.

On which note ...

 

[Circe]

This is another one in the same vein, with some slight variations: I'm not a one-trick pony, I swear, but I've been having a lot of fun trying to get the exact proportions of this right. Once I felt like I'd "mastered" the concave version, I got reaaaaaaaaaaaal curious about the more "flower-bud" type bases (think, oh, the struts on Steve Kirsch's rings). One that I was trying to make that is totally not worthy of being posted here had a strut COLLAPSE on me ... but when I panicked and hastily bent the rest into place, it looked pretty good.

And then I had a dreadful time with attempting to refurb my anniversary ring (at last, I got it back, only to discover this morning that they had, a) replaced one of my sidestones with a much crappier one WITHOUT TELLING ME, and that, b) they had apparently chipped my centerstone and "fixed" it, also WITHOUT MENTIONING IT). Since I couldn't do anything to vent THOSE aggressions ... silversmithing, and a ring I can wear in a set until something or other is done to resolve this fiasco.

Ring featuring a 10mm rubellite, a tall near-bullet cab, paired with my french-cut ruby band and my carre diamond band. I actually almost like this design MORE with the cab - makes it look like somebody took a Faberge egg and sat it on its end for a ring.

 

[Starzin]

So what have you all been up to for all these months??

For myself all wire work came to a screeching halt while I had to concentrate on other things and it may continue for another 6 months but hopefully I may get a few small things made in the next few weeks.

I also found this handmade thread when I was poking around over in Hangout, so I'll pop it in here for safekeeping Seems there are even more talented PSers!
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-jewelry-making-thread.162114/

C'mon... don't be shy... show us your "stuff" please

 

[Nicki]

So what have you all been up to for all these months??

For myself all wire work came to a screeching halt while I had to concentrate on other things and it may continue for another 6 months but hopefully I may get a few small things made in the next few weeks.

I also found this handmade thread when I was poking around over in Hangout, so I'll pop it in here for safekeeping Seems there are even more talented PSers!
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-jewelry-making-thread.162114/

C'mon... don't be shy... show us your "stuff" please

I've been doing not much of anything lately. My workshop is in my basement, which isn't heated. It's COLD down there this time of year.

I have done a couple of things...I made a wedding ring for my cousin out of Palladium, which was interesting. It was incredibly flattering to be asked to make something so important, especially since I'm just a hobbyist. Big learning curve, since I'd never worked in palladium before, but I like how it came out. More importantly, he was thrilled with it. It was just what he had imagined and it fit...I lost sleep over the fitment issue.



I'm currently working on some anticlastic forming for a pair of earrings. I haven't done any gem stuff lately.

 

[LD]

Here's my latest! I was inspired by a very talented designer who had a similar necklace tutorial in a magazine. I really love Amazonite with bronze wire! The pendant is reversible which is always good but this one is so heavy that it stays in place

 

[minousbijoux]

Here's my latest! I was inspired by a very talented designer who had a similar necklace tutorial in a magazine. I really love Amazonite with bronze wire! The pendant is reversible which is always good but this one is so heavy that it stays in place

Wow, have you come a long way quickly! Professional level design and craftsmanship!

 

[Starzin]

Nicki - Fantastic wedding ring! You really did a superb job and I can imagine there was a bit of angst How special of your cousin to ask you to make it.

Do come back with photos of your new project!
As for the cold... I can't really relate at the moment - 43C/105.8F today and the next two days!!!

LD - Stunning! I adore amazonite also, in fact I have a couple of strands sitting waiting for me to make simple aqua necklace.

But you... look at that wire work!!! Wrapping, coiling, weaving!!! You've come on in leaps and bounds - love the way that the bail looks like a crown on top, in fact the whole pendant reminds me of a claddagh ring. Who is the designer?

More! More! More!

 

[sparks1007]

Lots of lovely stuff on here but Circe-that short pendant is a stunner. It's exactly what I envisage when I finally find a star ruby I want!

 

[Nicki]

I have a new little goody to share with you all. I just finished this pendant last night. It's a gift for my niece for her 13th birthday. It's her "Special" gift this birthday. (Sorry for the weird reflections and lint. I had just a few minutes to take a pic before boxing it up.) The stone is a pink spinel (don't remember exact weight, but the stone diameter was 6.23 mm). I'm fairly certain I got it from Dana at Mastercut Gems. My niece is 5' 10", so a larger stone isn't going to be lost on her. I think the size will be nice. Anyway....

 

[minousbijoux]

Nicki: it really, truly looks beautiful - wonderful craftsmanship. But is there any way you can color correct it so that we can see the true color of the stone and metal?

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh, darn! Just read that you boxed it up. Well, if you haven't, would it be possible to take a indirect daylight shot on a grey surface (I know I'm pushing my luck)?

Otherwise, please make her take some neck shot selfies!

 

[Nicki]

Oh, darn! Just read that you boxed it up. Well, if you haven't, would it be possible to take a indirect daylight shot on a grey surface (I know I'm pushing my luck)?

Otherwise, please make her take some neck shot selfies!

HaHa! I was in such a rush to box it, I forgot to take pics and had to UNBOX it! I'll ask her to take a selfie so you can see the true color. It definitely looks more red/orange to me in that pic than the stone did in real life. In real life, I'd say it's a sligtly grey-ish medium pink.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh, darn! Just read that you boxed it up. Well, if you haven't, would it be possible to take a indirect daylight shot on a grey surface (I know I'm pushing my luck)?

Otherwise, please make her take some neck shot selfies!

HaHa! I was in such a rush to box it, I forgot to take pics and had to UNBOX it! I'll ask her to take a selfie so you can see the true color. It definitely looks more red/orange to me in that pic than the stone did in real life. In real life, I'd say it's a sligtly grey-ish medium pink.

Your photo almost looks like a sepia print! And thank you! We look forward to more pics. I'm truly impressed with your ability.

 

[Starzin]

Oh well done Nicki! Love the tapered bail and looking forward to seeing some niece selfie shots It's always special to receive something that's handmade with such talent, I'm sure your niece will be over the moon.

 

[pregcurious]

That is really thoughtful and lovely.

 

[gsellis]

Here are a couple of mine. I usually use Tripps mounts for standard stuff, but I started wire wrapping because once I cut the stone, now what?









A footnote on this one. This is the Tripps Interchangeable system pieces. If you want to try moving to mounting your own standard sized stones, the interchange allows you to link stuff together. I created a graded pendant this way. But it works for bracelets, dangles, etc. Kind of a cool idea if you have a bunch of stones you want to put together.

 

[gsellis]

And a couple more...