Making a Ring

This ring is a US size 6.5 with a bezel that sits in a hammered shank. As metal stretches when hammered, I cut the gold for a smaller size. There's no real formula for this, as the degree of stretching depends on the thickness and type of the metal. A feel for the behavior of each metal comes with practice.

I usually get it right, but if unsure I err on the side of "too large". It's easier to cut away excess metal than it is to add extra.

Once the shank is shaped, hammered and sized, I file the ends so that they fit flush with the bezel. A good tip is to mark one side of the shank and one side of the bezel with permanent marker to keep track of which sides fit together.

When filing the shank go slowly and check often. Again, it's much easier to take away than to add.

Once the fit is perfect, it's time to solder the pieces together. I use a third hand so that I can concentrate on my torch.

After the pieces are soldered together, the ring goes into the pickle to clean off the flux and oxides generated by the heat of the torch (you can see the orange tint on the metal in the below photo)

When the ring comes out of the pickle, I brush it using a brass wire brush to remove any residue and the chalky coating. Setting the stone is the last step before polishing. Setting involves cutting a seat for the stone so that it sits level while leaving a lip of metal to push over the stone to keep it in place. I do this using a variety of burs. The time it takes depends on how well the stone is cut and how well the bezel is made. Some stones fit really well, others are a bit of a challenge.

Once the stone fits correctly in the bezel it's time to set it in place. First, do a final check of the size, as this design is difficult to resize once the stone is set.

Push the metal over the stone at the north, south, east and west points using a burnisher. Then go around pushing the metal over until the stone is secure and the setting looks smooth.