Curled Shoulder Ring

This is the sixth project in Stage 3 of the Silver Program at Jewellery Training Solutions. I have to admit that I ever saw myself making many rings. This program is full of rings, and one can learn many different skills when making them. I’ve really grown to love making them, and am starting to see endless possibilities! About a year ago I ran across a very talented jeweler in England whose work, which is primarily rings, I greatly admired. It was at that point that I knew this was the direction I needed to pursue. Then, once I found this program, my plan was solidified. Now, all I need is unlimited time to be able to work through all the projects while maintaining my current work!

With six people home, much of my time has been spent in the kitchen or cleaning up so I haven’t had as much time as I would like in the studio. I’ve been really enjoying working through these projects, though, and I’m still practicing engraving when I can.

What were the challenges?

The biggest problem I had making this ring was getting the bezel to stay in place while soldering. The other is cutting the seat for the stone. I had a very difficult time getting the stone tight, so I know that the seat wasn’t completely correct. The primary focus of the Silver program I’m working is the rings themselves. There is another level, the Platinum level, which focuses on stone setting itself.

Where could I improve?

I’m quite happy with how this ring turned out. I would like the curls to be a bit more tapered, and the bezel needed to be a tad taller.

What did I learn?

I’m getting more proficient at making the tapered bezels, although this one turned out shorter than I had anticipated. I also learned to use the rolling mill to forge the ring - the ring began as 3mm square wire and the middle was forged one direction, and the ends were forged in a perpendicular direction. One real lesson I’m learning is that things aren’t just good enough - they need to be right. For instance, joints need to be nice and tight, and you can’t rely on solder to fill the gaps. It’s better to take the time to make sure it’s correct, since the clean up is much more time consuming in the end. It’s also important to do as much finishing along the way, since it makes cleanup at the end much easier.