Pear Shaped Cluster Project

This is the final project from Stage 7 of the Apprentice program at Jewellery Training Solutions, a stage dedicated to learning settings for various shaped stones. I’ve been really looking forward to this project, and it didn’t disappoint! This was a lot of fun to make. The project called for this to be a ring, but I loved the idea of turning this setting into a pendant. It’s definitely one I will wear!

What were the challenges?

In some respects, this project was easier than some of the others in this stage since there wasn’t a specific size the pendant needed to be. The most difficult part of this project was making sure the gallery work was even.

Where could I improve?

I had a little trouble setting some of the stones, but I think I finally got them all in nice and secure. Also, I need to make some adjustments to the top holes so that it moves more freely on the chain - maybe create an oval instead of a teardrop. The texture is done with a beading tool. I did the majority of it by hand, but then I decided to put the tool into my engraver and got a much nicer result.

What did I learn?

I learned how to layout the gallery work and make it nice and even. He presented a different way to set stones using a beading tool instead of flush setting, and he also introduced how to use the rolling mill to create the bend in the metal before forming the setting to get the angled walls. This was a fantastic project. Finally, I learned how to dome a teardrop shape.