www.beadsbaublesandjewels.com

BBJ – the source for jewelry making, beading, and metal work:  instructions, education and  projects from leading jewelry  designers, and instructors.  The online home of the public television program.
1709-4 Print | Close [X]
Kate Richbourg shows how to make her signature stacked pearl ring.

For More Information Visit:


www.beadingdaily.com

Tools

  • Ruler
  • Permanent marker
  • Large wrap and tap pliers
  • Flush cutter
  • Ring Mandrel
  • Bench block
  • Chasing hammer
  • Metal dapping block
  • Brass mallet
  • Salon board
  • Sand paper
  • Solder setup
  • Third hand
  • Table Vise
  • Riveting hammer

Materials

  • 14g sterling silver wire, 18”
  • 24 gauge sheet or 3, 5/16” circles
  • 3, 24 gauge 1” sterling silver head pins You can buy these or make them by balling wire.
  • ¼”, 16 gauge fine silver wire
  • 2, 4mm freshwater pearls
  • Liver of sulfur
  • Easy, Medium, and Hard paste solder

Steps

  • Use the 14-gauge wire it to make a six-loop coil on the small barrel (13mm) of the large wrap and tap pliers.
  • To size the coil slide it down the ring mandrel to the mark two sizes smaller than the desired end result. The coil will unwind some as the inner diameter increases.
  • Once the coil is the desired size pull the coil off the mandrel and cut five rings from the coil using a flush cutter.
  • Put all five of the rings on your kiln brick. Apply hard paste solder to the joins and solder. Pickle to remove firescale.
  • Place each ring on the ring mandrel and tap all the way around band using chasing hammer. The ring will flatten and increase in diameter. Flip ring on mandrel each time it grows ½ size. Tap ring until it has grown two full sizes or until desired size is reached. Place each ring on bench block. Use chasing hammer to tap each ring on both sides until the wire of the band is square.
  • Cut three 5/16” or ¼”circles from 24-gauge sheet using a disc cutter.  You can also use premade blanks or circles punched with your power punch plier.
  • Use the dapping block to dap each circle into a dome.
  • Place one dome edge down on the kiln brick.  Add medium paste solder to the back of the dome.  Use the third hand to position one of the ring bands over the top of the dome and hold it in place so that the original solder join on the band is up and solder. Quench, pickle, and repeat with two of the other rings.  You should now have three rings with cups and two without. Set the two plain rings aside.
  • Place your piece of 16 gauge fine silver wire on your kiln brick and heat it to form a large granule.
  • Grip one ring in third hand dome up. Place easy paste solder in bottom of dome and the granule on top. Solder as above, heating slowly and being careful not to remelt the granule. Quench, pickle, oxidize, and polish this ring.
  • Place a second ring in third hand, dome up. Place easy solder in the bottom of the dome and heat with the torch. Hold one headpin in the gripping tweezers and as the solder melts place head of pin in center of dome, ball end down. Quickly remove the torch. The headpin should now be soldered in cup of the dome. Quench and pickle this ring and repeat these steps with a third ring.
  • Place one of the rings with the headpins on the ring mandrel and clamp the mandrel tightly in your table vise with the headpin sticking up. Place a pearl on the headpin and cut away excess wire leaving a scant 1/16” wire above the hole. Use a riveting hammer to rivet pearl in place Repeat with the other headpin ring.
  • Oxidize all the rings with liver of sulphur if desired. Polish with a pro polish pad.
Kate Richbourg & Katie Hacker

Copyright © 2012 Beads Baubles & Jewels. All Rights Reserved.