Stone Setting and Finishing Tips
I’ve been working diligently the last month to create an awesome body of work that is called The Spirit Bear Collection. It challenged me in so many ways, from making tiny bezels for 6mm stones to setting square stones, soldering multiple layers of metal together and cutting out tiny stampings with my jeweler’s saw. I learned so much, solving problems as they arose. I wanted to share two of my problem solving solutions with you…
First, I had a bunch of stones that needed to be set in bezels, but the walls of the bezel cups were too high for my tiny 5mm stones. I had a few options. I could sand or file them, but that would take forever. I had read of all kinds of interesting ways to lift the stone from using sawdust to adding a piece of scrap silver under the stone. The idea of putting sawdust in a bezel cup sounds disgusting to me. What if it gets wet and molds? Scrap silver is precious, and I didn’t want the added weight since these stones were going on some large hoops. So, I decided to get inventive with a cottage cheese lid. Here comes the funny part…
I couldn’t find my paper punch, and cutting tiny circles out of a plastic lid with a pair of scissors is no fun, so I pulled out my disc cutter, found a size in the disc cutter that would be slightly smaller than the bezel, slid the cottage cheese lid into the sucker and gave the punch a gentle tap. Perfection!
You can see the little plastic discs in the silver bezel cups. I tried this with a larger stone and found that the plastic moves with the metal and it left a crease in my bezel, so I wouldn’t recommend this work around on a larger stone. Also, you must remember to take the discs out of the bezel cups/settings before soldering! The thought of melting plastic is just too much to bear - no pun intended (you know, The Spirit Bear Collection - lol!).
Usually, finishing the bezel edges after the stone is set is a breeze with a pumice wheel in my flex shaft or dremel. However, I started using a new tumbling medium that gives oxidized silver a lovely matte shimmer. But if you know anything about setting stones, there is always some clean up because the bezel pusher and/or burnisher leave a shine to the walls of the bezel. And if you are new to bezel setting, you inevitably slip and leave a scratch in some unwanted place. With this great new finish, it’s really hard to clean up those little scars.
That’s where this little piece of denim I had on my bench (from polishing wax carvings) comes in. I cut a small hole in it, just big enough for the setting to pop through. It was amazing! No longer did I have to be really careful about touching the surrounding metal and messing up the finish.
Oh, the tumbling medium I am using is from Jessica Jordan Cote @rosyrevolver. It’s called Hone and Highlight. You can find it on her website here. She recommends tumbling for 12 hours. The earring you see here was tumbled for four hours. If you tumble for longer, you get less of a shimmery finish.
Making A Ring
Serpentine and Amethyst Ring
I thought I’d share with you some of the steps in making a ring. There are five videos that go through the basic processes. Click on the Instagram link below to see how it’s made.
The first step, which I don’t show here, can sometimes take the longest. It is the design phase. I will usually trace the main element - in this case it was the green stone. Then I’ll start playing around with shapes and adding other elements, like the two fine silver balls and the little amethyst.
What you don’t see on the videos is how the band is attached and how the stones are set into their bezels. I’ll leave that to another day.
This ring design went pretty quick. I was surprised and pleased with how it all came together, being that this was my first stone set ring ever!
Inspiration During Uncertain Times
It has been a while since I last blogged. Much has transpired since December 28th, not the least of which is COVID-19.
On February 6th, I fell off my kitchen counter, broke the top of my left radius and got a nasty concussion. Life has been very different since then. I’ve basically been sheltering in place since, only venturing out for PT and doctor appointments, but even that has come to a halt. Well, I don’t need to tell you how boring and isolating it has been. Thank goodness for my husband! He keeps me laughing, which is something we all need right now!!!
Not being able “to do” something forced me to get creative with what I had available to me. I started working in metal clay again. That’s been slow, but very therapeutic for my arm. My husband started watching YouTube videos on paint pouring. I would sneak a peak when I could, but computer time with a head injury is bad news. It’s getting better, but I can’t binge watch like I would normally, devouring every bit of knowledge I could.
So, one Thursday night, we both decided it was time to pour some paint. No more procrastination! It was an absolute blast, and we did it together. This was the first time we did an art project together, believe it or not! I can’t tell you how happy that made me feel, made us both feel!
One of the best and most therapeutic things you can do when you are stuck at home is to create. You don’t have to have to be an artist. You don’t have to paint. Paper and a pencil will do. Doodle, draw objects around the house. Search the Internet for a pretty picture and draw that. Journal. It will be very interesting to read journals ten years from now to see where people were at during this crisis.
Another great thing to do is Meditation! Sit in a chair or lay down, whatever is most comfortable for you. Personally, I like to lay down. Start breathing deeply, paying attention to your breath. Thoughts will come and go, but bring your attention back to your breath when you realize you have wandered off in thought. This exercise is so simple that anyone, even your kids, can do it. It is relaxing and brings a sense of peace and calm during these uncertain times.
I’d love to hear what you are doing right now to stay safe and keep your sanity. Comment below. Stay connected!
In health,
Tammi Sloan
Plans for The New Year
I love old things, textiles, antiques, rusty metal, old photographs, etc. I also love minimalism. This is the story of my life. I go back and forth between the two. Somehow, there must be a place in the middle where the two can meet, a great juxtaposition. I think that is my task for this coming year.
As I was doing dishes yesterday, daydreaming, I was reminded of my love of porcelain enamel, of fold forming and of copper. My first explorations in enamel were with white porcelain enamel and sgraffito. My daydreaming also lead me to recall a time in life when my mother asked me if I had any other color in my closet but white. I have strayed from white in all manner, but I sense it is a time to come back to it. White is the perfect canvas for self expression. I think it has something to say to me. I love its simplicity, but it can also tell a story, like a well worn doily or piece of clothing, yellowed over time, tattered and torn.
The year 2020 will be my year of white, in its many forms. It will also be a year to share with you what I can learn by diving deep, focusing on creating that juxtaposition between telling a story and keeping it simple. I want to bring life to my work this year. That is my biggest goal!
I wish you all an amazing New Year. May it bring you clarity and peace!
With a few days off and a semi-clean house, I have had time to reflect on this past year and what I hope for in the coming year…
Every year I tell myself that I am going to take some time to find myself, and by that I mean, to find who I am as an artist.
Never having been classically trained as an artist, I have learned through exploration, through classes and reading and searching the internet. I have tried so many different mediums throughout my lifetime and it has brought me to this point in my life where I have to ask, what is my focus? Who am I as an artist? Do I have a story to tell? What is my style? What is my medium?
Make Your Own Charm Necklace