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cateye quartz ring

VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
4,271
Well I made another ring. I had this grey cateye quartz from Barry a while back. It was very inexpensive. I made a setting for it in 999fine silver. I felt really free since the total cost was about $30, so there was no pressure. I allowed myself to improvise and make errors, to do things in a strange way, and ultimately it went well.
So I started the usual way, for me, and hammered a wad of metal into rough form and distribution of metal with a taper down to the underside. I allowed myself a tremendous excess of material, because I was going to carve the seat and bezel out from the metal. That was a lengthy task, and there were a number of forms in the process that I liked, and might have been content with as they were, but I pressed on with the goal I had set.
Here then a barrage of pictures in sequence.

eye1lasthammer.jpg

eye2hammerseat.jpg

eye3side.jpg

eye4.jpg
 

VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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eye5carve.jpg

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VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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eye9.jpg

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VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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eye13.jpg

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VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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eye17.jpg

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VapidLapid

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eye21.jpg

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VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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VapidLapid

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eye29.jpg

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chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 22, 2004
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38,227
VL is an awesome hobbyist bench. :appl:
 

minousbijoux

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How did you secure the stone? Is it a bezel? Is it glued? Impressed. Love the pic of the silver shavings - makes it look so easy, like carving wood.
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I think VL made a small lip/rim which he folded over the cabochon like a little sleeve to hold it in/down in the seat.
 

VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
Joined
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the bezel was carved out of the ring. The bottom of the seat was 2.6mm down and what was left above became the bezel as the shoulders were carved away. IT was a rather thick roll of metal, not thin like a normal bezel. I had visions of the bezel being a round bead, not flat, but I hadn't quite thought through how that would survive the setting part. In the end I used some dental scrapers to clean up the top of the bezel and restore the round as much as I could, not really as successfully as I would like.
That tiny hand chisel was so sharp, I used more bandaids than the pictures show!
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 7, 2013
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10,330
First time I have seen an East-West cats eye, unusual setting and very unique, thanks for sharing!

Wish I could make my own jewellery!

DK :))
 

caf

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 26, 2013
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1,537
Loved seeing the step by step. Final product is terrific. I want to do this.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Sep 20, 2008
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Very cool ring.

I wish I could make my own jewelry too, think of all the $$ I would save. ;(
 

mariedtiger

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Sep 23, 2008
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That's one beautifully made ring. I loved the pictures, they showed all the care and time that went into your work. Makes me appreciate my hand made rings more.
 

VapidLapid

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 18, 2010
Messages
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I gave the ring to my friend Susan, who I had in mind when I made it.

Here is a claw shot and a hand shot

clawshot.jpg

_27400.jpg
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 22, 2004
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It's a lovely gift; I'm sure she'll love it. :appl:
 

txgreeneyes

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
402
You are talented!

Very nice!!

Poor fingers/thumbs. But, it's the price we pay for beauty...
 
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