120/365 simple silver square

119/365 hessonite

sterling silver, hessonite garnet

118/365 simple silver

sterling silver

117/365 chrome diopside

Big Mama Tourmaline was lonely so I introduced her to Mr. C. Diopside, she has assured me that what he lacks in stature he makes up for in enthusiasm. I had to grind away a little of her bottom so that he could slide up close, it was clear they were feeling dirty so I added a light patina.

116/365 peridot

A simple peridot ring, this is my first attempt at a band that is connected to the setting at the sides. The ring still needs cleaning up and the bezel wall is a little too thin.

115/365 pink tourmaline

More stone transport, I can't help myself. This is my first fabricated bezel for a faceted gem and the stone is crooked. Guess I know which tourmaline I'm keeping.

114/365 gem show

Wow, I surprised myself and fell in love with gemstones, I truly didn't think it would happen. I went to the gem show today. From left to right: pink tourmaline, aquamarine, hessonite garnet, chrome diopside. Oh my god.

113/365 steven tyler

Carrie and Kest

Kest Schwartzman and Carrie Nunes are two lovely ladies participating the RAD challenge, they each make exquisite jewelry. The two recently met up in Nashville. While out enjoying libations, Carrie snapped her ring for the day, made from a cardboard coaster:

And here is Kest's ring for the day, how fun!

112/365 copper

sterling silver, copper

111/365 aquamarine

Sterling silver and aquamarine set in recycled copper refrigeration tubing from the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

110/365 goldman sachs

Ring for Goldman Sachs. Copper.
My fastest yet, under 20 minutes including conception.

Ring a Day 109/365 six prongs challenge

Today some of us are participating in a RAD challenge to create a six-prong ring, put forth by Evelyn Markasky, the suggested parameters for the ring are:

copper band
textured
6-prong crown setting
faceted blue stone
liver of sulphur (for patina)

I don't have a faceted blue stone and I don't wear or sell copper rings, so I decided to use silver. This is a new style of setting for me, I'm pleased with it. I could have made the prongs shorter, but wanted them to match the wire accents on the band.

sterling silver, chalcedony

Maria Apostolou has nearly finished her ring, from her flickr description, "I didn't have any faceted blue stone and I hadn't made a crown setting before. So what I thought was that this was at least a chance to experiment on making a cone and a crown. The result is somehow reminiscent of a crown and not as conical as it should :-) I temporarily soldered it on a sterling silver band, until I find a proper stone. Then I plan to finish it.

I'm thinking I would like a rough gemstone held in it and I'm in the process of searching for the right stone and the right size. So for now, I just put an aquamarine nugget in (which unfortunately is drilled), just to see it with a stone and haven't bent the prongs yet." It's lovely and I can't wait to see it finished, I will post an update at that time.

sterling silver, aquamarine

Here's Maria's chocolate ring, it's not the first she's made for this project, I think she loves the cocoa plant as much as I do.

Su Trindle says, "I went for external prongs on my cone. It has a nice chunky feel to go with the reticulated, hammered band. Not made a prong setting before, may try it again." I love Su's placement of the prongs, the proportions of the elements are wonderful.

sterling silver, chrysoprase

Evelyn Markasky, who suggested the challenge, has done an incredible job with her first crown setting, I love everything about this ring. From Evelyn, "The stone is a green spinel, more than I really wanted to spend for a stone in a ring I have never made before, but when I was at the rock shop searching for the perfect uncut stone, and I couldn't find one, this one just jumped into the setting and fit perfectly! It's mystical qualities are that it "refreshes the emotional, increasing compassion, love, forgiveness, self-esteem and the relaxed and easy affection for others."

The writing on the band is from Lost Goddesses of Early Greece A collection of pre-Hellenic Myths by Charlene Spretnak. The part I used is from the myth of Athena and reads: '...Long before there were palaces, the Goddess had appeared to a group of women gathering plants in a field. She broke open the stems of blue-flowered flax and showed them how the threadlike fibers could be spun and then woven. The woof and warp danced in Her fingers until a length of cloth was born before them. She told them which plants and roots would color the cloth, and then She led the mortal from the field to a pit of clay...'"




Jaqki Withycombe says of her ring, "I have never made a crown setting before and I have to say it was a struggle for me (more went wrong than right with both the band and the crown) and the result is a bit rough round the edges. Also I chipped the stone (which is glass rescued from an old brooch) and it isn't set very securely - I cut the prongs too short. Having said that, I'm really quite proud that I stuck with it and I will have a go at another one sometime soon. " I really like the shape of the band and like Evelyn's ring above, the color of the stone complements the copper beautifully.

copper, brass, glass

Kest Schwatrzman created King from sterling silver and a rough saphire. From Kest's flickr comments, "See, its a six prong crown setting with a faceted blue stone. Right? Come-on, it's sorta like I did what I said I was gonna do." I love it, and I especially love the last pic.

sterling silver, rough sapphire

Mary Lu Wason has finished her ring just a little late, she did an amazing job on that crown! Mary Lu says, "This is my use of the full extension of the deadline for the #1 Monthly Challenge. I used copper sheet, slightly textured with patina for the shank. The crown is fabricated from sterling sheet, with 6 prongs. I believe this pattern is called Arcade Claws I did something similar in school, but also used Charles Jarvis old book for info and also Alan Revere's Professional Goldsmithing . I am leaving it empty until I get the "right" stone or treasure to set in it. This is just a vintage foil back rhinestone placed to see how it might look when set."

108/365 lightbulb

Making this copper ring today naturally followed my (rather long) blog post on art and original ideas.