featured: Mary Lu Wason

Mary Lu Wason makes beautiful jewelry, many of her pieces incorporate things she finds on her ocean walks. I'm in love with her beach glass and sterling silver rings, I especially like the way the scrolled bands elevate the glass.

Mary Lu Wason, ring 144/365

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."

Rings for Haiti

We now have 26 handmade rings for the eBay auction to benefit Haiti, which should start in a couple of weeks. I'm so impressed by the generosity demonstrated by this diverse group of metalsmiths. I have done very little promotion, simply mentioning it on Facebook, the EtsyMetal member forum, and in some Flickr photo comments. I haven't solicited from anyone individually, all have offered their beautiful rings voluntarily and I'm very grateful.

Sara Westermark has donated her stunning chinese turquoise and sterling silver ring, the oxidized ring face is embossed with a leaf texture and the turquoise shows beautiful matrix mottling. This ring has sold.






Israeli artist Inbar Bareket has given a beautifully textured, thick sterling silver band ring, Landscape, the 13th of her Ring a Day series. This ring has sold.





Another wonderful band ring comes from Lorena Angulo. This ring is made from fine silver clay, it is heavily textured and has a great liver of sulphur patina. This ring has sold.





Mary Lu Wason says of her lovely sterling silver ring, "I created this on January 13, 2010, while listening to the radio reports of the disaster in Haiti. This began as a square wire. I filed and filed until I saw the silver tears appear." This ring has sold.






Lora Hart has created a marvelous piece from fine silver clay and a lab grown ruby with wonderful texture fleur de lis accents. This is ring #15 in Lora's Ring a Day series. The auction for this ring has not yet been scheduled.