Try using flat piece of microcrystalline wax, or modeling clay and bury into clay (approx 2mm) around bezel to level prongs. posts. Cut piece of aluminium strip to make (tape it or rubber band it closed) flask for item. Use DENTAL casting powder (won't crystalize from torch) to make slurry, pour in, let harden, remove strip, flip, remove clay or wax, then solder exposed, perfectly aligned and spaced prongs. 😉Just another way of doing it. Great for those who tend to shake a lil'😄
Nice work! Can I give you a tip for making the bezel for the doublet - set the stone on your bench or peg, use the handle part of your tweezers to keep the bezel wire at right angles to the bench or peg and gently push the setting metal around the stone with the handle part of your tweezers. This keeps a lot of tool marks away from your metal and helps to ease the setting metal around the stone. Also it is a pity you didn't come up with a better carrier (bail) for the chain. You have done a lot of good work on this piece, it would have been much better if you could have thought of something more creative for the chain carrier. (I don't like the word bail. It is American. We English need to use our own words. lol) Phil (from philongold)
Gorgeous. I am been takin metalsmith for a bout a year and a half. Once a week. This is beautifull. I would it have issues adding each post due to every time I add a post close to the other the other ones keep comming off, unless I use oker, bit when is too close sometimes the oker gets everywhere and then I have problems having the solder flow. I need to practice more.
Use pure silver for bzl. No memory after annealing and easier to file and push on vitreous material such as opals and sphene. Good also on softer stuff such as apatite with a bit of butt puckering added for good measure😂😢😮
I’m a advanced silversmith and I also teach online but I would be interested in taking some classes. Since I’m a self taught silversmith. I do not have any certificate and I’m needing some kind of a certificate for a company I’m wanting to do work for… Can you please advise me regarding your jeweler Academy???
