Swiss blue topaz on pebbles ring with prong setting
This is a Pebbles band – inspired by the beaches at Kootenay Lake.
I used a prong setting for this 9.5 carat, oval Swiss Blue Topaz.
The ring is a size 7
with the front at 1.58 cm wide and the back is .75 cm wide.
LAND * I am * SOURCE ENERGY OF ROCK – Steadfast – Confident – Eternal – Nurturing
The pebbles designs are inspired by our favourite beaches – on the east shores of the Kootenay Lake. It always makes me happy making these designs. And I loved making this wide band to balance this amazing stone.
To make the Pebbles design rings I start by laying out the larger sized silver ‘pebbles’ and fusing them together. Then, while the silver is still hot, I lay out a second layer of smaller silver rings – and fuse. After I clean the silver and check the design, I often go back and add one more layer of silver rings – just to make sure the design is perfect.
For the prong style ring, which I use to set larger stones, I create a wire cage to support the stone. Then I solder the prongs to the cage. Then I carefully mark where each of the prongs will go for the shape and size of the gemstone. After which I adjust the length of the prongs and smooth an area on the band for the prongs to attach to. Now that everything is perfectly fitted together, I can VERY carefully solder everything together.
Lots of cleaning and polishing and baking – Argentium has the extra step of heating the silver to set the Germanium and make the silver whiter and slower to tarnish than Sterling silver – and the stone can be set.
Argentium Silver is a high quality silver with a silver content of 94% (Sterling is 92.5%). It has the unique feature of having a small amount of Germanium added. Argentium Silver is whiter, harder and slower to tarnish. And it is always nickel-free.
