Is this your project? Can you share instructions or a pattern with the Craftsy community?
Difficulty:
Category: Jewelry
Type of item: Accessory
For: Women
Style: Classic, Romantic, Traditional, Eco-Friendly
Materials
PMC3, fine silver bezel wire, cubic zirconia, prong setting
What was your inspiration?
I was inspired by a course on setting bezels in metal clay at my local art center and by Cindy Pankopf's course on Kiln Fired Metal Clay.
What are you most proud of?
I did not have to scrap this piece. Here is what I did to save it.
I tried to set a stone in a fine silver bezel that I shaped, soldered and placed in a metal clay setting. When I fired the piece it warped and the bezel came away from the base (see photos). The biggest problem was the stone no longer fit inside the bezel. At Cindy's suggestion I put a backing on the piece and refired, but, of course, the stone still did not fit. While contemplating my options, I thought why not make a metal clay insert with a cubic zirconia in a prong setting that would fit the bezel. That is what I did and I colored it with Pebeo 160 low-fire enamel and put a 3mm cz in the prong setting. While it is not what I wanted and I still have to try bezel set a stone in metal clay, it is a piece that can be worn instead of scrapped.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
Always think of what you can do with a damaged piece before recycling or scrapping. You never know when something can be saved until you try.
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