North Brisbane Lapidary Club

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Figaro Necklace – (5:1 links)

By

by Mary

I made this Figaro Necklace (5:1 links) for my daughter for 2019 Christmas. I had previously made one in silver and one in gold wire using round wire (Alternate Pattern 2). My current project is Alternate Pattern 1, using 3:1 links (round jump rings and twisted long links). The mandrels used are what I have available at home, these can be replaced with more consistent sizes at the Club if others want to create their own necklaces.

Materials

  •  Round links x 85 using 1.0 mm square silver wire (twisted) and a 2.9 mm mandrel                                                                    
  •  Elongated links x 18 using 1.0 mm round silver wire and a 8.4 mm mandrel
  •  1 x Clasp
  •  Finished length: 56 cm

Steps                                  

  • Twist square wire. Anneal. Using 2.9 mm mandrel make 85 jump rings.
  • Anneal round wire. Using 8.4 mm mandrel make 18 jump rings.
  • Solder 8.4 mm jump rings and clean joins.  Pull into long/elongated links.
  • Start to assemble necklace soldering 5 twisted jump rings, then 1 long link, alternately.
  • Clean joins.
  • Attach clasp.
  • Clean and polish necklace.

Alternate Pattern  1  (3:1 links) 

                                               

Materials    

  •  Round links x 78 using 1.0 mm round silver wire and a 2.9 mm mandrel
  •  Elongated links x 25 using  1.0 mm square silver wire (twisted) and a 8.4 mm mandrel
  •  1 x Clasp

Steps

  • Twist square wire. Anneal. Using 8.4 mm mandrel make 25 jump rings.
  • Solder twisted jump rings and clean joins.  Pull into long links.
  • Anneal round wire. Using 2.9 mm mandrel make 78 jump rings.
  • Start to assemble necklace soldering 3 round jump rings, then 1 long link, alternately.
  • Clean joins.
  • Attach clasp.
  • Clean and polish necklace.

Alternate Pattern 2    (3:1 links)

Using 1.00mm or 0.8mm round silver or gold round wire

Length: 56cm

□  Allow 1 m of round and square silver wire to make the necklace

How to close your necklace (or bracelet)

By

by Katarina

Now that you are planning in participating in the jewellery competition you are probably wondering how to close your necklace or bracelet – because yes, you have to make your own clasps.

Of course you could make your own lobster claw, box clasp or other fancy methods of keeping that necklace around your neck but unless you are a pro it will take as much time as it does to actually make the show piece.

But do not despair, help is at hand. There are some easier solutions: the S-Hook and the Toggle

S-Hook

A S-Hook is exactly that: wire bent into the shape of an “S” that will hook into a jump ring.

It is easy to make and fairly secure. And you can embellish it as much or as little as you wish: hammer it, texturing, wrapping, flattening.

The other side can be a simple jump ring or another S-hook, this time with the ends closed.

Here are a couple of videos showing how to make a simple S-Hook:

For a variety of s-hook samples – remember you have to make it – check this website Artbeads.com

A variation of the S-Hook is the simple hook and eye clasp. In essence it is half a s-hook with a jump ring.

For a range of these, check out this website Rings & Things.com

And remember, if you like the design of one type you should be able to adept it to the other style.

Toggle

The next type of clasp that you can make yourself is the toggle.

A toggle is a bar that can be threaded through a jump ring without falling out and therefore securing the necklace, and in fact bracelet securely. I like toggles because they are easier to use when closing a necklace. Less fumbly so to speak.

For a tutorial, check out this video:

The following gets you to one of my favourite websites with loads of good tutorials, this one for a toggle:

And here is another favorite of mine:

And if you want to see a whole raft of samples, simply google “handmade toggle clasp” or even better “artisan toggle clasp”.

And if all fails, ask one of your friendly silversmiths at the next table.

And I am sorry to say, at the moment you cannot access the library.

Hollow Neckpiece

By

by Carol Money

Hollow Neckpiece

Project 22 from Alan Reveres "Professional Jewelry Making

The Torque is made from 0.4 mm thickness copper sheet.  The process involved first making a couple of wooden stakes to form the copper sheet, and then being very gentle with the hammering as the annealed copper was very soft.  Soldering the long joint and forming the final shape using only your fingers was very satisfying.

Lastly I decided to colour it using the heat from the flame, this was lots of fun.

The design is not the best for either putting on and taking off or wearing, as the ends although rounded, still scrape my neck, and then it hangs a bit low, something to think about.  It was however another great learning project.

 

Friday Night learning Bezel setting

By

For the last couple of Friday nights work sessions, a couple of members have been learning to do a bezel setting.

The stones were fairly small, so fine silver bezel wire was used, with a bezel pusher to secure the stone and a burnishing tool to finish.

Sharon chose to add hers to a ring.

Lois chose to add a decorative band of silver ball wire and then make hers into a pendant, adding a bail.

Family Bracelet

By

Family Bracelet

by Mary Lancaster

  • Cut heart shape from silver plate. File and smooth edges. Punch a hole on each side.
  • Cut length of round wire (gold or silver), form heart and sweat solder onto heart plate.
  • Select decorative stamp eg. dragonfly, stamp onto silver heart.
  • Stamp letters onto heart, each one for a family member.
  • Make links for bracelets:
    • 11 x 8.5mm jump rings, pulled long (1mm, ½ round)
    • 11 x 3.0 mm jump rings (joiners)
    • 1 x 2.5mm jump ring (to attach clasp)
  • Solder links together and attach to heart plate. Attach clasp. Clean solder joins. Polish.

Live Love Bracelet

by Mary Lancaster

  • Cut length of silver plate, shape and smooth (file, emery paper). Punch hole each end.
  • Stamp chosen words, symbols.
  • Make bracelet:
    • 10x 8.5mm jump rings, pulled long (1mm, ½ round)
    • 10 x 3.0mm jump rings (joiners)
    • 10 x 2.5mm jump ring (to attach clasp)
  • Solder links together and attach to heart plate.
  • Attach clasp.
  • Make small wire heart (silver or gold). Attach with small jump ring.
  • Clean solder joins. Polish.

Broom Casting and adding patina

By

by Fiona Watts

A lot of us have done broom casting at the club and I for one had a lot of fun. It’s so addictive, I think we have all done quite a few ‘pours’ and most of us have gotten some really good results. But what can you make from the end results?

I’ve made a couple of pendants (how many can one person wear though right!?!?), some earrings and STILL have some great looking broom castings left over.

The photo is of the same pendant, just showing different sides.....

So I thought about what else I could make and one piece really lent itself to a ring.

First I made a plain, simple ring shank or band. Then annealed the casting piece. And VERY CAREFULLY bent it little by little into a crescent shape. Carefully, as I didn’t want to mar the silver or damage the design. Annealed several times while bending.

Once it was kind of the shape and size I wanted, I made the ring shank the same shape as the casting using pliers. Like matching a bezel to a stone.

Then much to Carol M’s dismay, used a small butane torch to solder it together. She didn’t believe I could solder such a ‘large’ piece of silver with a small torch.

Success!

It’s kind of all about confidence and experience I guess.

Sorry I forgot to take progress shots.

As most of you know, I’m a patina girl. Love, love, love patinas.

And look what groovy colours I got!

Keep creating. And smiling.

Fiona

More homework

By

by Lola

Not only has Lola been busy with her usual baking and jam making, below are some fine examples of her work in silver.

The pendant with the rings was made from recycled jewellery.

Sweat Soldering

By

by Ray Wilson

Sweat soldering is a simple process that can be used to create depth, texture or contrast to your work.

Solder is applied to the back of the piece that is going to be the top of the finished item. It is cleaned and positioned on the back plate and the complete piece is then reheated until the solder flows between the 2 pieces.  The surfaces of course have to be flat and free of grease.

Here's a piece I have just completed.

Silver Loop Ring

By

by Mary Lancaster

Materials

  • 1.5mm round silver wire

Steps

  • Make jump rings: 1 x 9.75 mm mandrel, 2 x 8.5 mm mandrel, 2 x 6.0 mm mandrel
  • Solder and pull into oval shape, use flat-nose pliers to level sides of ovals
  • Hammer each jump ring
  • Use file to flatten sides of jump rings ready to join
  • Solder two medium-sized jump rings to larger jump ring
  • Solder two smaller jump rings onto each side
  • Shape to form top of ring
  • Cut two approximate lengths of round silver wire to make shank of ring
  • Solder two lengths together (tie each end together with wire to hold)
  • Measure shank for correct size to form ring, file ends flat ready for soldering
  • Solder one end of shank to ring top (easier to place in hole in firebrick)
  • Gently shape shank and solder other side to ring top
  • Use ring mandrel and nylon hammer to reshape finished ring
  • Use file and emery paper to clean
  • Final clean with brass brush
  • Polish

Other rings made with ‘odds and ends’ of silver.