We have risked assessed it and turns out the risk is me!

The first week of March will always be remembered as the first time I caught myself alight in the workshop!I leant over my French blow pipe flame to pinch a scriber from Dads bench and I didn’t notice until I could smell melting clothes. After a few choice words, I was standing in not a lot after throwing the clothes off me and onto the floor, with Dad chuckling away whilst passing me his sweatshirt.
I’ll try to remember to not be so lazy and move from my seat to find something on his bench next time… 

​I am fine though,  my clothes were the only ones injured!

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Things from my workbench this week

​In the week that I learnt not to wear well-loved clothes in the workshop, I have been making three coloured stone silver stacking rings in tandem with Dad making one in white gold. Additionally, for the first time I have been attempting to make a claw set ring and piercing out a ‘Perfect 10’ money clip to be included in a hall packet. 

​Originally the four-claw gallery setting for a ring was intended it for a 5mm Round Swiss Blue Topaz, however I made a mistake with my measurements, having not made one before, and it is now ready for a 7mm round stone instead.

Making a ring shank that wasn’t simply made from round, square or D-shaped wire was also unfamiliar to me. So I wanted to make a tapered shank that would suit a taller setting and lend itself to focusing into the stone. It is still simple and mastered by many although it took me three attempts to make one I was happy with!
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Starting with a 2 x 3mm D-shaped skank, soldered and rounded up, I hammered a taper into the ring with the solder seem at the shanks thinnest point and therefore the top of the ring. I wouldn’t normally position the seem anywhere else other than directly at the bottom of the ring, however on this occasion I will be piercing through the seem for my setting. Annoyingly this D-shaped wire didn’t achieve the height I needed for the setting, so the solution to achieving a higher taper was to use square wire instead, which has more volume of silver in the same length. Finally with a more successful ring shape I can continue to finish the ring next week.

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Jewellery from the Sea - Marbles and Two-toned sea glass

​In the few moments of down time in the workshop I have been whipping up some sea glass charms and a pair of sea glass studs. I was particularly interested in a green piece of sea glass with clear swirls contained within and a pure apple green marble we picked up from our morning walks along the shore.