Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Time Is Running Out

The contest for the Hot Pink Tourmaline Ring, ends Saturday, hurry and get your entry in. There are 13 so far, don't miss your chance. All the details are listed in the post below, check it out.

Teal Topaz With Pink Inlaid Mother Of Pearl

I bought the pink inlaid Mother Of Pearl semi mount, from Jewelry Television. It is sterling silver, with a half bezel mount. I will not by the bezel setting again, I just do not like the way the stones get set in there. I have used back set bezel settings, and they were okay. They are also nice if you have a delicate stone you do not want to ding. Anyway I do love the pink inlaid mother of pearl, just not the half bezel setting. It did come out quite lovely though, when finished.

Topaz does not come out of the ground this color. It is either heat treated, or irradiated to achieve the desired color. White Topaz is very abundant, thank goodness, as that is what is used to get all the wonderful colors that Topaz comes in. This ring is not for sale, it will be staying in my collection. However I do have other loose gemstones in this variety, so be sure to watch for more if you love this color. I also have a pair of earrings in Teal Topaz that are available for sale. To see them you can see the archives, or click on my Etsy mini, at the bottom of the page, or just ask me.

Couples Rings Ruby and Peridot, My Husband and Me

Couples rings, are becoming ever more popular. Much like a mothers ring, they feature the gemstone of your birthstone, and the birthstone of your husband or significant other. This couples ring, was made by myself. It features a ruby, for my husband, and peridot for me. The setting was strange, and I am not sure I will be keeping the stones in there. For now, it works, until I find another setting. It does sit low on the hand, with prongs that dont catch, so that I do like. It appears to have spots for other stones, which it was not advertised that way, and they arent normal stone sizes or shapes. So for now, I leave it the way it is, and wear it with love, until I find another I like better.

How To Set Faceted Gemstones, Easy Tutorial

As promised, I found a tutorial that teaches how to set gemstones in ring settings. The first one is for snap tite settings, the easiest to use, but not as durable. The second is for a four pronged ring. I would like to add one small tip. They using flat nose pliers to tighten the prongs. I am not saying that is wrong, but if you buy gem setting pliers, they have a groove in them, that makes the process even easier. Here are the links, happy jewelry making. This website by the way has tons and tons of jewelry making tips, classes, and information. Look around, you will love it.

http://www.wigjig.com/jewelry-making/bling/pg.13.htm
http://www.wigjig.com/jewelry-making/bling/pg14.htm

While they make it look easy, it takes a lot of practice to get the right feel. Plus you will find you will scratch and break prongs easier than would be expected. Some gemstones also are not calibrated exactly as the setting, or the pavilion is deeper or more narrow than the setting will allow. With practice, and time you will be an expert at setting your own gemstones.