[IMG]nice picture[/IMG]
OK, I know I am a pretty good jeweler, better than most in my city, but I have a healthy amount of self doubt, and am adventurous enough to tackle jobs I don't think I can do well. This is one of them. Angel, at the old job, used to do all the "bead setting" and I never properly learned how. I know the concept behind it, but have had very little practice. Up until now I have used various techniques to "fake it"
. I originally said no to this job, but finally agreed, preparing the customer for a mediocre job.
Well, I impressed myself
. It's not the best bead work, and I know it's a little sloppy, but the guy was floored. So I am just a wee bit proud of myself for tackling this and doing it right. You can see the idea of bead setting in the image to the right. You drill holes for the diamonds, and literally squash them (lightly) into the hole. Then you take a fine, round pointed graver, and dig into the metal to raise a "bead" and work that over the stone. In the picture, you see the rough points sticking up. You then take a beading tool, a small pointed tip with a concave recess, and you use that to mash that point into a round, smooth bead and further tighten the stone in place. Then you take a couple different gravers, such as the flat, and onglette, to carve the defining lines, and carve away all the excess metal between the points to give you the finished product on the left.
This takes tons of effort and after 4 hours of working on this my hands really ache. I think I burst a few blood vessels in my brain too.
I finished the naked chick.
Note that she swings freely on the moon.
I am proud and ashamed of this piece.
[IMG]nice picture[/IMG]
Originally Posted by Bitter Jeweler
[IMG]nice picture[/IMG]
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