Stacking Trio :: Ring A Week No. 16

I had a wonderful time last weekend exhibiting at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, followed by a mini-vacation in Michigan earlier this week. These events have put me a bit behind with the Ring A Week challenge, but I am now finding time to catch up. For my sixteenth challenge piece I've created a trio of stacking rings. Two are sterling silver and the third is copper. I like the simple, modern lines of these rings and the soft contrast provided by the brushed copper ring sandwiched between the two silver rings.

Curl Ring: Ring A Week No. 15

I've been busy this week, preparing for the Indiana Artisan Marketplace, and did not have much time to devote to my latest Ring A Week design. This was a simple, quickly-created piece but I like its lines and can imagine revisiting and revising this design using a thicker gauge of silver. Now I'll get back to my show prep!

Vine Ring :: Ring A Week No. 14

This week, I made a ring featuring my vine motif. The vine design was etched into sterling silver and I then carefully cut around portions of the delicate vine above and below band lines. As with many of my pieces, I've oxidized this ring to provide contrast and highlight the design. I made the first ring featuring this motif last fall, which you can see below. I chose to cut the first ring quite differently, leaving wide, angled margins around the etched vine, which achieves a very different effect. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicate the new ring looks.

Ring a Week No. 13

Yesterday, I made this sterling silver and peridot ring featuring a single etched leaf, a simpler version of my Ring A Week No. 7. I really like this simpler design. I had first intended for it to have two leaves, but I found I liked the single leaf and decided it looked best that way. It's one of those special pieces I feel compelled to keep for myself. I've been wearing it all day and I like it!

I have one more ring design in mind that will feature my etched leaves. Stay tuned.

Spring Leaves :: Ring A Week No. 12

This week I've created some new jewelry pieces featuring my etched leaf design. For my Ring A Week number 12, I've hand fabricated this ring, overlapping and soldering seven small sterling silver leaves together. I wanted to keep this first leaf ring for myself, but once finished it was a tad too small. I tried to enlarge it and in the process discovered that the tip of one leaf was not properly joined when it broke free. As I was preparing to resolder that leaf, I realized that the ring actually works really well as an adjustable ring, and I chose to leave it that way since the overlapping design disguises this feature well. A happy accident!

Below are several other pieces from my leaf collection.

Two hearts beat as one :: Ring A Week #11

My eleventh Ring A Week project is actually two rings. These matching wedding bands were a collaborative effort, created for my friend and fellow calligrapher, Alesia. They feature her lovely hand lettered calligraphy. I've etched her words "two hearts beat as one" into these hand fabricated sterling silver bands. They've been oxidized and hand finished to highlight the raised lettering. I love that the bands happen to fit so perfectly together, one within the other.

Ring A Week Number 10

I began this ring two years ago. It originally had an etched design on the front but the etching didn't turn out so well. It sat in my work-in-progress drawer and every now and then I'd think about how I might be able to save it. I decided to have another go at it for Ring A Week number 10. I filed off the etched face and I flush set a 3mm faceted peridot. I gave the ring a rustic, lightly hammered texture and oxidized finish.

I wish I had a before photo. I thought I did, but I can't find it. I think I have improved the ring, and I'm glad that after two years it's finally finished.

Check out the progress of other Ring A Week participants here.