Ring A Week No. 33

For my latest Ring A Week ring, I've created a sterling silver band that matches my previous ring. The etched design is so detailed and delicate that I wanted to make a simpler piece to show off the detail of the etching. I like how it turned out.

Garnet Ring :: Ring A Week No. 32

I really enjoyed making this ring. I've set a 6mm almandine garnet cabochon into the center surrounded by my hand drawn etched vine lace design etched into a sterling saucer. The shank is also etched with the design and cradles the saucer. It is oxidized and hand finished and I really like how the patina shows of the delicate, lacy etched vines. I've recently created some pendants with the lace vine motif as well, which you can see in my shop.

Moonstone Ring :: Ring A Week No. 31

Several months ago, I purchased some lovely little 4mm moonstone cabochons. They've been sitting in my drawer waiting for a project until I thought of the idea for this ring. I've been melting and reusing a lot of my scrap silver these days and for Ring 31, I melted some scrap into a molten orb, flattened it just a bit and then filed interesting facets all around the silver nugget which sits atop a fabricated sterling band. I fabricated a bezel for the moonstone, which is inset. I love the rough, faceted texture of the silver (which I've oxidized to show off its angles) paired with the smooth, glowing dome of moonstone.

My Life is My Message :: Ring A Week No. 30

I recently came across this quote by Gandhi: "my life is my message" and it stuck in my head. What a powerful statement. Not only was it true for Gandhi; it's true for each of us. I decided to etch this sentiment into my latest Ring A Week ring. I started with sterling silver square wire, hand fabricating the band, hammering the outer surface and etching the handwritten words into the silver. I then oxidized the hammered texture and the etched lettering for contrast. What a great reminder to wear on the finger!

Ring A Week No. 29

My 29th Ring A Week ring is a thick, hand fabricated band of sterling silver. I've filed facets along the edges to create an interesting texture, and I've highlighted the texture by oxidizing and hand finishing the ring. It's a substantial piece and also very comfortable to wear.

Ring A Week No. 28

For my twenty-eighth Ring A Week ring, I fabricated a sterling silver band and added a 14K gold orb that I made by melting some of my gold scrap. I gave both band and orb a brushed finish. While this is a very simple design, I really like it a lot, perhaps because it reminds me a bit of my wedding ring, minus the diamond (see below).

Tide Pool Ring :: Ring a Week No. 27

My friend, Carolyn, of Sleeping Dog Studio recently shared some resin with me and I've been eager to try it out. So, for this week's Ring A Week ring I fabricated this sterling silver ring, added three tiny shells collected during a vacation, and filled the sterling saucer with resin, partially submerging the shells. The clear resin looks like water and this piece reminds me of a tide pool.

I didn't want to waste the 1/2 ounce batch of resin I had mixed for the ring and since it is usable for about 45 minutes after mixing, I looked around the studio to quickly figure out what else I might do with it. I have a packet of small manufactured sterling bezel cups that I never use since I prefer to make my own so they were perfect for experimenting. I also hang on to the pnp paper I use to transfer my designs for etching; the leftover bits are lovely and so I save some them. I decided to try embedding some of the tinier designs in resin, in the bezel cups, and made several pendants like the one below. The photo doesn't quite do it justice since the branch design actually appears to be floating and the image is sharper than the photo conveys. This was my first time working with resin and it was fun to experiment.