AZURE filigre' (under a ring) => 9 photos

As you can see that this intricate wax pattern is very delicate. Be aware that all of the wax-filigre spots be made clean of any residue.

 There is a defect that came out of the rubber mold. It should not be repaired in the wax, but it could be joined to the metal. Be careful with the thin wax.

This wax form is 'almost' clean of any plugged holes. In the third row from the tapered-top, there is one hole, always look for any defects. Even the wax-sprue must be gently removed before casting.

 

The Azure 'wax insert' should join the ring-base with no spaces.

This 'wax injection' is a total loss, why? There are just too many holes plugged. 

 When you are dealing a curved wax, there is a great tendency to bend the wax to fit the main ring. DON'T DO ANY BENDING AT THIS STEP. Join the two pieces in the metal.

 I prefer to supply a temporary & thicker NEW sprue, why? This is the best way to hold this delicate curved wax.

 The thicker wax sprue is like a 'handle' and you can avoid any sudden breaking.

 Cast these two waxes and then do any delicate repairing, if needed.

 

How to create a "Florentine Finish", and more! => 12 photos

This kind of finishing is sometimes named as "cross-cut", hence the appearance of the 'liners'.

 How is this created? The answer is relatively easy to explain.

1) The initial cutting with your 'liner' should be full of straight cuts. The next phase of cutting should be at a 90degree angle.

2) The second series of cutting should be more of a lighter finishing, but NOT TOO DEEP.

  This photo displays the basic pattern of Florentine cutting.

This photo displays my very own Florentine engraving tool.

These 'liners' come in various widths =>6, 8 or even 10 lines.

 I feel more comfortable with a thinner graver tip than having a thick front.

I have a Flat graver along side of my 'liner'.

 

The "Florentine" finish is actually a cross-cutting pattern of the previously shown 'Liner graver'. Some hand-engraving designers just use one set of lines, but the cross-cutting is more attractive.

 =>Here is what an engraver did with his 'liner', it looks like the veins of a plant eminating from the center of the flower.<=

 My client gave me her bracelet adorned with numerous "line patterns". BEAUTIFUL!

  All I did here was just scribe the surface, without digging into the metal. Here are four sets of line cutting, touching side-by-side.

 I kept the silver shavings just for this photo. It's not the depth of the graver cutting...but how it was created.

This photo shows just how the metal cutting appears from above.

Here is the full surface of the engraved bracelet.

 

Your NEW PLIERS for holding YOUR jewellery => 7 photos

 Pliers come in many shapes and sizes, I'm just opening the door to you for a few of them in this essay.

 These pliers are shaped for a purpose, this purpose is to grasp precious metals. I've added deeper ridges as what the tool supplier made wasn't enough to grip the metal securely.

=>I didn't want any pliers to slip while I'm holding jewellery.<=

If you feel that the serated edges are not deep enough, you have the option of making the edges more pronounced.

 The size of these separating wheels/disks are 1,3/4 inch diameter and they must cut with extreme precision.

 Shortcuts are never permitted. Mistakes are costly, as some of these pliers are themselves expensive.

 These meticulous & precise pliers will last for many years. They will become your 'friends' after a very short while.

 You will find many uses for them as you progress further into your professional field.

 This is what the ridges look like after the grooves are cut to shape.

 I use an Emery wheel of a 'Medium grade' to smooth any rust that has begun to develope.

  Here is another shape of pliers, these are named "Bent Jaws".

Do you use a PIN VISE? => 11 photos

 Many diamond setters use a 'pin vise', do you? Here are photos and many variations of them.

 This particular pin-vise is a combination of two pices that I joined together. (Don't laugh) The handle was actually a "furniture leg" that I found in a hardware store and the "vise-clamp" was what I saw in a tool store.

 REMEMBER, many unusual tools could be seen in other sources. 

  This pin-vise that was seen jewellery supply store has smooth inside jaws and is great for holding delicate jewellery without leaving any marks.

 This is my original "Pin-Vise" that really has pins in it, and is designed to hold anything. 

I've fashioned the tip of this vise to hold mini-earring studs.

 

 These two pins were brass-soldered and had little grooves cut into them. These grooves will eventually hold earring-studs, just below the 4-claw setting.

 

   This combination of 'vise parts' gives sufficient clearance from the peice of jewellery from being bent or....ruined.

 This 'extended Pin-Vise' prevents the constant need of shellac on most of the unusual parts of this brooch.

 I drilled wide grooves into each pin to hold coins, but not endangering the 'face of any wide or thick coin'.

 This is how each brass-pin looks after the modifications. These pins can be adjusted to hold any ultra-wide ornament (as seen above) down to a ultra-small piece of jewellery.

  I will only have a maximum of 4 pins. With these holes I can now change where the pins can be placed.

  I can now rotate even a circular Pave' setting. The brass-pins are designed to hold this circular pin from the inside, instead of the outside. Don't tighten the brass tightening-screw, as they will still leave marks in the metal.

 I'm gently tightening the metal circle, then when the stone setting has been completed, I can again gently rotate the circle once again.

Many times shellac is not wanted, here is one of those times.

MJSA (reprint) "Why darken the HSS bur?" => 3 photos.

 This is the MJSA page and drawing prepared by Ms. Shawna Kulpa and her staff. Thank you everyone for your time.

I wanted to make sure that all sections of this one page were easy to read, I copied it in multiple areas.

 

You want BEADS? => 12 (beaded) photos

You want BEADS? WOW, have I got BEADS for you?

 This one Onglet graver #2, was fashioned to make hundreds of beads. On the bottom of the blade, the sharp point was removed and made ready to be used again.

  

   I saw this necklace with this round disk with ??? diamonds.

 My #2 Onglete graver was carefully re-designed to be used specifically as a 'Bead Raiser'.

 For tight spots on the disk, I created and used 3 gravers all with different widths.

 With very tight spots on the ring, I preferred a graver with #1 Onglete width.

  On this unusual pendant, the stone setter chose beads with no set pattern.

 With the largest selection of gemstones, I placed all with one pattern. "Here, there and everywhere".

 For the smallest stones, I decided to set them in between the largest.

 I kept all of these round burs well within range for the drilling & spacing for the remaining stones. (this was not an easy task)

 Except for the two larger stones on my bench-peg, every stone got to be used.

 After I set every stone with 4 beads, I then placed beads in between the remaining stones. I didn't do any metal cutting inside where the stones lay. "Beads were eveywhere to be seen."

 IF YOU KNOW THE NUMBER OF STONES, you can start counting how many beads were formed.  Remember that number. THEN 4 beads per stone. Interesting calculations?

  This would be a fantastic project for anyone, of any level of jewellery crafting. Remember, if there any spaces, fill up all of the spaces with BEADS.  HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!