In the Studio: Soldering Handmade Rings

Here's a short video of me soldering handmade bezels onto handmade rings. It's pretty typical of what I might do in my studio on a given day. Alas, no makeup, safety glasses on, and a hooded sweatshirt gave me second thoughts about putting this up. But, let's all love ourselves just the way we are. :)

Eventually, the rings you see me making in this video will become these rings (the finished product).

14K white gold, white moonstone stacking ring. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

Daydreaming: Procrastination, Bits N Bobs

Prototype for my engraved book. Engraved poem "The Wave" on a locket.
Copper, patina, colored pencil, lacquer. Engraved locket & photo by Emily Wiser.

January is almost over. I didn't work on my engraved book! It's a confession I had to make. It's why I like making jewelry for clients. An order comes in, I get to make it, get to work with the gold or silver, get to make something that's pretty, get the satisfaction of working with my hands and seeing something born. I also wonder about who will wear it, what sentimental occasion it's for, and I'm happy when I can help commemorate important events in people's lives with rings.

When will I work on my engraved copper book, my (paper) vampire novel (lol), and the other new pieces of jewelry I've sketched out for introduction in my shop? I'm just going to have to schedule time in for it. That's what I've done before when I needed to get things done. It's how the big projects, the dream projects, get done. Anyways, here's hoping. Wish me luck!

Thank You To My Clients!

Peridot & Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Set. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser

I just wanted to thank all of my wonderful clients. Without them, EmilyWiserJewelry would not exist.

Here are some highlights from my shop's feedback that make me so happy:

snapshotsunmade says:
delicate and pretty. I like that they are unique. thanks so much.

noanoa2 says:
Beautiful, simple and delicate! They will be an everyday favorite. I definitely recommend these!

terami says:
Thank you! These are perfect. x

claireroyer says:
Beautiful! Emily guided me on which stones to choose. Went with moonstone and mother of pearl. So pleased with the result. This is for a good friend's birthday. She is going to love it. Thanks again Emily!

sylviatbrink says:
I'm super happy with them! And thanks so much for the little present :-)

URNemesis108 says:
I love these rings! They are so dainty, And the joining and soldering are as good as invisible. I can tell that the artist really loves what she does, IT shows! Thank you for such wonderful work!

annieharry says:
got my rings today, they are gorgeous! can't wait to wear them, but i have to wait for christmas.

bonsaiguy75 says:
Beautiful crafstmanship, incredibly responsive to questions, and sent the products before the estimated timeframe. Definitely will recommend Emily to others!!

chicahot says:
Just perfect.

claireroyer says:
Love it!!! Stone is colorless and setting is simple yet elegant. Perfect for everday or dressing up. Emily's work is superb and customer service is top notch. Repeated happy customer who will definitely be back. Thank you!

hannahtodd says:
Amazing workmanship! Love the way this ring fits and looks. Very fast shipping

shillson says:
These topaz briolettes are absolutely stunning!

wanitten says:
Very delicate, sit comfortably - I hardly know I'm wearing them (some stacking rings don't sit as nicely). Great everyday look to honor my two boys.

checky1 says:
These are such beautiful rings! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I really love them, and they fit perfectly:) Your work is extraordinary!

ghanagyrl says:
Absolutely gorgeous rings! They arrived in a beautiful package, and once I tried them on...I never wanted to take them off. I am saving up my money to buy the same style in rose gold. I love them!

terami says:
I love my ring! It arrived quickly and is exactly what I hoped it would be. Emily is a great seller and I would definitely buy from her again.

denasiegert says:
Beautiful workmanship and great contact.

Vampires & Dark Romance

Dark Romance Ring. Amethyst & Sterling Silver. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

I'm writing a vampire novel. I'm really into vampires after seeing the Twilight movies and True Blood. Inspired by the genre, I've started a line of Dark Romance jewelry. Dark Romance features contrasts of dark and light colors, representing light and dark, good and evil, the innocent heroine and the worldly vampire.

Oxidized Copper Toggle Necklace & Cultured Freshwater Pearl. Photo & Necklace by Emily Wiser.

Oxidized Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings. Hoops & Photo by Emily Wiser.

Dark Romance Stacking Ring Set. White Moonstone, Black Onyx, Sterling Silver. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser.

In The Studio: Palladium & 14K Rose Gold Wedding Band

Palladium & 14K Rose Gold Wedding Band. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

A bride-to-be recently emailed me to request a custom palladium and 14K rose gold wedding band. She had seen my 2 separate rings, and wanted the bands soldered together. Palladium melts at much higher temperature than rose gold. It was going to be a tricky business, but I finished it successfully! Here are some pictures.

Above: Cutting the 14K rose gold and palladium to size.
Shears, ruler, ring sizing chart. Photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: 14K rose gold ring on the soldering block. In the background is the pickle pot.
Photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: Lighting the torch. Yes, I did take this photo with a lit torch in one hand and a camera in the other!
Photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: Soldering palladium. High-heat soldering block. Photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: 14K rose gold and palladium ring is ready for sanding. Ring & photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: Sanding 14K rose gold & palladium ring. In a ring vise, sanding with a flex shaft. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

In the Studio: Stacking Rings

Emily Wiser's Jeweler's Bench. Photo by Emily Wiser.

I'm in the middle of making a 14K white gold tube-set stacking ring with faceted gemstone and a sterling silver stacking ring with black onyx. Here's a picture of the rings in progress. You can see 2 3M radial bristle discs on mandrels. They're used for polishing. You also see large and small jeweler's files, a round-nose pliers, some scrap silver, and a 12mm black onyx cabochon.

Here's what the 2 rings will look like when they're finished.

Above: Sterling silver and black onyx stacking ring. Ring & photo by Emily Wiser.

Above: 14K white palladium gold stacking ring with sapphire. Ring & photo by Emily Wiser.

Thank You!

Aquamarine & Sterling Silver Stacking Rings. Photo & Rings by Emily Wiser

I would like to thank all of my clients who have written positive reviews on my etsy page. Thanks for being so supportive of me! I do read all of your reviews, and it makes me feel so happy to see that you like and enjoy my jewelry. One of the best parts about making custom jewelry is working with wonderful clients. Here's a small highlight of your wonderful reviews:

megynjory says:

My new favorite seller! Not only was shipping and communication flawless but the ring itself is perfection. The fact that she hand makes her jewelry makes it even more special. It's so comfortable I'll wear it daily. Thank you Emily Wiser!!

stephaniemh1 says:

I love this ring!!! It is more than I could have imagined and will buy a ring for my mom with the grandkids birthstones.....! Beautiful and very happy! Thank you!

ghanagyrl says:

Absolutely gorgeous rings! They arrived in a beautiful package, and once I tried them on...I never wanted to take them off. I am saving up my money to buy the same style in rose gold. I love them!

hazydazy14 says:

Pretty, delicate ring, I love it, thanks.

selena43 says:

Wonderful fit and customer service as Emily kept in touch with me and provided timely status updates. Thank you!

TheBarkingTree says:

She totally loves it!!!!!!!!!! Perfect!!!!!!!!

erinmchugh says:

Lovely, understated ring arrived today. Very light to wear, perfect with everything! Very pleased with purchase, thank you!

kirbylynn says:

We had a bit of drama with the USPS but Emily was just so patient and kind--really above and beyond what was expected. My ring just arrived and I'm enthralled, it's beautiful, and I can't wait to order more pretty things from you in the future!

TiffanyTalavera1 says:

It is the perfect amount of elegance and simplicity. Thanks Emily, you always leave as a happy customer.

librariangirl says:

Lovely item and more beautiful in person. I will be a repeat customer!

robynsquyres says:

Emily is WONDERFUL! She really went above and beyond. Thanks a million!

StarlitPotions says:

Got the ring today, it's really pretty! Couldn't be happier. Turn around time was fast and the item fits perfectly. Would buy from again. Thank you!

britbart says:

Love the rings, I've been showing them off for two days straight since I received them. People will soon think I'm nuts, but the work is awesome. Great customer service as well. Thanks!

sewcutefashions says:

my grandmother LOVED it!! made her cry (in a good way)!!

primeval75 says:

lovely rings - very friendly seller - thank you so much *****

ammullins says:

The artist got them to me so quickly, I was impressed. They are very well-made and beautiful- my mom LOVES them!

Love2BInspired says:

WOW!!! THIS IS PERFECT I TELL U!! PERFECT...Do I sound excited? Everything about this ring and my earrings are wonderful..I love the stones, the band is so cute, the earring backings are wonderful..the packaging was great, and fast shipping. I felt like a princess and will be wearing my ring everyday!! Thanks so much..def. coming back for more of this wonderful artist pieces.

LiciaBeads says:

Adorably petite everyday wearers, I love these little guys! They have a sweetly handmade quality that I appreciate a lot. Thanks Emily!

krislea79 says:

love, love, love these rings! Thanks!!

How Much Gold Is In 14K Gold?

14K Solid Rose Gold Stacking Ring. Photo & Ring by Emily Wiser.

Were you aware that the gold in jewelry is not pure gold? Pure gold is called 24 Karat (24K) gold. 24K gold is much too soft to make any durable jewelry! So, pure gold is alloyed (mixed) with other, stronger metals. So, if 24K gold is 100% gold, 14K is 50% gold, and 18K is 75% gold.

Gold is alloyed with copper and silver for strength. Rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper. White gold is an alloy of gold, silver, and palladium, nickel, zinc or other white metal. Green gold is an alloy of gold and silver.

Below: 14K solid gold bead ring. Ring & photo by Emily Wiser.

Spreading Happiness Through Jewelry

14K solid rose gold with 8mm aquamarine stacking ring. Photo & ring by Emily Wiser

Well, Etsy likes to send us tips on how to do business better. They emailed Etsy shop owners a link to this blog entry: The 4 P's. I was really inspired by the Philosophy section. It helped me articulate exactly what my business goal is: I want to make people happy by making great jewelry! People can wear my jewelry and take pleasure in it. They can give my jewelry to others and spread happiness. Well, anyways, that's my optimistic assessment of my philosophy. LOL

In the Studio: 14K Rose Gold and Aquamarine.

Here's a picture of the 14K rose gold with 6mm aquamarine setting being made. The swirl is the end of a rawhide mallet, a jeweler's tool. You see some 6mm aquamarines scattered about and part of a 14K rose gold bezel setting. It's all sitting on my jeweler's bench (which I carefully shield with cork lol).

Newsletter Give-Away!

I've just started a quarterly newsletter. It comes out each season (4 times a year) plus I send you a great coupon on my birthday. If you sign up for my newsletter by September 1, 2010, I'll enter you to win a sterling silver stacking ring. I'm giving away one sterling stacking ring. Just enter your email address here: http://eepurl.com/KruT

You'll learn tips on silver and goldsmithing, how to tell if gems are real, get peeks inside my studio, and learn of new products. And every season, you'll be automatically entered to win some of my jewelry!

How To Make Sturdy, Inexpensive Workbenches

My husband made these fabulous work benches for my studio this weekend! We got one heavy-duty steel frame bookcase. Then we supplemented the wood shelving by laying thick plywood on top. Finally, we stuffed weatherstripping in between the sides of the plywood and the metal shelving brackets. Voila! The best part is one bookcase makes two benches! There was a really nice guy working at Home Depot who showed us how to make it.

On my workbench, you'll see my anvil, plastic mallet, planishing hammer, brass head mallet, ring marking anvil, and bent shank ring stamps, and a coil of sterling silver wire. Pretty fun, huh?

Below, you'll see some of the rings I make on my workbench. They're 14K white gold stacking rings set in tapered tube setting with faceted gemstones: white topaz, red garnet, and blue sapphire.

Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Celebration!

I'm having a sterling silver stacking ring celebration! 9 sterling silver stacking rings for $45 plus free shipping to the U.S. and Canada. I love hammering out these little rings.

Do you want to know how I make these rings? Here's instructions on how to make sterling silver stackable rings!

Materials Needed:
16 gauge sterling silver round wire, half-hard
blow torch, propane or butane
fire brick or soldering pad
jewelry pickle (see my organic pickle recipe) in a crockpot
jewelry tumbler with steel shot and ivory soap chips
silversmith's anvil
silversmith's hammer
steel ring mandrel
jeweler's file
400 grit sandpaper
600 grit sandpaper
jeweler's cutting pliers or jeweler's saw
hard silver solder (you can use sheet, wire, or paste. i'm using sheet solder)
flux
copper tongs

Instructions:
1. With the cutting pliers, cut the length of sterling silver 1-2 sizes smaller for the ring size you want using a ring sizing chart.
2. File the ends of the wire with the jeweler's file.
3. Bring the ends together to form a circle.
4. cut a silver solder chip and put it underneath the ring.
5. spray the flux on the ring or dab flux on using a paintbrush
6. Heat ring with a blowtorch in a circular motion.
7. Wait for ring to cool, then put in hot pickle.
8. Once ring is shiny again, take it out of the pickle using copper tongs. You must use copper, not any other metal tongs, for this.
9. Sand or file any rough edges.
10. Hammer the ring on the anvil horn to get a rough shape
11. Hammer the ring on the ring mandrel to get the size
12. Lay the ring flat on the anvil. Tap it gentle to make sure that it is straight when it lies flat. This is called "trueing" the ring.
13. Put the ring in the jewelry tumbler half full of water and add ivory soap flakes. Tumble for a half hour.

Your ring is done!