Silversmithing - Christmas rest.

We have finished our first term of silversmithing and I have loved it! My stone set ring is complete and I now have a new shiny, swirly ring. My only worry is that I might run out of fingers for all theses rings!

The swirl ring was adapted from a book. I wanted something quick to do so it would be complete before the last lesson so this was simple enough. We didn't have any wire of the thickness the book suggested so I improvised and soldered two lengths together to get a wider piece. I then filed both ends slightly as this apparently helps to get a better spiral. Then using round nose pliers I bent the ends round and then shaped the ring on a mandrel. I then bent the spirals into position and soldered the join. Out came the mandrel to shape the ring again, a few tweaks of my spirals and then I got to use a polishing machine and jeweller's rouge which made my ring go super shiny and was so much quicker and easier than polishing by hand!

Over Christmas I need to get some ideas together for my next projects, the world is my silver oyster!