First attempt at working with gold

For as far back as I can remember I have always preferred silver to gold, even as a small child when I was aloud to pick out a necklace or ring to wear from my grandmothers jewellery box, I would always pick out the silver pieces. Gold was yellow and I did not like yellow, simple as that, well until recently that is.....

Gold Body-Chain from the Hoxne Hoard in the British Museum

I blame all the recent trips to the Museum's that I have been to! Seeing all the ancient jewelry, the history, the story's behind the pieces and the pieces them selves, so much gold and all so intriguing! How could you not LOVE this Roman body chain with it's garnets, beautifully created shape and it even has a coin on the back.....

Back Join Comprises of a Gold Coin of Emperor Gratian (AD 367-383) 

And just look at this stunning gold bangle, the colours, the stones, the shapes,  just amazing....

In the collection of the British Museum

All of this exposure to this amazing gold jewellery got me thinking, I would quiet like to have a play with some gold, to see what I could create. The most unactractive thing about gold is the price, oh wow the price! So I wanted a design that would not require much gold, light bulb moment, prong studs!

9ct Gold Wire, Ear Pins and Butterfly Backs

6 inches of 0.8mm 9ct gold wire, 6 ear pins and 6 butterfly backs later and I was well on my way to making my first pair of gold earrings. Making them was pretty much the same as making them in silver although there is the slight fear at the back of your mind of how much the gold cost if you mess it up, which of course I did!!!

Prongs Soldered and Shaped

I managed to slightly melt some of the gold, but luckly not too much that I could not use it! One of the things I did notice about the diffrence between working with silver and gold was that after soldering the silver is very soft and pliable where as the gold was still rather stiff and much harder to bend over the stones.

Finished Gold Studs

I have now made these earrings in gold and silver and I suprisingly like the gold ones more! The colour seems less harsh and it seems to suit the stones mores. Which do you prefer?

Gold Studs Compared to Silver Studs

As much as I love the gold studs I don't see myself work with much gold in the future, the prices is just way too high and if you think soldering is scary, try soldering with gold, I was so worried about melting it that I held my breath the entire time! Still now I have decided that I quiet like gold I may well try some mixed gold/silver pieces maybe even some Keum-boo. As always the best thing about trying some thing new is the places that it may lead! Have a great day.

Niky Sayers Artisan Jewellery

Simple Soldered Prong Set Earrings

Some times simple really is best, so I thought I would show you how to make a pair of simple prong set earrings.

Tiny Prong Set Moonstones

You will need:

Something to prong set (I have used rough tourmaline)
Sterling silver wire 20 gauge
Sterling silver ready made earring posts
Sterling silver butterfly earring backs
Wire cutters
Hammer and anvil
Safety glasses and apron
Solder block
Easy solder paste
Pickle
Brass brush
Reverse action tweezers
Gas torch
Flat nose pliers
Flat file
4 way nail buffer

Materials needed

Choose what you wish to set, here I have used rough tourmaline, but you can use what ever you please, but you do need to make sure that what you use is strong enough. Measure and cut your wire so that it is about 3 times the length of what you wish to set. You will need 4 pieces per pair of earrings.

Hammer flat

Lay two wires on your anvil so that they cross in the middle, then give them a tap with the hammer. The idea is to form little groves in the wire so they lay flat while you solder them together. It is important that they stay clean so that the solder flows so I normally give them a little rub on the ridge file on a nail buffer and then place them on the soldering block.

preparing to solder

Once on the soldering block, make sure you are all dressed up in your wonderful safety goggles and apron, then add a small blob of easy solder onto the hammered area. Using your reverse action tweezers grip the ready made earring post and prop it on the area you just applied the solder to. Take time to make sure that it is all positioned correctly (I use a coin to hold the tweezers in place). Solder carefully so that you don't melt the thin wires!

Prongs made

After soldering quench and pickle and then repeat to make the other earring. When both are made rinse and brush over with a brass brush. Using you stone as a guide and the pliers to do so, bend up the prongs so that the stone fits snugly into the prongs (not too tight you don't want to put too much pressure on the stone and risk breaking it).

Measuring the prongs

With your stone in place trim your wires so that are just long enough to curve over the top of your stone. Take your time to do this is is better to leave them a little long and have to re-trim them then cut off to much and not be able to set the stone! When you are confident you have the right amount of wire left, using your flat file, file the ends flat so that they will be nice and neat.

Prong set tourmaline earrings

Use the flat nose pliers to squeeze the prongs over your stone, do this very slowly and very gently, a little at a time, until you are sure that the stone is held firm and will not come out. Then I use my nail buffer to buff over the earrings and give them a beautiful shine. Simple as that!

Niky Sayers
Silver NikNats

Happy Dancing!

I have to tell you as a seed beader I am totally happy dancing!  There are some exciting new beads that have either hit the market or are hitting the market in the past year.

You have seen me use gumdrops, spikes and studs like these......

But now there are even smaller and sweeter 8mm Studs like these....

 

You know I love my twins and superduos.....

Now thanks to Starman Inc. and Nicole Starman there are two hole lentils, squares, bricks, daggers and now triangles!!!  Yes I said triangles!  I have been eagerly anticipating and they are finally coming out in February!!

I think I have a bit of addiction to these two hole beauties!!!  They are an amazing addition to seedbeading to add texture and fun.  Now lets just hope for a big lottery win because you know I want them all!!!!!

What is exciting you in beading?

Kristen