Project Galaxy Ruby Rings.
My parents Ruby wedding anniversary was looming. I hadn’t made that many pieces of jewellery yet, so I knew they really weren’t expecting anything like this! I was fairly sure my mother would wear her ring, and I was equally sure my dad wouldn’t, he’s just not a jewellery type of fella. So freed from the shackles of practicality I decided to make this ring showy and kind of flamboyant.
I’d drawn a few designs and I had an idea what it should look like but I didn’t want to leave myself short of metal to play with. After all it was an all new design, hence the ring started off weighing a whole ounce! The shape was refined enough to locate a centre point where the ruby would be set. I always drill the stone hole first, constantly offering the stone up to the hole to check the fit then removing some more metal. Then check with the stone again until it fits perfectly.
Then began the mammoth task of removing the metal to reveal the design. This is done using a pendant drill and various burrs (tiny steel tools with teeth, very like the ones used by a dentist). Just like with a dentist, removing too much can be very painful!
Setting the Ruby.
The stone was set into the ring at the last possible moment so it doesn’t get scratched or chipped by a file or burr. Done this before unfortunately, again, very painful!
It was a real challenge trying to get a mirror polish on the inside edge of the spiral, a combination of burnisher and soft wool pendant drill mop got the job done. Its difficult to stop sometimes, repeatedly going round the ring polishing it. By the time you get back to where you started your fingerprints are all over it again so you go round again for good measure…and again.
There is a special moment during the making of things like this. It’s when the polishing begins, the scratches and marks from files are removed. The polishing mop just takes off that last fine layer of metal to reveal a perfect white glowing mirror finish. I think that’s when something stops being a job and becomes a piece. In that instant transforming from idea and rough design, to wow, this might actually look all right!
Grapes! 😐
… Turns out my dad does wear this ring, so at least I’ll get to see them once in a while when they come back for a polish up… No, I don’t polish my parents, a dust off is usually all that’s needed there! 😀