Want to make my own engagment ring ?
Q.So I have been researching what it would take to make my own engagement ring and am learning where the lines need to be drawn regarding my involvement. Basically, I no longer hold the notion in my head that I will be able to walk away from my work bench in my garage with a platinum ring, ready to drop a stone into! So what I am seeking from this ng is advice on where to draw the line with my efforts and take it to the appropriate jeweler to finish it off? Starting from the stone on down...I own the stone. It's a 1.85 diamond. I assume I a 6-prong setting is the way to go? I also assume that settings of this type are an item that one purchases and a jeweller "fastens" it to the finished ring as part of the setting process?
A.I would advise you to first find the right jeweller who is willing to work with you. If you simply turn up with a model there may be any number of weakness/lack of useability points that a good goldsmith will be very aware of. Working with the goldsmith from the start should end up with a design that is similar to the idea in your mind but has the smith's experience in the final design. Ummm. Well, I would not have picked such an important project for a first effort. The first thing is to find a jeweler who will cast your ring, and find out what their requirements might be. You will need to carve your original in wax, it will be cast from this model and will need to be EXACTLY like you want the ring to look when finished. If they are open to helping you, they may be able to provide a wax tube for you to carve. You will also need a heat source, some needle files and a set of dental tools. (There is a lot of crossover technology between dental and jewelry casting) They should also provide you with the actual setting that will be used to hold the stone, as this will need to be accurately worked in to the design.Expect to pay for this item up front, they are not inexpensive. I highly recommend you use a good (really good) millimeter gauge as you work. Check for symmetry often, your eye will pick up as little as a tenth of a millimeter difference in the finished ring, but it wont be nearly so noticeable in wax. Draw out your design, and decide exactly where to place design elements. It can help to make a paper tube the size of her finger, then snip it and lay it flat to give you an idea of how much area you have to work with. If you rub pencil thickly on the underside of this paper and then tape it to your wax tube you can transfer the design onto the wax (sort of like carbon paper). You have really chosen a difficult project, wax carving is loads of fun and very creatively fulfilling, but it takes some practice to get good at it. Beginners tend to make their waxes very heavy, the wax is light in weight and translucent, the platinum will be heavy and solid. It might help to take a ring of similar design and measure it with your really good gauge (to a tenth of a millimeter!) , and try to keep these dimensions as you work. Good luck, and don't be afraid to turn it over to an expert if you find it is not working. It is not as easy as it sounds. Really.
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