A Before and After

[Steel and Stone]

Here is one of the Brazilian geode cabs I posted a week ago all nestled in it's new silver home.



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[Lavenderfish]

Oh that was my favorite stone out of the curvaceous ones you posted together and look at her now all dressed up!  8) As always, you've made her even more beautiful! I love the irregular shapes of your settings. You really do a great job of balancing the piece at the same time and that's not always easy to do.

Is the accent cab a hematite?

I've also been meaning to ask you if you made the chain too? It looks like one that's been handmade.

[Steel and Stone]

Carol,

Thank you as usual, Yes the accent is Hematite.
As for the chain, no I did not make that. I just bought it from Rio.

If I get a chance I will take a picture of my Super Engineered High Tech Top Secret Balancing Tool.  ;D

Give me a few Moments to Get it out of the safe.

[seth]

Very nice work. I am not much on dyed agate but that really looks good in the setting. Do you mount stones and do silver work on just your own cabs?

[Steel and Stone]

Ok  here ya go

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High Tech Reengineered Tweezers


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[Steel and Stone]

Very nice work. I am not much on dyed agate but that really looks good in the setting. Do you mount stones and do silver work on just your own cabs?

Seth,

We actually do set other peoples stones. A lot of them are from the women Carla works with. They will go on vacation and some how always come back with tumbled stones from the souvenir shops. We have also designed a few pieces for individuals for  special occasions (Birthdays, Gifts, ect)

[Lavenderfish]

ROFL!! And a fine sense of humor to "polish" it off with I see....hee hee

[Taogem]

Been waiting to see how that group of agates turned out once you got them set.

Like usual, outstanding !

I have another question for ya...

Are you more partial to beveling your stones top edges, or rounded edges?

[Steel and Stone]

George,

It all depends on the stone I'm working which also makes a difference on the shape I end up cutting. If I know the material is hard enough that I can do sharp points or shapes that will not break during the whole process then I may leave a more beveled edge on them.

Softer stones I normally will round the edges on them. It also depends on what kind of setting I think I'm going to do.

Some slabs I have are just too thin to do a traditional dome / bevel edge shape. The geode slices were thin and basically just have the sharpness taken off the edge and smoothed.

[Taogem]

I thought those would be what determined it for most people too. At least for those like yourself who know ahead of time exactly what type of setting design your going to be working with.

I try to promote the idea to designers how nice it is to work with a lapidary that can shape gemstones to suit their specific needs.

These are guidelines that too should be incorporating into their design requests. The hardness of the mineral, sharp cornered settings, etc...

I bevel almost everything that I place in my store. What would be ideal is to leave that part of the stone unfinished and communicate with the buyer to decide on the best route to go in regards to finishing the edges.

Talking with them about their potential setting designs and consider the best edging.

Just not sure that people are so willing to even take the time to work out these details. I am a bit afraid that they would just move on rather than take the time to talk about it.

Thinking about trying it though. Make a special category with cabs that do not have the edges finished and see if people are willing to take the same type of guidelines as you suggest and communicate that to me so that I can provide them with the very best beveled/rounded or what ever edged cabs.

[theimage1]

Beautiful work. Nice design for the stone. Look for a very small care package in the mail in the next few days. Have fun!

[Steel and Stone]

Beautiful work. Nice design for the stone. Look for a very small care package in the mail in the next few days. Have fun!

Ron,

Got the goodies on Saturday, and cannot thank you enough. I will be sure to post some pics as soon as I get them done.
Once again thank you very much!

[Steel and Stone]

I thought those would be what determined it for most people too. At least for those like yourself who know ahead of time exactly what type of setting design your going to be working with.

I have to be honest here in saying I really don't know what I'm doing until I do it. I have never been able to sketch a design for anything I do whether jewelry or the metal artwork I do. I can draw out and plan and  blueprints for a table, shed, building,  or a jig for a concrete countertop but as far a sitting down and saying I'm going to draw out a jewelry design and make it  ;D :o there  is just is no way.
I'm just not that kind of artist. I don't know if it is just my lack of actual schooling in art or the fact I like flying by the seat of my pants.
Carla and I were working in the shop the other day and I'm in the middle of making a piece and she looks over and says "You Suck".
I go "What?" she asks me "How did you think of that?" and had to answer "I dunno" It seems to happen. Trust me I'm not bragging at all because I have a lot to learn in silversmithing and jewelry design. I think my approach to how I do my designs is one of the reasons they come out the way they do; that and my attention span for making the same cab shape or jewelry design is about "0". I get board in the flip of a coin and am always looking for something new to do.

Did not mean to get long winded here but the fact remains and my main point is a lot of silversmiths do not cut cabs and vise a versa. So don't be afraid of cutting some off the wall cabs, try "faceting" the dome of the cab and see what happens. I don't think a lot of silversmiths even know some of the possibilities that you can create for them with a truly one of a kind cab.

Ok I'm done ranting and rambling for now.  :)

[Lavenderfish]

that and my attention span for making the same cab shape or jewelry design is about "0". I get board in the flip of a coin and am always looking for something new to do.
[/quote]

This is a great topic. How each person approachs their work as an artist.

Boy does what you said sound familiar! What my husband refers to as "the attention span of a gnat".  I discovered I can draw when I started making jewelry. But, always wind up deviating from a sketch anyway when it comes to actually making the piece cause either something goes wrong (like an unexpected fracture in the stone) and calls for Plan B or it just didn't translate as well into reality from pencil & paper.

I have a hard time repeating things too because it's not challenging or aggravating enough LOL which is why there's no true congruency among my pieces. I'm an experimenter (go figure, I do lab research for a living) and so like you, am always more interested in coming up with novel ideas. Both a curse and a blessing!

So from one gnat to another, keep on "flying" by the seat of your pants Phil cause it's working GREAT for ya!!  ;D

[Steel and Stone]

That's funny Carol,

I can fix and build just about anything anyone throws at me especially my boss. I can draw geometrical stuff like house plans, Mechanical drawings, and the like; but ask me to draw a sketch of a deer, or a designs idea thats in my head, or Hell a stickman for that matter and get ready to roll on the floor.  Glad to see I'm not the only "Flyer" out there. That's probably why I like your stuff so much.

[Taogem]

Carla and I were working in the shop the other day and I'm in the middle of making a piece and she looks over and says "You Suck".

 ;D ;D Too funny..

I completely understand everything your saying.

We have commented before on this forum about one of the advantages of "freeform" cabbing is exactly what your describing. Thats why it is called freeform.

As compared to when I get a request for specific dimensions, where I am making a cab to spec.

I have absolutely no room or experience to speak from, except can certainly comment on my long term jewelry making goals when I say that we as cabbers have the HUGE advantage of creating "by the seat of our pant" from start to finish if we also have the tools and knowledge to create the actual jewelry piece as well.

I am quite sure that for the most part, I expect fully to be freeforming my way through the cab design right up to and including the designing of the jewelry piece once I get going with it.

Although I do sketch out. Especially for some of the multi piece cabs sets. Even then, there are times when I will alter the design slightly at times when I get to the bench.

[Taogem]

Ok  here ya go

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High Tech Reengineered Tweezers

Wanted to bring this to the forefront again. For those of us just starting out, it may not be high tech, but it is important in finding the right spot to solder our bails on.

Thanks again for showing this one Phil

[Steel and Stone]

Wanted to bring this to the forefront again. For those of us just starting out, it may not be high tech, but it is important in finding the right spot to solder our bails on.

Thanks again for showing this one Phil

My pleasure, soon I should back in busines, thank god it's about time.

[Bluesssman]

This has been a great thread!

Question one... when I copy you tools for finding balance point, will I be required to keep them in a locked safe?

Guess I only had one question...

I too can not draw a jewelry design to save my life! I can sketch out hot rod designs, bike designs and other such things, but the jewelry stuff just does not come out of the end of the pencil. I even tried using a pen just incase it was the fault of the pencil but to no avail! With the jewelry, it just seems to evolve as I try to make something. So it is nice to read others go through the same thing!!

Gary

[Taogem]

It helps me to look at another designers pieces like Phils and others. I don't like to actually copy, but it makes it easier for my pencil to get started.

I always seem to start out with straight rulers and protractors. Can't seem to get out of the straight line mode !

Once my straight and squared off design is on paper, I start to round things off a bit and add gradual curves and things..

[Steel and Stone]

This has been a great thread!

Question one... when I copy you tools for finding balance point, will I be required to keep them in a locked safe?

Guess I only had one question...



Gary

Gary that would be much appreciated.
You know how hard it is to keep this stuff under wraps.   ;D

[stonesthatrock]

that is very beautiful and blue and silver are my favorite. i can only dream of being able to make such nice stuff.

[rocknut]

Excellent design; stone and silver integration which brought it all together to an exceptional piece of jewelry.