Etched Silver and Colorado Diamond Necklace Project Download

Description

A tribute to a particular stone that can readily be adapted to suit your needs.

Skills: Etching metal, Sawing etched metal, Bezel setting tiny, irregular stones, Pick soldering, using hard solder exclusively

Materials Needed to Complete this Project:

• 2"x5½" sheet of 18-gauge etched sterling silver
• 14 small faceted Kelsey Lake diamonds 1.9mm to 3.3mm, weighing about 0.57 carats total weight
• 2 small raw Kelsey Lake diamond crystals
• 10" 2mm fi ne silver bezel wire
• 10" hard solder in wire form, hammered fl at, cut down the center and snipped into tiny chips
• Dozens of 18- to 20-gauge jump rings from 2.5mm inner diameter down to 1mm ID
• 14 12-gauge half round sterling silver oval jump rings
• 10" of sterling silver chain, clasp and catch

Tools Needed to Complete this Project:

• FABRICATION:
  • Ventilation for close-up soldering or a double canister face mask
  • Magnification
  • Safety glasses
  • Cool Tools fat triangle template
  • Black fine point Sharpie
  • Red permanent marker
  • Alcohol swabs 
  • Metal scribe
  • Jeweler’s saw
  • A dozen 4/0 blades and blade lubrication
  • Jeweler’s file and sanding sticks
  • Hallmark stamps
  • Chasing hammer and bench block
  • Blue painter’s masking tape
  • Dapping tool set
  • Non-marring mallet and brass mallet
  • Jump ring mandrels
  • Flexible shaft and handpiece
  • ¾" Moore’s sanding disks medium to XX fine grit and mandrel
• STONE SETTING:
  • Carpenter’s drill bits set
  • Jeweler’s drill bits
  • Bench vise
  • Metal shears 
  • Flush cutters
  • Round-nose pliers
  • Two pairs of chain-nose pliers 
  • Setting burs
  • Bezel burnisher and blue polishing points
  • Sticky wax for picking up small diamonds
• SOLDERING:
  • Setup for air/acetylene Smith Silversmith torch with #00 and #0 tips
  • Soft Solderite board
  • Prip’s flux yellow ochre solder stop
  • Soldering pick
  • Pickle
  • Tongs and quench
• FINISHING:
  • Bench polisher with narrow 4" buff and Fabuluster
  • Toothbrush and hot, soapy water
  • Plastic gloves
  • Micro super fine brushes
  • Midas Black Max
  • Shot-filled tumbler and tumbling compound

Originally Published: Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, September/October 2017