Lieder, j.: Making it new.

As I have said before jewelry is very personal for people. For many reasons we adorn ourselves and attach strong emotions to even the smallest objects. This project is about taking the meaning from one piece and transforming it into something new. This customer had a diamond from an old wedding ring that needed to be taken to a new level. Here is what happened.

This is the old wedding ring with the diamond removed from the setting. The stone was a good size, just under one carat. There are two other smaller diamonds that are not pictured here.

After the design idea was established with the customer, the first step is to chop off a big enough piece of wax to carve the ring out of. This tube of ring wax is marked with a pair of steel dividers.

The wax has to be cut evenly so the cuts are made evenly, all the way around the tube rather than just sawing straight through.

Once a piece is cut, the basic shape of the ring is scribed onto the wax. This drawing will serve as a guide while the excess material is being carved away.

Wax carving is all about removing material. The ring lies inside the wax and all that needs to be done is remove what's not needed. This small file is used to cut away wax right up to the line in the drawing.

The file in this picture is relatively large and removes a lot of wax very quickly.

The ring is carve according to different dimensions. After the ring is cut according to the first drawing the ring is stepped down in a different direction.

Through out the process the wax is checked against the stones to make sure everything fits just right. This will be the shape that holds the stones in place after all.

After most of the ring is shaped it's time to drill the holes for the stones to sit. A small drill bit is used to cut the initial holes.

Here a steel setting bur, one the same size as the diamond, is used to cut a more exact hole.

Looks like the stone fit just right.

As one of the last steps the settings are filled down to allow the diamonds to be visible from the sides. The customer wanted to really showcase her diamonds, this is one way to allow more light to move through the stones.

The ring is just about ready to be cast in 18k gold. Hand carved waxes tend to look a little bulky. This is because some material must be left to ensure there is enough metal after the casting and cleaning process to allow for a secure setting. It's much easier to remove metal than it is to add it.

Here is the ring right after it comes back from the casters. It is 18k gold and actually has a really unique texture and color on it that is the result of the casting process.

First the left over sprue, or tube where molten metal enters the mold, is removed with a jewelers saw.

Here the piece has just been stamped 18k.

Small rubber wheels that are impregnated with abrasive material are used to clean up the casting and smooth out all the lines.

Even though "seats" were already cut in the wax, they must be re-cut and cleaned up before the final setting.

Here the diamonds are being hammer set using a chasing hammer and a very small, polished steel chasing tool that pushes metal over just the edge of the diamond to hold it securely in place. The hammering cause the metal to "grab" the stone and keep it from falling out.

Here a steel hand tool is being used to push the metal into place. This process can be quite difficult. The are many factors that play into a successful stone setting and all must be paid attention to when a mistake can break a stone and cost thousands of dollars.