pugdog
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Jan 30, 2005, 6:29 PM
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Wire Wrapped Watermelon Tourmaline
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This is a pair of unmatched watermelon tourmaline earrings.
The slices were approximately the same gram weight, but thickness and size were different. Part of the issue, was to make the earrings appear about the same size, even though the slabs were different sizes.
As you can see, that was pretty well accomplished. When you look at them in your hands, they appear fairly balanced, more so than the photo shows. Part of the means was to leave more open space around the smaller slab, which also gave it a slightly heavier caged look for some reason. It's thickness was uneven, which is why the cage appears distorted. The lower right is thicker than the upper region.
Being a very soft material, it was not possible to use the slabs to bend the cages, as you could with an agate, so the bends had to be done and matched against the slabs, which took a lot more time. Also, there was an internal flaw in one slab, that made me worry if I stressed even a little, in the wrong way, it would snap.
Once the cages were made, the bending of the retaining wires also created a problem, because they had to be mostly bent with the slab out of the cage, and in such a way that once the slab was re-inserted, they could be snugged up.
Not easy, and not something I look forward to again.
Though, I did learn a few things from this attempt that might make it easier the next time. One thing is I really would make a wood or fimo dummy to work around. I'd leave just a fraction more room than I did the last time. The dummy could get cracked or chipped, without being a problem, and it would make working around the form simpler. The outer framing wire would also fit more snugly, if a dummy was made.
PUGDOG's Rock & Bead Shop
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(This post was edited by pugdog on Jan 30, 2005, 6:42 PM)
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