Large size wedding bands

Well my son is getting married and they want to buy a wedding band in
8mm, comfort fit, size 13, 14K. The jewelry store can get 6 mm but
not 8. I would be glad to make it if I knew a source for comfort fit,
8mm, 14k wire. Or a source for large size wedding bands would work
too. I had a request for gold wedding bands ten years ago and I told
them to just go to the jewelry store and buy them, I only wanted to do
challenging projects…well now its my son and it’s all so different.

Why don’t you just carve it out of wax and cast it?

Daniel R. Spirer, GG

Hi, Theirs a supplier in the U.K. which carries a large range of
wedding rings; www.cooksongroup.co.uk/preciousmetals if your having
no luck try these. Regards Andrew

Hello Coit! (right name?)

A good wax carver can carve that band in less than an hour. It can
then be finished in less than an hour. It could be rolled in a mill
(pour an ingot) and finished in roughly the same amount of time. It
doesn’t sound like you have a mill or casting? Maybe the challenge of
this project is not the complexity of the project; but which way you
choose to do it (have it done)? and how fast you can do it. There is
always a challenge, no matter how simple the job. Test your
efficiency! Tim

You might want to try another Jewelry store that has access to a few
more suppliers. There are tons of wedding band specialists out there.
Hoover and Strong might be a good bet as they manufacture LOTS of
different bands and can also supply gold mill materials. If not a
’comfort fit’ style stock, then something standard that’s heavy enough
for you to form the band and then contour the curves with a file.
Another option for do it yourself is to carve out a wax model. If you
own one of the Matt wax lathes, it’s a cinch.

Good luck!
Jane Armstrong

Personally, I’d start with 8x2mm flat stock and file the inside and
outside curves after forming the band and soldering it. Rick Hamilton

Gold and Platinumsmithing
CAD/CAM
Jewelry Photography

If you were in a really tight spot for equipment, you could get some
round brass rod from the hardware store, about 3/16 dia. Hammer it
slightly flat, bend it around in a ring and refine the shape with a
file. Then with a piece of cuttle bone from the pet product
department and a couple tiny pebbles for locators ( I like “B-B’s"
like from a BB-gun), make a two piece mold, press your brass ring
into it, cut a gate and vents, and cast it! I bet this could be done
in a hour too, except you’d have a bit more gold filings since the
casting would be somewhat rough. Remeber the scene near the end of
"Shindlers list” where they melt down the guys gold tooth into a ring
for Shindler?