I have a customer with a 3 mm platinum band with a large diamond on
it. It keeps turning on her finger. Someone suggested “speed
bumps”… two small beads inside the band to keep it from turning.
They said it would be easier for her to get it on and off. I have
never heard of this… Any comments? Are two beads enough.
thanks
Joe Kilpatrick
Expressions With Metal
@jeweler
www.expressionswithmetal.com
Have used this many times. It works well as it creates just enough
friction to help keep the ring from constantly flipping. 1.5- - 1.75
mm balls are usually sufficient. Countersink them slightly (it will
also help position them) with a ball bur They should be positioned at
@ 8 and 4 o:clock. Too large of ball will change the finger size.
Joe,
Sizing balls or beads as some call them, is a common way to take out
a bit of slack in a ring the has a very heavy crown. 3mm would be
pretty small but if the ring is already snug they should be fine. If
it remains sloppy, try 4mm. Simply heat a small lump of scrap into a
ball and solder it on to one side of bottom center…do the same on
the other side. Works wonders,
Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut2
Joe, This is the first time I have heard the term “speed bumps” in
this context. Any way, these do work for most people. Take some 2mm
platinum wire and cut two 2mm long pieces, with your torch bead them
into spheres and then fuse them to the inside of the shank at the 5 &
7 oclock positions.
Joel Schwalb
@Joel_Schwalb
www.schwalbstudio.com
Yes, “speed bumps” do work. They are also very good for those with
large arthritic knuckles… Just slide the knuckle between the two
bumps and then twist the ring around to the usual position.
Tom Nesbitt
@Tom_Nesbitt.
Speed bumps…Shots…Beads…ect. They can be useful to help keep a
ring from turning. Usually positioned @ 5&7 o’clock.
For the most part I don’t find them useful for arthritic hands
because the knuckle is usually much larger than the finger. Since the
ring must be able to fit over the knuckle with the “Shots” in there.
That means the ring must be larger still to accomodate the room the
shots take up.
Another consideration is that you will contaminate the platinum if
you solder in the shots. I did notice one post that mentions fusing
plat beads…a difficult job inside a 3mm band that has stones. I
would suggest soldering in platinum beads with either 900Plat plumb
solder from PMWest or use as little as possible of white gold solder.
The cautions are consideration for future sizing needs…Should you
need to weld the ring in the future. A tiny amount of white gold
solder could be easily ground out. I do not suggest counter sinking
the beads in any material since many customers want the shots removed
down the road and/or the same considerations for future resizings
always exists.
Mark