Hi - I’ve been asked to make a pair of wedding rings with white
stone inlaid into runes (ancient Viking letters). Never having
done this before, I would appreciate any advice y’all can offer.
The rings will be a band of sterling silver, pierced with the rune
shapes, overlaid on a band of 18k gold. Since the lines of the
runes will be pretty narrow, I was thinking that crushed stone
(opal) and epoxy would be the way to go. Is there anything I
should look out for, any tips on how to go about this? Thanks! ~kara
Hi - I’ve been asked to make a pair of wedding rings with white
stone inlaid into runes
Hi Kara, It would really depend on how profesional you want the
rings to look, and how much the customer is willing to pay. Inlayed
stone usually looks much better than chip inlay unless your going
for that “cheap indian jewelry look”. ( please no offense to any
one who makes indian jewelry) If I remmember correctly runes don’t
use curved lines so it would be pretty easy for a profesional stone
cutter to inlay white stone even if it is thin. I no longer do work
of this type but I still know a few people who do. If you can not
find anyone in your area let me know and I can put you in contact
with somone who can help.
HTH
Jason Penn
Jason Penn Designs
Your source for custom stone cutting
(520)792-2825
Kara, You might consider using a heat curing epoxy resin such as
Durenamel which is available from Rio Grande (800-545-6566).
Joel Nyack, NY
http://www.schwalbstudio.com
Kara- You might consider using ivory for the inlay. It’s
tougher than opal, but also softer - and easily carved to shape.
You could profile the letters on an old piano key (or a similar
piece of very thin ivory) and then cut them out with a jeweler’s
saw. If you press them into the wax mold of the ring before you
cast, it should be a simple matter to clean up the lettering
impressions on the silver, and then epoxy the ivory pieces into
place. -Pete- Peter B. Steiner @Peter_B_Steiner Buffalo,
New York, (NorthEast, Near the Great Lakes) USA
If you press them into the wax mold of the ring before you cast, it should be a simple matter to clean up the lettering impressions on the silver, and then epoxy the ivory pieces into place.
Great idea!
But why use epoxy? Press the ivory/stone a little deeper (to
provide metal for a bezel) & bezel set the ivory/stone? Just a
thought.
Dave
Kara,
There isn’t much contemporary ivory available on the market,
since import was banned in 1972. At the present time, however,
all elephant ivory within the United States is considered to be
here legally - and may be bought and sold without restriction.
The best place to find it is in antique stores (old piano keys,
letter openers, etc.) I know a gentleman here in New York who
buys entire tusks at estate sales, and then cuts them into
replacement grips for old firearms. Every once in a while he has
a few scraps for sale, which are too small to be used for gun
handles, but which make wonderful jewelry stock. Another popular
option is to use “fossil” ivories, such as Mammoth, Mastadon, and
Walrus - all of which are found in surprising quantities
preserved in the permafrost in Alaska, Northern Canada, and
Siberia. There are no international trade restrictions on fossil
ivory.
Hi Kara: If you go to Antique shops and Antique Malls you should
be able to find Ivory, I just sold a beautiful pieces for $50.00
and it was a nice bangle with a wonderful polychrome finish.
There is more older ivory around that people think, the general
public doesn’t like it much, I get pieces and never find anyone
beating down my door to buy it. So check out the the above and
also flea markets. Sincerely Chris http://www.tace.com/glitters
Hi Kara: If you go to Antique shops and Antique Malls you should
be able to find Ivory, I just sold a beautiful pieces for $50.00
and it was a nice bangle with a wonderful polychrome finish.
There is more older ivory around that people think, the general
public doesn’t like it much, I get pieces and never find anyone
beating down my door to buy it. So check out the the above and
also flea markets. Sincerely Chris http://www.tace.com/glitters
Now this is very interesting.
I recently found a junked piano in a rubbish dump and took all the
white keys off it - the black had already gone - and soaked them in
water to remove the ivory veneer, which I have subsequently used in
a range of pieces. In selling them, I prominently display a sign
which explains where the material comes from and suddenly it has a
story, something that people can discuss with their friends. I’ve
only had two or three ‘complaints’ from people who would rather
that the material had been scrapped and not recycled.
Maybe you should use the fact of the ivory being recycled as a
selling point, rather than the ivory itself.
Yours aye,
Dauvit Alexander,
Glasgow, Scotland.