Posts

Description: Custom made, oval claw-prong, open gallery engagement ring, with a knife edge shank. Literally perfect.

Materials used: 2 carat oval lab-grown diamond. VS1 clarity, D color, ideal cut. Recycled 18K yellow gold.

An “open gallery” style solitaire is one that does not have a gallery rail between the prongs. The point of this is to have as much of the stone visible as possible. One might wonder about the structural integrity of a ring design without a gallery rail. That is a fair concern, so to make sure that the ring still has a lot of structural integrity, this ring was designed with thicker and more substantial prongs. If you are going to remove the gallery rail, it’s best to have a substantial amount of metal holding the stone in.

“Knife edge” shanks create a stunning visual. The ring is tapered to a point in the middle, creating the illusion of narrow ring. This also creates a beautiful line down the middle, which runs all the way around the ring.

While the knife edge shank may appear thin, there is actually a decent amount of depth designed into the ring. This creates a solid foundation while still achieving a minimalist look.

To inquire or learn more about custom jewelry projects, please visit our custom orders page.

By 1 Comment

I recently posted this video on my YouTube channel (subscribe here!) showing the process of making a bezel setting from scratch.

The video does not have any words or instructions, so I created this post to go into more detail on how to complete this kind of project from start to finish!

STEP 1: MELT GOLD

Making a bezel from scratch will require some initial gold to work with.

In this case I ended up using some gold stock because it was what I had on hand. Casting and rolling grain is also commonly used to begin with.

To bring gold to a flowing temperature, a melting torch is the preferred tool of choice.

A melting torch can generate heat a lot quicker than the standard mini torch commonly used for ring soldering.

The gold is placed in the crucible and the flame is applied directly to the gold.

I make sure to move the torch in a circular motion to apply equal heat to the entire crucible base.

As the temperature of gold increases, it gradually melts into a single molten ball of gold.

Each type of metal with it’s associated alloy will have different melting temperatures.

In this case, we are working with 14 karat yellow gold, which has a melting temperature of roughly 1550 degrees Fahrenheit.

STEP 2: POUR GOLD INTO INGOT

The melted gold is poured into an ingot mold. This will give the gold the initial shape we are looking for.

To ensure the melted gold flows smoothly into the hole, the ingot mold is prepped with some heat.

Once the gold is brought to melting point in the crucible, it is poured into the ingot mold.

I made sure to follow the gold with my flame as the gold was poured in, as you want to make sure the gold does not cool before the ingot forms.

After the gold has been poured and allowed to cool for a moment, I loosened the nut on the c-clamp and separated the ingot mold.

After separating the mold, you can see if your ingot pour was successful for not.

This pour was successful, however you can see some feathering of the gold at the bottom of the ingot. This was due to me not having the c-clamp tightened as much as it should have been.

The gold feathers were easily clipped off and scrapped to be melted another day.

What’s left is this beautiful, but small, gold ingot!

STEP 3: ROLL OUT GOLD

A rolling mill (pictured above) is the perfect tool for rolling out and flattening gold.

The turn bar at the top increases or decreases the space between the rollers, the crank on the right hand side activates the rolling mill.

I first like to run the gold ingot through the wire side of the rolling mill.

I start off at the lowest gauge and work the gold through the middle.

After the gold goes through one end, it is caught on the other end, rotated and sent back the way it came.

It is always important to keep the end in mind when rolling out gold.

This custom bezel setting is being made for a pear shape turquoise stone.

Once I have rolled out the gold a bit, I will hold it up to the back of the stone to make sure that I have enough length for the base of the bezel.

Once the length of the gold is established, I will then turn the gold horizontally and roll it flat.

This flattens and thus widens the piece of gold.

Flattened gold passes through a rolling mill

The gold is run through the rolling mill a few times while slightly increasing the pressure, thus thinning it out.

Calipers gauging the millimeter thickness of the gold

A millimeter gauge is used to measure the thickness of the gold.

At this point of the project the gold was reading about 2 mm thick, which is thicker than we want for a bezel backing.

STEP 4: ANNEAL THE GOLD

As the gold is worked through the rolling mill, a lot of internal stress is built up and the gold becomes quite hard.

In order to continue rolling the gold without problems, the metal needs to be annealed. This removes the internal stresses of the gold as also softens it up.

measuring the gold thickness with a millimeter gauge.

After the gold is annealed, it is rolled a few more times until it reaches the desired thickness of 1 mm.

The base of a bezel can actually be even thinner than 1mm, but for this particular design, we wanted to go with something slightly on the heavier side.

STEP 5: FORM THE BEZEL WALLS

After the base is completed, the stone is laid flat to ensure it was made big enough.

A previously rolled out piece of gold flat stock will be used to build and shape the bezel walls.

The original flat stock was much thicker than we want for our bezel wall, so it too is rolled out to achieve a thinner profile.

For bezel walls, I like to keep the thickness around 0.30 mm. This way there is more than enough gold to hold the stone securely in place, but is it also thin enough to bend and shape easily. This is often referred to as the bezel strip.

After the bezel wall has been shaped, it’s time to decide the height.

Traditionally you want the bezel height to extend right to the point where the stone starts to curve upwards.

Due to my personal tastes, I decided I wanted this bezel to show more gold rather than more stone, so I left the height alone.

STEP 6: SHAPE THE BEZEL

At this point, the bezel strip is initially bent manually to mimic the form and shape of the stone.

When my fingers aren’t strong enough to create a smooth curve, I will use round nose pliers to help form the curve properly.

To make things easier, I pinch one side of the bezel strip tightly in place on the stone while I bend and form the gold with the other hand.

After the general form of the bezel is complete, I pull the ends of the bezel strip tightly and take note as to where the strip overlaps.

Using some metal snips, I cut the gold in the place where the bezel strip overlaps. If possible, scoring the metal before cutting is an even better way to achieve accurate results.

At this point the bezel strip has been cut down to the exact length we need, but there is still a seam in the strip that will need to be soldered.

To bring the two sides of the bezel strip together, bend both sides back and forth until the gap closes.

Adjust the height of the metal using needle nose pliers. When all is said and done you should have a nice seam ready for soldering.

It is important to make sure that there is no noticeable gap in the seam as that will make it more difficult to solder, as well as change the size of the bezel.

STEP 7: SOLDER THE BEZEL

To solder the bezel closed, rest the bezel and seam on top of a clip of gold solder. Slowly heat up the region until the bezel “drops” and you see the solder flowing up through the seam.

To solder a bezel closed, use hard karat gold solder which will hold up well during the following step.

After the bezel has been soldered together, it is time to solder the bezel to the back plate.

This time we will be using easy karat solder. This ensures that the bezel itself won’t pop open as it flows at a lower temperature than the hard solder.

Follow the same pattern as before, leaving small solder chips at the base where the bezel meets the flat gold.

Another tip is to heat the metal from underneath the gold plate. The reason I did this is because the bezel backing is 1 mm and the bezel wall is only .3 mm. If I were to apply heat to both pieces at the same time, you risk melting the bezel wall that is thinner. By heating the thicker gold first, the heat can then be transferred upwards and flow onto the bezel strip.

STEP 8: CUT AND BLEND

Cutting the excess gold away from the bezel

Using a jewelers saw, cut around the bezel to release all of the excess gold that we wont be needing for the setting.

Cutting the bezel by following the curves

Carefully follow the bezel lines, making sure not to cut into the bezel itself.

Smoothing the junction between the bezel strip and base

After the major bulk has been cut away, use a sanding disc to blend the bezel wall and the bezel backing together.

Keep an eye on the gold as you blend it. Eventually both sides will look seamless!

Bezel base and strip uniformly smoothed out.

Once the bezel has been completely blended, you can add a bail to the top of the pendant.

A bail is made by simply creating a loop with round nose pliers and soldering it to the top of the setting.

STEP 9: SET THE STONE

Once the bezel shape has been formed, it’s time to add the stone.

Slowly work one side of the stone into the bezel to gauge tightness. If you are afraid that the stone might get stuck at a crooked angle, you can use floss or thin string to pull the stone back out.

Once one side of the stone is down and set in place, carefully push down on the opposite side to drop the stone into place.

You shouldn’t have to push too hard to make this happen. If you find that the stone is seeming too large for the bezel, back the stone out and carve away a bit of the gold to make room for the stone.

Once the stone has been dropped into the bezel, make sure that the stone is laying flat inside of the bezel.

You don’t want your stone to look crooked once the stone is tightened!

There are a few ways to tighten up the bezel and thus complete the stone setting.

One of the most popular ways is to use a bezel rocker to push the metal over the stone. These tools are most commonly used with silver cabochon bezel settings.

While those tools work great, when working with gold I often prefer the speed of a small motorized hammering tool.

STEP 10: TIGHTEN THE GOLD

tightening a bezel using a motorized hammer

For this technique, I first hammer the bezel wall at a 45 degree angle to push the gold closer to the stone and fill the gaps between the stone and the bezel wall.

Once I pass over the whole bezel at 45 degrees, I will come at it at a 90 degree angle. This pushes a metal lip over the stone itself, which in turn completely tightens and secures the stone.

A sanding disc removes hammer marks from the bezel

After the bezel has been hammered, use a sanding disk to clean up the marks left behind. Be sure not to touch the stone with your sanding disc.

STEP 11: POLISH AND FINISH

Now that the pendant is completed at the bench, it’s time to move over to the polisher to finish out the piece of jewelry.

I like to use a soft polishing buff to remove all of the sanding marks and bring the piece to a beautiful high polish.

In order to polish up those places that are hard to reach with the polishing wheel, use a small polishing brush to get into those areas.

After polishing, the pendant can be cleaned in the ultrasonic and then steamed.

Depending on the stone that was set, it might be a good idea to not blast steam directly at the stone, rather aim for the bezel itself.

completed bezel pendant with wheat chain

Now that the bezel is complete, it’s time to pair it with a beautiful chain. In this instance we chose a 1.25 mm wheat chain in 14 karat yellow gold.

The project is complete! It is very rewarding to be able to build a bezel from scratch.

The greatest advantage to building a bezel from start to finish is that you are able to shape it specifically for each unique stone.

For all your jewelry related questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

By Leave a Comment

pearl ring with thin 1mm band. — **Handmade 14 karat yellow gold band with small cultured pearl center.**

Recently I custom made this pearl ring with a thin 1mm band.

This thin ring is the very definition of dainty and minimalist.

Looking to create a ring with a thin band? Contact us to learn more.

1mm Band, Too Thin?

1x1 ring in both width and thickness — **1mm all the way around the ring**.

This ring was made with a 1X1 millimeter design.

That means that it is both 1mm wide and 1mm thick.

While it is possible to craft such a delicate ring, it can come with it’s drawbacks.

If you are a person that is extra hard on their rings, then a 1mm option would probably not be the best decision.

1mm is also not recommended for rings with larger stones, or in engagement rings.

2mm pearl on thin gold band. — **A 2mm pearl fixed in the center of the ring with 6 prongs.**

In this particular instance, the 1mm band works quite well.

The center pearl size is only around 2mm in size, so there is virtually no weight to it. The thin band has no trouble supporting the stone.

The 1mm ring is also thin enough that it does a great job conveying that extra delicate look.

Thin Rings With Recycled Gold

At Modern Goldsmith, we source our raw materials from a distributor that has been certified by SCS Global Services.

This means you can have full confidence that the jewelry we make is sourced from 100% recycled metals.

There has already been enough gold, platinum, and palladium mined in our history to allow plenty of excess through recycled alloys.

There’s no reason for us to continue many of the mining practices that not only damage the earth, but also hurt the laborer in the process.

To learn more about our custom process, feel free to visit our customization page.

By Leave a Comment

custom mountain inspired wedding rings — **Custom mountain inspired wedding rings.**

As a custom jewelry designer, I often get the opportunity to create extra meaningful rings.

This project took ‘meaningful’ to the next level by incorporating locations that are incredibly sentimental to the couple.

This extra special location is the mountain ridge-line which overlooks the town in which they live, and the butte down below—the location of their first kiss!

Mountain Inspiration

**Pioneer Peak in Alaska with the butte in front.**

Not only do the rings serve as a reminder of some special moments in their lives, they also serve another purpose.

These rings also signify the love they have for mountain climbing, hiking, and enjoying nature.

Want to work with us on a custom mountain ring (or something else?) Please fill out our customization form!

CAD Renderings

Custom Mountain Ring CAD Rendering — **CAD renderings detail how a ring will look.**

Whenever we design custom rings, we always start in CAD in order to get a feel of how the ring will look like before it is cast in metal.

This allows the client the opportunity to see what the ring will look like and request any changes they might want to see.

Yellow Gold CAD rendering — **CAD renderings can also show different color metals.**

Once the ring design is looking just perfect, the client approves the design and the model is grown in wax and cast in metal.

Ring Casting Before Enamel

After the ring is cast and polished up, it is ready for the finishing touches.

In this case, we will be adding some color to the mountain and butte cutouts to give it some contrast. We will also be adding a finish to remove some of the shininess of the rings.

You can really start to see the ring taking shape!

White Enamel And Brush Finish

mountain inspired ring with white enamel — **Enamel is used to fill in the mountain cutouts.**

The completed ring features a white enamel inlay which really let’s the mountain lines “pop” visually.

A brush finish, also known as a matte finish, was added to the ring to remove the high polish shine of the yellow gold.

Mountain Rings—Individually Tailored To Each Person

individually tailored custom rings — **Matching rings for the happy couple.**

The great thing about custom jewelry design is the same pattern can be duplicated, but in different sizes!

For example, one of these rings needed to be a much larger size than the other, yet the design remains the same.

The mountain design was also replicated in different millimeter dimensions. The wider ring is 7mm wide and the thinner ring in 5mm.

Thus you can see that each custom ring will be individually tailored to fit the person wearing it!

By Leave a Comment

two tone convex ring — **The stark contrast of 18K yellow and platinum.**

“Two-tone” wedding bands are referred to as such simply due to there being more than one metal color seen in a ring.

This custom two tone wedding band features a convex pattern on the outside of the ring to make it extra unique.

The two metal types in this ring are platinum for the middle section, and yellow gold for the inside and outside portions.

Convex Ring Design

convex ring pattern — **Each custom ring is designed in CAD before it is cast in metal.**

This ring features a unique convex pattern on the outside of the ring.

The platinum swoops up and down, forming a repeating pattern with a “point” every few millimeters.

The “points” were designed with comfort in mind.

While the CAD rendering shown earlier does show a sharper point at the crest of the design, the finished ring is actually more smooth looking.

Whenever we make custom rings, we ensure the ring is as comfortable as possible. This is done by forming and polishing the metal.

To learn more about our custom design process, please fill out our customization form!

18kt + Platinum Two Tone Ring

Mens two tone wedding ring — **High polished jewelry is quite reflective!**

18kt yellow gold and platinum are a beautiful combination to get an extra rich two tone look.

One thing to be aware of is 18kt yellow gold by definition is 75% pure gold, so it has a richer yellow color than traditional 14kt.

Platinum serves as an excellent pairing to the softer yellow gold.

A unique convex ring pattern — **Unique convex pattern on the outside of the ring.**

If you’re looking for a wedding band that is a bit more unique, a two tone option might be the perfect solution!

By Leave a Comment

comparing a tulip in bloom to a tulip ring setting — **Inspired by natures beauty.**

Recently I had the opportunity to make a custom tulip engagement ring setting with a Montana sapphire.

The reason for the term “tulip” ring setting has to do with the way the prongs are shaped and designed.

6 Prong Tulip Head

**The raw platinum casting of a tulip ring setting.**

Tulip ring settings can be made a number of different ways. This particular ring was designed with rounded tops and six prongs.

Some tulip ring settings are made with 4 points of contact (basically similar to a 4-prong ring setting) and other tulip designs are not rounded at the top, rather come up to form a “claw” or point.

tulip ring setting with platinum — **Beautiful Montana sapphire secured by a tulip head setting.**

Tulip engagement ring settings can be custom made to fit many different stone types and sizes.

We accept custom orders! If you wish to explore working together, please fill out our customization form.

4 Prong vs 6 Prong Tulip Setting

4 prong vs 6 prong tulip ring setting — **Which option is best?**

In our experience crafting custom tulip engagement rings, we have found that a 4 prong tulip is good for emerald, cushion, and princess cut stones.

computer rendering of a ring — **CAD rendering of a 4 prong tulip style ring setting**.

When designing jewelry, we keep the end in mind. One aspect that we focus a lot on is symmetry. A princess cut or emerald cut will have 4 corners or points, thus a 4 prong tulip head will compliment it nicely.

raw platinum casting with montana sapphire

When it comes to round or oval stones, both 4 and 6 prong tulip heads can work, although 6 prong is generally considered the safer option.

Choosing A Stone For A Tulip Ring Setting

There are many great options for stones. With this particular custom ring project, our client supplied their own sapphire sourced from Montana.

We are able to use our clients stones to craft beautiful engagement rings. Read more about using your own stone for a jewelry project.

If you don’t have your own stone to bring to the table, a goldsmith can help. We specialize in creating sustainable custom jewelry using lab grown diamonds, moissanite, and more. Contact us to learn more.

Floral Inspired

In conclusion, if you are looking for the perfect ring setting that gives off a floral vibe, a tulip ring setting is a stunning option.

Because of the openness of the head design, a lot of the stone is visible when looking through the ring.

Now that is an added bonus!