Friday, February 19, 2010

Little Booboo

The ring I sold my mum is broken. :(
The reason I wrote 'little' booboo is because I am glad that I sold it to my mother and not a random customer. THAT would have been very embarrassing. Anyway, she said that the ring shank isn't soldered down anymore on one side.

Is there a way I can fix this without pulling the whole ring apart? Is Green Sediment Jasper okay to heat? That brings me to another question....how do you resize a ring that already has a stone firmly set? Is there something you can use to protect the stone whilst you torch it?

(sigh)

I got my silver sheet this afternoon and there is plenty to work with for a while. And I got to work on some pieces this evening, but my heart isn't really in it. I am very easily discouraged (I tend to make mountains out of molehills). It's because of the ring my mum was going to buy. It has kinda dampened my confidence. So I'm not gonna push myself or else I may make more 'booboos'.

Oh one very fun thing for me.....I found out there is a Gem Show on in 2 weeks time. It's not too far a drive from here and it's on a weekend. So I can leave my daughter at home with the hubby, whilst I go and see what's on offer and hopefully I will come home with some goodies. I can't wait!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Oops! I really wish I had advice for you on how to fix the ring, but the best I can do is remind you that you're far from alone in the embarassing mistake department. Before I started using heavy gauge jump rings, I had a chain necklace I made fall apart while I was wearing it & proudly showing it off to a family member. Luckily not a potential customer & I learned my lesson! I'm very easily discouraged too [I call it my "sensitive artist" trait :D], so I have an idea how you feel. Sending hugs your way & the gem show ought to cheer you right up if you're still feeling discouraged by then!

Amy Nicole said...

I know the feeling too. I gave my sister a necklace and forgot to solder the jump rings and it broke. It was just my sister, but it made me question myself. I obsessed about it for a few days, and now no jump ring leaves me unsoldered! (they were a thin gauge wire ring). The good thing is, that you will not make the same mistake again. I guess you could try to heat it up and see what happens, or, just start all over. I don't know.......hopefully someone with more experience will see this! Chin up. Think of that gem show. Yay for gem shows!

lynn bowes said...

Yes, you will have to take the stone out of the setting to resolder the shank. Some suggest you can use Cool Gel or try submerging the stone in water to keep it cool as you make the repair but I've never seen the Cool Gel succeed and I think that submerging the stone when you will be trying to solder onto the back of it will be futile. We learn from trial and error and your work will only improve. Good luck :: lynn

Erin Jane said...

I agree with Lynn - taking the stone out is the safest bet. I've also heard that Firescoff will protect the stone while you torch. I actually have some, but have been too scared to ruin a beautiful stone to try it! I've had the same type of things happen - and it feels devastating at first, but those feelings will pass and you'll be excited again to get in the studio in no time. Again, Lynn is right, these things only improve your work.

littlecherryhill said...

Thank You all for your encouraging comments! I am going to get my mother to post the ring back to me and I will either try and repair it, or rescue the stone and re make the whole ring. I have dabbled at the bench a bit last night and this eve and have almost finished a ring with the same kind of shank as the broken one. But this time I am going to do a triple check to make sure it's well and truly soldered! I am sure when I get my new cabochons and get to go to the Gemshow my happy creating vibes will return!! :)