Upstairs in the loft I have nine boxes of cloth, it’s beautiful and is full of potential, potential that is destroyed as soon as I take it, chop it up and make it into clothes. It then becomes fixed, that piece of wool is now a pair of trousers and will never be a skirt or all the other wonderful things it could have been.
I have a similar situation with my silver, with the additional problem that the price has gone up hugely so I can’t be sure I can afford to replace what I use.
Wanting to make a large cuff with a square labradorite cabochon, I decided to use copper. It’s a beautiful metal; maleable and full of character. Unfortunately it’s also a pig to solder!
This project would require a bit of care if I did it in silver as the heavy cuff would need to be heated to the same temperature as a small bezel to allow the solder to flow. Since that temperature is not far off the melting point of silver, a moment’s inattention can lead to a sad and soggy melted bezel.
In copper, the project becomes even more of a nightmare as the metal quickly develops an oxide layer that stops the solder from flowing. There was much screaming and swearing.
Oh yes, I also chose an “ethnic cut” (not my description) rectangular stone which was cut in India, by eye, on a wheel and so is a little rough and ready. Making a bezel for a notionally rectangular stone with four corners that have a different profile is really difficult!
The end result was not entirely good.
I also lined it in verdigris coloured soft leather which was a good idea and one I will use again but even with leather edging paint, it just looks scrappy. The leather is soft and even a sharp Stanley knife seemed to tear it rather than cutting it cleanly. Next time I will use a harder, thinner, more compressed leather if I can find it.
So, after that experience and inspite what I said about not using up my precious and dwindling supply of silver, I made this.