This week with Monika we continued some of the work I had started last week. If you look at her work on meekajewelry.com, you will see a lot of the jewelry being made involves stone setting. You can set a stone in a variety of ways but she and the other artists at her store use bezel setting. Bezel setting is basically creating a perfect wall around the stone & pushing the metal over, so that it will stay.
So for my first project with Monika, she had me create a ring with a simple bezel set stone. I had done a bezel setting once before but I did not exactly enjoy doing it so I was curious to see how this would all work out.
I started with silver flat wire to creat a simple ring shank. Monika taught me a different way of forming a ring by using half round pliers. This was really interesting for me because the way I had been creating rings before was completely different. Then Monika introduced me to a variety of different tools to create the bezel. My favorite one was a metal hole punch that essentially creates a perfect circle from metal by hammering it through a steel plate. She also showed me how to dome the back of the bezel which was an extra step but really added more dimension to the ring. She then demonstrated how to move the metal walls around the stone to set it, which was a completely different method than I had been taught. Her method was actually a lot more controlled and easier. When it was my turn to give it a try, I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than the last time I had done it, which was my freshman year.
Once I was all done with the setting she showed me different ways to clean up the metal and perfect the ring. She showed me an abrasive rubber wheel that can clean the rim of the setting without scratching the stone. I love being introduced to these types of tools because this will allow me to use them in my own work... and part of making good work is having the right tools.
Once I was all done, she gave me the ring to keep which I was very excited about. I plan to wear the ring as a reminder of my learning experience. I am really excited to start incorporating more stones into my jewelry.
Now in its fifth year, The Summer Fellows Program provides opportunities for high-achieving UArts students to gain meaningful experience in a creative field during summer break. Fellows are matched with a UArts alumni host, who invites them into his or her workplace to observe, engage, and participate in unique projects and programs. Here are their stories.
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