Geode Slice with Pearl Brooch
I have experimented a lot with alternate stone techniques over the years. Perhaps the most liberating approach has been to secure stones indirectly by way of rivets.
Other examples in these process series' of riveted settings are the Hour Glass, the Labradorite Box, and the Red Gold Ring with Tourmaline.
Often I customize the stone to receive the metal. In the case of this brooch, the edge of the geode slice has been carved to receive the shape of a round wire. The process then is a matter of fitting the metal to the stone such that, when the metal is riveted together, the stone is tightly locked in place.
An 8 guage wire (1/8" diameter) has been bent to fit exactly around the grooved edge of the geode slice. An area has been carved into the wire and a post added where the pearl will be set. The
surfaces where the wire framework merge upon themselves are filed flat, and two rivet holes are drilled through. Two rivet wires are also shown. A toothpick is holding the framework apart enough so that
the stone can be easily inserted.
All metal surfaces are pre-polished. The post for the pearl has been roughened with tiny engraved stitch marks and the pearl is secured onto the post with epoxy. The holes for rivet wires are slightly tapered at their openings. The rivet wires will be trimmed and their ends upset (pressed and tapped so as to spread fatter). After setting, any excess metal on the rivet heads will be filed off and polished smooth.
The finished piece.
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