A Few Rings

Today feels like a rings day.

Golden Rose Ring started out as an experiment for a simple knot ring. It didn't quite work out ... instead, the wire took on a life of its own, and demanded to be a rose:-) Despite the randomness, the wrap is actually quite sturdy, doesn't get unraveled as some other nest-type wrap. btw, it's not gold; it's brass wire.

I was on a roll ...

Now about those nest rings. The current issue of Step by Step Wire has a nest ring; looks almost identical to Eni Oken's Nest Bezel Ring, but the instructions seemed different ... I thought I give it a try. It was a struggle, which was strange since I had no problem with my first nest ring following Eni's tutorial. Upon close inspections, I see they "are" different. The magazine's method starts with a bead in middle of wire and proceeds to wrap away, where the bead is up against the ring mandrel directly without much structure; this requires some balancing act. Whereas Eni's Nest Bezel Ring forms the ring first as a "soft armature" before working the bead onto the wire, or in the case of Ethnic Ring where the bead is strung on first, but thicker wire is used for the frame, and a shank is stabilized rather early before any embellishments, i.e. they both build a foundation first, then add on to the ring surface.

Here's a side by side: On the left is my nest ring based on Eni's instructions. I breezed thru it in 15 minutes on my first try, and it's a solid ring, always an eye-catcher. Materials: craft wire with acrylic focal bead, plated spacers, and delicas.




On the right is today's ring based on the magazine. Made me sweat a little and wish I had another hand. The outcome may not look all that different, but I'd vote for Eni's method any day, hands down. Materials: 3' of 22ga SS with a flat crystal bead.



On to the wave ring.
There are lots of adjustable rings out there. Makes sense. Among most jewelry, rings really need to fit right to be comfortable. Making them adjustable solves the issue.

Here's my take on it. Made of 8" of 12ga AS, this ring is about size 8, fits on my left index finger or thumb. I'll admit it still needs some finishing touch... I'm no good at working with thick wire yet, I'd like to blame it on the tools, but it's really me being too anxious to cushion pliers before bending wire... Anyway, this puppy is going into the tumbler tomorrow.