Some new rings

mbroder · Jun 10, 2008

Hi all,

Here's a couple of rings I finished this morning. I'm thinking about oxidizing the background for more contrast. What do you think?

D.DOUGLAS · Jun 10, 2008

Mark, Very nicely done! I am often undecided if i should darken the background or take advantage of the shiny properties of precious metal. Sometimes things are so shiny it is hard to make anything out. I also like to scuff up the flat surface ever so slightly with crocus cloth. I guess its good to have a sample of both for your customer to decide. Either way your ring engraving designs look very good.

mbroder · Jun 10, 2008

It seems that most of my customers like their rings shiny, no matter what. Personally, I like to see the detail without having to use a jeweler's loupe. The only way to accomplish that is with a darkened background. Using paint or ink on a ring that is worn all the time and is subject to hand washing etc... isn't practical. Oxidizing works well and so would black rhodium but I have yet to invest in that. Rhodium is very expensive right now.

SharpGraver · Jun 10, 2008

Hi Mark

Those rings look great. another option for darkening the backgroung is black nickel. Dale Miller at DalMar Plating sells it in pen plating solution. actually I think it looks even better than black rhodium and it is alot les expensive.

David

Tira · Jun 10, 2008

I very much like the crossed ribbon design.

Peter E · Jun 10, 2008

Those are both nice. Not sure what the metal is, but if sterling, liver of sulfur as a good blackening option.

Peter

mbroder · Jun 10, 2008

Peter E said:
Those are both nice. Not sure what the metal is, but if sterling, liver of sulfur as a good blackening option.

Peter

Thanks guys,

The first one is platinum and the 2nd is 14kt white gold. I do have some oxidizing solution that works vey well with the white gold but not with the platinum.

As for using black nickel plating, I'm not sure if I would want to use it on white gold or platinum. A lot of people have nickel allergies and complain about their fingers turning green or getting irritated. That's why so many white gold rings are rhodium plated. Rhodium is hypoallergenic and is very white.

Markofx · Jun 13, 2008

Background color

Hi Mark,

As a jeweler the whole purpose of the bright cut is to sparkle and throw off light. I find that when worn, the top surface of the ring will dull some what,and the bright cuts will stand out more. Try cutting a ring with the back ground removed and stippled. This will hold a dark back ground much better. Great job.

Mark G.

kwagnuth · Jun 15, 2008

Nice work very detailed. My personal opinion would be to leave them the way they are. Save the darkening for some wider ones but that is just me.

Stephen Knight · Oct 23, 2008

celtic

hi mark
as hand engraved wedding rings is my speciallity.
i myself would leave it as it is;the stippling or blackining effect may work well in the good ole U S of A but not in little old England
STEVE

Doc Mark · Oct 24, 2008

Hi Mark,

Just another Mark with a question! How do you do the Milligrain (sp?) border? Is the ring put on a rotating holder and the milligrain tool held against the metal or is it held simply in a vise and done carefully by hand? I've always been fascinated by the effect but have no idea how it is done with such precision. Love the engraving.

Mark

mbroder · Oct 27, 2008

Hi Mark-

I see this old thread's been ressurected. I used a #12 millgrain wheel in a GRS quick change holder. I use an inside ring holder for wedding bands placed in a standard engraver's block. You can use power or do it by hand. For straight line millgraining, it's very easy to run it by hand. You just do one section and then rotate the ring and do the next. When millgraining tight radius projects, I like to use my Gravermax.

Bama · Oct 27, 2008

Hi Mark

I to like your engraved rings and I am thinking about giving this a try at some point on my wedding band. I would of course do some practice rings first so I don't get divorced over the destruction of the band, HA! What gravers do you use? Since I don't want to mess up a bunch of gold rings what would be a good cheap subistute to practice on? I have some conduit that I could saw into rings and dome with a file. This would give me the shape but I don't know how it will cut.

mbroder · Oct 27, 2008

Thanks Bama- I pretty much use an onglette, a 120, and some flats for most of my ring designs. Most of the patterns are repetitive around the ring. Just use dividers to lay it out evenly around the ring. I usually divide it, and then just draw the one section at a time that I'm engraving. Most flat rings are very simple. Domed rings take a lot more practice to go over the dome and keep the correct angle of entry for the graver.

I think GRS and some other jewelry suppy companies like Quality Gold or Rio Grande have practice rings. I practice in silver when I come up with an idea for a new pattern. It's cheap enough, but definitely softer than gold.

Winstonklein · Nov 23, 2008

very neat and detailed work. A+++++

James Roettger · Nov 23, 2008

Beautiful work, a nice balance between detail, size of the ring and durability. I find jewelry to be the traditional " land of the bright cut", especially on rings and the harsh wear they receive. I have spent a lot of time with antique jewelry and it's all bright cut. The bright cuts do stand out more with time as the top surface gets matted. I've seen on antiques the top surface treated with a florentine/liner graved pattern which can set of the contrast well. I also think that with plating (at least black nickel, never tried black rhodium) you can get a seam line between the two finishes.

RT Bit and Spur · Nov 23, 2008

I am impressed with the deep cuts on such a narrow piece. Way to go. I would try to stipple or use a dental bur to frost the background.
Rod

Some new rings

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