Metal Prong Challenge Reveal!

This is the second of three challenge reveals this week, and they are all completely different from each other! I wrote about the Metal Prong Challenge (again on Artisan Whimsy) a couple of weeks ago. To be honest I wasn't going to enter, but then realised that it would fit in perfectly with what I'm teaching one of my college classes at the moment. One of the pieces of jewellery that they can choose to make for their assessment is a dress ring, a ring with a stone and a prong setting. The syllabus doesn't say that it has to be a traditionally cut faceted stone or that we have to use a traditional prong setting, so I'm encouraging them to think outside the box and explore how they can set more unusual stones. So, my entry to the challenge is also an example for my college class. They've already seen it part-made, but last night I took it in with the stone set - and now I can show it to you!

I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. The stone is a beautiful Botswana Agate from Designer Cabochons, the first stone that I ever bought from them over two years ago. I had actually started to make the setting over a year ago, always intending that it would be a prong setting as I didn't want to hide the edges of the stone as they're just as lovely as the top. I wasn't happy with how I originally soldered on the prongs though, and the challenge tutorial was just what I needed to finally complete it! I've finished the necklace with a handcrafted chain and a clasp textured to match the pendant.

To see what other people have made for the challenge, please visit the AW challenge page here!

Oh, and the third challenge reveal? Come back this weekend to see what the Brit Pack Beaders have made for Rebecca Anderson's challenge!

P.S. The necklace will be in my Daisychain Jewellery etsy shop this weekend!

Look what the postie brought me today!

The other day, while playing on personalising the settings and transferring the files over to my new laptop, my fingers accidentally typed in the web address of Designer Cabochons. Then my eyes, ignoring my orders to them, spied a beautiful picture jasper cab.....and then another one......and then a goldstone cab...... and then conspired with my fingers to add them all to the shopping cart and pay for them. I know! The traitors :)

I know I should have resisted. I have a box full of beautiful stones just waiting for me to make them the perfect setting, some with the bezel collar already made, but I knew if I let these slip through my fingers I'd regret it as I usually only see cabochons on this website after someone else has bought them and the "sold" sign has gone up! And you have to agree they are beautiful - the photos definitely do not do them justice as they were just quick snaps taken on my workdesk, and the jaspers have such a high polish that it was difficult not to get the reflection of the windows and the camera in shot!

I was only going to get one jasper but I liked the shape of the lozenge one and the pattern on the oval. And the purple goldstone is such a gorgeous colour and an unusual shape - I've got quite a simple setting with an unusual handcrafted chain in mind for that one. Now I just need to find time to create it!