First remodel of the year
24th January 2019
The ring to be remodelled
Classic jewellery chain design.
This ring was purchased elsewhere not so long ago. Another jeweller had tried to modify it to make it more wearable for this customer but that failed.
Quite a few years ago I stopped doing repairs on jewellery I did not make and this longtime customer knew that. She wanted me to remake it.
A common problem
As we get older our knuckles generally get larger. This can mean that whilst a ring is tight to get on it might wear quite loosely and spin. This ring never sat in the right place for this customer. Our goal was to come up with a ring design that would address that as much as we could. These were our goals:
360 degree design, if it spins not so much of an issue
add in a green durable gemstone, she wants to wear it a lot
wider design, suits her hand better
easier to get on and spin less
The desired design
The design we started with
Above is the design that we decided to base the new ring on. As some of the gem sizes were already defined we would need to design around that. We would be adding in some green diamonds to provide colour in a gem that is very durable. This would be very important in a design that would have gemstomes all the way around the ring.
The unset ring
Unset gems quickly/safely = destroy the ring
The safest and quickest way to unset gems is to destroy the ring. This ring was to be melted down but in the case where the unset ring is to be returned to the customer I advise of them of this.
Sometimes it is not viable to safely unset a gem without damaging the setting. When it is possible it is usually more difficult and therefore more costly.
Modifying the design.
Mockup of the design.
Our budget did not allow for the diamond set bars on the outer edge. We replaced that with twisted wire as shown above. After applying our existing diamond sizes, some new larger green diamonds (shown as dark) and some design changes we ended up with a unique design.
The inside scroll section is raised from the finger on the inside.
If you look closely on the inside of the ring you will notice that the centre scroll work does not come all the way down to the finger. There is a reason for that which we will discuss next.
Addressing a common problem
If a ring has a solid closed interior then the wider it gets the larger it needs to be to fit comfortably over the same knuckle. This problem is highlighted with people with larger knuckles. By the time the ring makes it over the knuckle it feels too loose on the finger.
The two narrow outer edges bordering the centre scroll.
To address this problem we wanted to turn our wide ring into two narrower rings that would pass over the knuckle at a smaller finger size, joined with a centre scroll feature that was off the finger.
I would also round the internal edges of the ring to assist them to pass over the knuckle further. This would allow the ring to go on at the smallest possible size but still be a wide ring.
The size draft
To accurately measure a finger size you must replicate the internal shape of the ring. This is critical with a 360 degree design such as this one that is not able to be resized.
The draft we modified to confirm the finger size.
The draft above I created to confirm the finger size. It is rough but it served the purpose well. During the fitting process we discovered that this design allowed the customer to get this ring over her knuckle at 1.5 sizes smaller than we initially thought.
The different ways to measure a ring size
Measuring the size of the draft.
I make a lot of rings for people outside of Cairns and I post out size drafts to confirm finger sizes because there are quite a few reasons why you should not resize a new ring. After that there are rings like this with a design that goes 360 degrees that you cannot resize.
Article: Why you should avoid resizing a new ring
When people give me a finger size and insist it was measured at a jewellery resellers and will be correct I ask them the following which can effect the accuracy of a measured size:
was the size measured at the leading edge or middle?
how wide was the sizer?
did the sizer have a flat or rounded internal edge?
The customer usually replies they do not know any of the above. To that reply I give them the option of using my draft process that is included in the price…… or skip my process and run with the size they provide and if it is wrong……it is their problem not mine.
Article: The last section of this article that discusses a 360 degree totem design
The finished ring
recycled 9ct yellow gold - finished weight 9 grams
10mm wide and 2mm thick
.54 carats of natural white diamonds that have been treated to permanently turn them green
12 white diamonds recycled from the remodelled ring