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 3.
10 Minute Gemstone Pendant Necklace. This gemstone pendant necklace
can be made with a gemstone and 18" of fine commercial chain, a split ring
finding, a lobster clasp with jump ring finding, and a snap set pendant
setting. Setting the gemstone in the pendant setting is merely a
matter of placing the gemstone upside down on a cutting board and pushing
down. When the pendant is ready, cut 18" of fine commercial chain
and thread it through the loops in the finding. The clasp shown
below-right, connects to the chain via a jump ring. (Visit
here for instructions on how to open a jump ring.) The split
ring is attached to the opposite end of the chain to act as the catch loop
for the clasp. Split rings work in the same way that you use when
adding keys to a key ring.
Please note that very rarely, the prongs in a snap
type setting can be bent during shipping. This doesn't happen often,
but it has happened. If this happens, in almost all cases, the
prongs can be easily bent back into shape. If you have a pair of
chain nose pliers, this is the preferred tool to use to straighten the
prongs. If you don't have pliers, your fingers will work.
 4.
10 Minute Bezel with Loop Lever Back Earrings. These are a
very popular style of earrings and are made from a regular lever back ear
wire finding and a round bezel setting for your gemstone. The round
bezel setting is a special setting that has a loop built into it as shown
below-left. Setting the gemstone in the bezel setting is
accomplished by placing the bezel finding upside down on a firm surface
like a cutting board, or on one of the sides of the Wire Press.
Since the stone for this setting is set from the back of the setting, the
face of the setting is down on your hard surface and the gemstone itself
is placed on top of the setting, also with the face pointing down. A
slight push with your thumb will cause the gemstone to drop into position
as shown below-right. Once the gemstone is in position, you will
need to pick up the combination gemstone and setting. Position the
thumb of your non-dominant hand on the point of the gemstone to hold the
gemstone in position. Using a pair of chain nose or bent chain
nose pliers, gently squeeze one of the four tabs in the finding down on
top of the gemstone. Work on opposite pairs first -- do tab 1 then
tab 3, followed by tab 2 then tab 4. When all four tabs are pressed
down, go back one more time in order to make sure that the tabs are as
snugly against the gemstone as possible. Once the gemstone is set,
then you are ready to connect the loop in the finding to the open loop at
the bottom of your lever back ear wire. Use your bent chain nose
pliers to open the loop in your ear wire and hang the loop in the round
bezel finding from that loop, then close the loop in your ear wire.
All the gemstones and findings used for these
projects can be found in our WigJig Store. Occasionally, we may be
out of stock of one type of finding in one metal, but hopefully, we will
have it in another metal. |
