Electroplating is a process used to deposit a thin layer of pure metal over the surface of a finished piece of fashion jewelry. This technique is often used to coverfirestain on silver or to change the colour or appearance of a piece, and the plating service is usually combined with polishing to give the fashion jewelry a professional finish.

Preparing a piece for plating Your piece must first be completely finished, including any set stones (with the exception of chemically sensitive stones). The plate will have the same finish as the metal it is plated on, so carefully pr

Threads and wire to make fashion jewelry

Tools

Choosing threads to make fashion jewelry or wire Match the thickness of your cord, thread, wire or other material to the size and weight of die beads to be used. If possible, take your beads with you when purchasing silks or thread. When knotting, the knot should not slip into the bead. Keep in mind that knotted strands require you to doubl

Stinging beads to make a nice piece of fashion jewelry
Threads and wire

Threads are available in both natura! and syn-thetic materials; the most popular choices are nylon and silk. Ribbons and cords of leather, waxed cotton, silk and synthetic materials can be used for stringing. Sewing supplies stores provide plenty of variations that can add a unique touch. Wire is also suitable for stringing. Nylon-coated beading wire, an extremely flexible multistrand steel wire, is a popular contemporary choice because of its strength, flexibility and ease of use. Gimp, a flexible tube of coiled metal wire, is used to protect silk/thread where it attaches to the clasp or jump ring and to give a professional finish (use a length of about 1?1.5 cm/l/2 in. per strand end).

Tools

Basic fashion jewelry tools can be used for stringing projects, for example flat-nosed pliers, round-nosed pliers, chain-nosed pliers, snips and instant glue. Specialist tools useful for string

CLAW-SETTING A FACETED STONE

This example uses square-section wire to construct a claw setting, which is soldered onto a ring shank made from square wire. The stone used is a 6 mm cubic zirconia (synthetic diamond).

Seating the stone

The stone must sit evenly within the setting: if the girdle is not touching each claw, then adjust the angle of the claws until it does - make sure that the claws look even overall. Then mark inside the claws at the level at which the stone will finally sit - it is crucial that the marks are all at the same height, otherwise the stone will not be level once set. Use a graver or hearing cutter bu.tr to remove a small amount of metal from the inside of the claw for the stone to sit in - the stone should click into position, and be held level while it is cut. It is often necessary to thin the tips of the claws with a file before setting, otherwise the thickness of the metal prevents it from moving easily.

A prong pusher, which is a setting tooi with a groove in the end for the claw to sit in, is used to push the tip of the claw over the sirdle. The claws must be burnished down flush with the stone so that there are no edges that could catch.Faceted stones can be set into a recess in a piece by burnishing the edges of the metal around the girdle of the stone; this makes the stone appear flush with the surface of the metal form. This type of setting is also called gypsy setting.Flush setting is often applied to curved surfaces, as the method of setting is made easier by having raised edges. The metal should be at least l mm (18 gauge) thick to support the stone and with-stand the pressure applied during setting. The culet of the stone should not project out from the underneath of the metal form, especially if stones are being flush set into a band ring, as they will dig into the finger uncomfortably. Domed thick sheet is ideal for flush setting, as are curved cast.

The piece of fashion jewelry should be finished and polished before setting begins; protect the piece from slips with masking tape, use a piece of leather over the bench peg, and work in a ring clamp or use setters wax on a block or stick if appropriate.

Certain types of stone, which can be prone to fracture because of their crystal structure, are not suitable for flush setting and may chip or fracture during setting.

Seating the stone

A ball burr that is the same diameter as the stone is used to open up a drilled hole to a depth where the girdle of the stone sits just under the edge of the metal. The stone in the fashion jewelry must sit level in the setting, and not too deep, otherwise it will be covered by too much metal once set - use a piece of wax rolled to a point or stuck on a small wooden stick to piek up and place the stone. Adjustments can be made to the angle of the ledge on which the girdle of the stone sits using a seating burr. A flush-setting tooi, which has an angled end, can then be used to ease the metal down over the girdle, first pinning the stone at ‘north’, ’south’, ‘east’ and ‘west’ so that it remains level during the subsequent setting. Test that the stone is set by trying to pull it out of the setting with the wax stick.

Finishing the piece of fashion jewelry
Once the stone has been set, rub the surrounding metal down further with a curved burnisher, and tidy the inner edge of the setting with a graver or run around it with the tip of the burnisher co even and polish it. Any scratches or slips should be carefully removed with a file if deep, or bur-nished or emeried out if light. The piece can be repolished to give the final finish.

Channel setting

This type of setting involves setting small square or rectangular stones in a row, often in a recessed channel in an accurately constructed frame. The stones are set on two sides, and touch along the side edges, creating a continuous channel. The construction of the piece must be very accurate, and the stones used should be calibrated so that they are all the same size and sit evenly on the ledge inside the setting, or the effect will not be even.

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