Rings & Things Jewelry Blog

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRueDesigner TipsUnspool approximately 20" of copper wire. Pull it smooth with flat nylon-jaw pliers.Trim the end neatly (flush) with flush cutters.Coil the wire around a 14-20mm round mandrel, looping pliers, or bail-making pliers.Using good flush cutters, snip each coil apart so you have identically-sized links. Trim carefully so the ends of the links line up flush. If you have gaps, your solder join will not look good and will not be secure. (See copper soldering blog …

Created by: Rita HutchinsonDesigner TipsClean both parts with alcohol and allow to dry. Apply flux to key points on the back of the scarab, and then apply small dots of solder to these points using soldering iron.Add flux to the flat side of the money clip. Set money clip in pumice, arranging so that the top of the clip is level. Set the scarab on top of the clip in desired location.Using butane torch, concentrate the flame on the ends and edges of the clip. You want the clip to heat up to allow …

Created by: Cindy MorrisDesigner TipsString necklace and finish ends following directions in Beading Cable How-To Sheet below. Use Wire Guardians for a professional finish at the ends of your beading cable.When using soft solder, you can use either a soldering iron, or a gentle touch with a butane micro torch.It's important to use separate firing surfaces for soft solder and silver or copper solder. Do not use the same firing brick for both.For the pendant, melt soft solder onto the ba …

Rings & Things Showroom:1011 E 2nd Ave #6, Spokane WA 99202Our Showroom & Warehouse are at2nd & Arthur.If you're on 3rd (coming from downtown):take a left at Arthur (just before Office Depot)go North on Arthur 1 blockgo into the 1st parking lot on your rightIf you're on 2nd (heading west)take a right at Arthurgo into the 1st parking lot on your rightWe are at the end of the first parking lot (next to the dance studio).Main Showroom Page | Classes | Shop Online …

Amethyst Gemstone Beads and Pendants: Amethyst is the most highly prized variety of quartz and if not for its widespread availability, would be very expensive. With its luscious color, it is the official birthstone for February and one of our best-selling gemstones. Amethyst is formed in silica-rich liquids deposited in gas cavities (geodes) in lava. It occurs in crystalline masses, but the crystals are generally not well developed, so they are generally found as clusters of crystal points. Thou …

Amazonite (sometimes called Amazon stone) is a rare blue-green variety of microcline (a feldspar mineral) used as a semiprecious stone. Its brilliant color was once thought to be caused by copper, but now is attributed to the presence of lead or possibly iron. Amazonite is an opaque stone, often found with white, yellow or gray inclusions and a silky luster or silvery sheen. Even when polished, amazonite beads maintain a somewhat raw, natural texture that makes this pale blue-green stone ev …

Your safety and well-being are of the utmost importance to us.For the health and safety of you and others, please wear a mask whenever it is recommended by the CDC and/or Washington State. As of March 12, 2022... it is no longer required! Woohoo! However, if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, please save your trip to Rings & Things for another day (or place a pre-paid order for pickup).Our employees are committed to working routinely to keep the store sanitized for you.Main Showro …

Created by: Mollie ValenteDesigner TipsSelect and clean two matching glass pieces.Select an image and cut it to match the glass shape and size.Carefully wrap the glass with copper-foil tape. To create a tight seal, burnish the foil to the glass (a Sharpie pen handle makes a great burnishing tool).To form hanging loops attach the crimp ends to opposite sides of the pendant's top. Jump rings can also be substituted.Flux the copper foil, apply a thin layer of soft solder over the entire copper surf …

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRueDesigner TipsJewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations and Explorations in Metal has a great tutorial on fold forming. Plus of course, Charles Lewton-Brain's book Foldforming is the definitive book on this technique (but is a bit intimidating). This earring project is a fun, simple type of fold-forming -- give it a try!To make a matching pair of earrings, cut 2 squares or rectangles of silver sheet, and fold each in half as precisely as possible. Use a nylon hammer …

This project uses durable, springy memory wire as the base, and 26-gauge dark blue Artistic Wire as an accent. Created by: Amy MickelsonDesigner TipsUse heavy-duty cutters to cut memory wire.Lashing the beads onto the memory from the center outward allows you to keep half of the wire needed on the spool, making the wire wrapping easier to manage.You will need a total of 72-84" to wrap the beads onto the wire.Unroll approximately 36-42" wire from spool but do not cut it. Put the cover back on spo …