I’ve given my ‘Crater Ring’ a new look. I just learned how to cast-in-place. Basically, I’m using the same technique as before, lost wax casting, but with an embellishment. Prior to the burn-out, I’ve added synthetic stones to the wax ring model. The stones are able to withstand the high temperatures of the kiln, and if everything is done just right, you end up with a piece of jewelry that already has a stone set in it!

In my excitement, I’ve photographed my 3 samples prior to cleaning them up. You may notice that the silver doesn’t look very pretty. Immediately after it is cast, silver is a dull grey-black. After it cools, I put it in the pickle (mild acid bath) to clean it. That’s the stage that is shown here. After pickling the metal, I file, sand, and polish, which sometimes takes several hours to perfect.

Look for these finished rings on my website soon. The pieces shown include simulated blue sapphires and a simulated pink tourmaline. Synthetic stones suitable for the cast-in-place technique come in several colors. So get your ideas ready and email me!