Design of the Week: Asymmetric amethyst pendant

I finished this piece recently - I got this great amethyst with bronze veining cabochon from Designer Cabochons and thought it would make a stunning statement pendant. The stone is roughly 25mm across (don't have my ruler handy!).

I make a lot of delicate pieces, which is more my style and the tendency of my designs, but it's nice to add a bolder statement piece into the mix too. It feels a little bit different to the other jewellery I've made.

I decided to go for a simple bezel setting, then cut three equal lengths of different sterling silver tube to balance the shape of the stone, and soldered them together in one corner. Also added a bail which I cut from  0.3mm fine silver sheet.

I used this silver bearer wire for the first time to create the bezel – it has an inbuilt ‘shelf’ for the stone to rest on, which made creating the bezel easier and I left the back open as a result, as the stone was held in place by the shelf.

The purple of the amethyst really comes out in natural light

Silver rings

I have always loved rings - they are probably my favourite type of jewellery. That's probably why the first thing I ever made was a ring. I love the possibilities with rings, and how they are perfect for showing off pretty stones.

I made this simple ring to practice stone setting - my first attempt at a bezel setting (I made this before the camera charm). Choosing a square cut amethyst for a first go wasn't the easiest, but it turned out ok. I left the band with a brushed matte finish, but polished the bezel cup and the edges of the ring band to a high shine for contrast.

Once I had the basics sorted, I moved on to something a little more difficult. This ring (which I name the 'pebble ring') is inspired by the pebbley beach near where I grew up. The uneven but smooth rounded pebbles and bits of sea glass which my sister and I used to collect as kids. I made each 'pebble' separately by melting bits of silver and used blue-green chalcedony reminiscent of both the sea and those little bits of sea glass. I collected all the silver pebbles together around a bezel and soldered the whole thing together.

This one is just for me to wear - I love it's irregularity and the colour of the stone. I have a couple of other ring designs in my sketchbook, just waiting to be made - along with a whole little pile of pretty stones that I can't stop myself buying off Etsy. Lots of work ahead!