Romancing the Stone: Reverse Stone Setting with Holly Gage
Thursday, May 29 - June 26
1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern
(5) 1-hour sessions live and interactive online on Go to Meeting
All levels of ability
Delicate gems need special treatment and an extra-special setting. Many beautiful stones can not be fired in place, so when you wish to overlap the stone with details you add an additional challenge to the design of your piece. My solution is to set the gem from the back. It may sound as if you have to design the whole piece backward, but this is not the case. Not only that, but you can even make a reversible pendant if you so desire and it is much easier than you might imagine!
We will discuss a successful design to enhance the stone, bezel setting, tube bails, tube set gems, flush set gems, buds, snake charming, finishing techniques, and more. This is like my Bezel Setting Like a Pro Class on steroids!
Bring to class a 15 – 25 mm flat stone or faceted stone with a flat table or front surface. Beware of stones having a deep pavilion or back as they may not sit flat on the body. Other fire-in-place gems are optional.
Romancing the Stone: Reverse Bezel Setting with Holly Gage
PMC 3 or Low fire Art Clay, Art Clay Paste Type® (Brand-specific - yes this brand can be used with either clay), Glycerin, Fine silver bezel wire the height of the stone, Texture plate, Extruder, and tube adapter, Carving tool or mini Dockyard® tools, Mascara brush (optional), 4 - 6 mm fire in place gem, Gem bur the size of the stone, Rotary tool, Eve® Rubber polishing wheels and knife-edge for Silver, blue (medium), pink (fine) for rotary tool, 3M Radial Bristle Brushes 400 grit to fine for rotary tool, 3M radial bristle discs coarse to fine for silver to fit your rotary tool, Bezel rocker or burnisher, Basic Tool Kit, Torch or Kiln. 25 g size restriction with torch use.
Looking for a stone for your project? Check out my husband, Christopher Gage's 10 at 10 am on Friday Auctions. https://www.facebook.com/healing.phoenix.lapidary
- Prior to class, approximately a week before class, I will send you a PDF file of the lesson. (Please keep this for your eyes only due to copyright)
- Students will receive a link to a Go to Meeting (no account needed) and should arrive 15 mins. prior to the start of the first class. (I'm in PA eastern standard time)
- During class I'll talk about design and demo major steps
- You can ask any applicable questions you need during class.
- If you need to try something while I'm there to watch, no problem.
- If you miss a class, bring any creative development homework to the next session.
- Please take progress picture(s) of your piece. I will have a Private board for you to upload the pictures, so we can all view it, this way I can reference it, or point to it during our session to describe what needs to be done next. Please send this creative development homework it at least 30 mins. before class if not sooner -- stopping to upload pictures disrupts class time.
- Holly Gage cannot be held responsible for technical difficulties arising bad internet connections. You should have a camera on your computer to participate. Other people on your personal network may also impede the session, so it is recommended that only one person in your household should use the network at a time. Headphones are recommended.
- If technical difficulties prevent an individual from communicating during the group session or impedes an entire session, I will communicate with that person after the session to rectify the problem. If technical difficulties disrupt the entire session, make up time shall be added to the end of the sessions.