Each Month, a fine group of metalsmiths I associate with online, write in a ‘Blog Carnival’. We have a topic, and we all write on it from our own perspectives, and situations.
This February, the topic is:
“What is the most difficult piece you’ve ever made, from a technical perspective? Describe why it was so challenging.”
This is a ring I created in 2003. In Essence, it is fairly simple but there were a number of techniques and design/skill elements that were new to me when I created it. It maybe isn’t the most technical thing I have done, but, it was the first that popped to mind that I have a super swell photo on hand of.
1. previous to making this ring a couple years, was the first time I alloyed my own gold. I melted down all my old jewellery, and under the supervision and direction of my mentor at the time, I alloyed it up to an 18kt yellow gold.
2. To get the maximum potential for this ring, I needed the gold portion of the ring to be a heavier gauge metal – thicker. So I sweat soldered it to another sheet of silver. This was technically challenging for me, not so much for the skill, but not not blow the job – and melt the gold and silver into a messy puddle, and have them both un-useable until set to a refiner. So I was holding my breath to get it done right. Whew! I got it done right.
3. To create this ring, it is a hollowform shell of 2 halves. the inner (silver) , and the outer (gold) are forged separately into opposite concave and convex shapes. So here the forging of the halves was a new technique for me. This is a very delicate and time consuming operation, as the two halves must fit perfectly together, with tension, and also be symmetrical in all angles and round as well 
Getting a perfect fit took time, and was a challenge. The two halves are in fact not soldered together, they are held by tension.
4. The bezel setting of a large ruby. This was challenging as I created a cone shaped bezel, in order to accommodate the stone size to the curved ring band face. Again, I had never made a cone shaped bezel.
5. Flush setting Diamonds on both sides. Also a new and precise technique.
6. Setting the ruby in a hollow ring form. My usual method of a heavy handed hammer would not be a good plan here. So more traditional, and time consuming methods were used. I always use very heavy metal as well, I believe I used 18ga for this bezel, so setting such a heavy bezel in and of itself also required special skills.
7. The ring was finished with the inner silver surface to a high mirror polish, and the outer gold a matte textured finish with steel wool, bringing out the true deep depth of the yellow gold alloy.
So, for me, much of the ring was built with skills and techniques i had never used as such before, all in one package. This was my first ring in this style. Not all that complex, but for a whole lot of firsts, I was very pleased with my skillmanship and the outcome.
I enjoy wearing this ring on a daily basis. It’s huge. and very comfortable. Durable and crafted to last. 
If you’re interested in making a ring like this, you can purchase Alan Revere’s Tutorial, Here.
Please visit the rest of the Carnival Jewellers, and see what They have to say about technically difficult projects.
(Please note, due to the members posting at different times of the day; as well as if you don’t visit this on the day of, you may not end up on the actual post for the Carnival. If this happens, you can always search their blog for “blog carnival”, or look thru the posts )
Lora: http://www.LoraHartJewels.blogspot.com
Marco: http://www.fleseri.com/blog
Angela: http://www.angelacrispin.canalblog.com/
Tamra: http://jewelrydesignchronicles.wordpress.com/
Lorrene: http://www.lorrene-davis-designs.blogspot.com
Vikki: http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/
Love the ring, and love the post! Yeah, heavy bezels are killer–but they end up looking SO good…