Alastair Mundy-Castle — Blogging for jewelers and metalsmiths made easy! (and for those interested in jewelry and gemstones)

5mm Trilliant cut Tanzanites in 9ct channel surrounds, purchased ear hooks.

The channel was made by drawing a strip of gold through a round drawplate along with a piece of piano wire. The resulting channel was curved to a radius slightly larger than the sides of the stones so that the corners of the stones will be free-floating. The mitres for the two lower corners were filed about one third through, and the channels bent into triangles. The lower mitres are not soldered. The top of the channel is open and an open eye was soldered on leaving a common opening.

The eye is prised open, the stone inserted, and the eye pinched closed to trap the stone in the channel. The unsoldered mitres allow the channel to bend open and closed without distortion. A jump ring is crimped around the waist to lock the channel tight around the stone.

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