Jewelry Arts Institute's Student of the Week- Beth Sosin

SumoMe

Congratulations to our latest Student of the Week- Beth Sosin. This great ring looks deceptively simple but with a piece like this everything is in the execution. Nothing is hidden, so every file stroke and solder seam is clearly visible. Let’s talk about some really simple methods Beth used to pull this off.

I’m sure you have all heard before the old maxim that if you don’t want a mark on your jewelry, don’t put it there. I see students spending a lot of time filing and sanding out marks from slips of their file that didn’t need to be there in the first place. A great remedy is humble masking tape. Although one of the goals in learning filing technique is control, who among us doesn’t slip from time to time? I often suggest to students that they cover adjacent areas with masking tape as they file to protect against slips. This method is just as helpful when setting stones that are close together. One little slip can disfigure a neighboring bezel with nasty consequences. A moment or two spent with a few cents worth of masking tape can prevent that. Beth was able to clean up her ring beautifully so that it looks great from every view. Another old maxim is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It looks to me that Beth proved that one right today. Job well done!