Heart-Shaped Silver & Turquoise Ring [R]

The construction of a two-prong ring such as this one is much more involved than the finished product would indicate. To make the shank that wraps around the finger, the smith starts with two pieces of half round wire of the correct length. Hammering flattens the ends. The ends are bent outward and the centers are soldered together. The shank is then shaped around a mandrel and the ends filed to sit level on the plate that forms the foundation for the stone.

A sheet silver plate is fashioned in the shape of the stone that will be mounted on it; in this case, a heart shape. A bezel is fashioned for attaching the stone to the back plate. Four silver balls, made by melting equal pieces of scrap metal, were soldered on to the face, and the stone set in place.

There is a hairline fracture diagonally across the turquoise stone; otherwise the ring is in excellent condition.