Day 7 Beads (Setting)

Wow, it has been only 7 days since I set on this journey of attempting to journal some tips, tricks, and tools for 90 days straight, and I have received way more support and visitors than I ever expected. I am at a loss for words, but thank you for following and checking out this site. I really am blown away. If you stick around, I have some really exciting things planned for the future…… really, but for now, on with the show…….

I don’t know about you, but I seem to have accumulated a whole bunch of stone beads. I have blue ones, purple ones, red and green and black ones. Over the years, I take on a project that requires a stone bead, or a small cab stone that I cut from a bead, and it is always easier for me to buy a whole string of beads than a few….. or maybe that is just me. So here is my dilemma, beads!

If you have the same tupperware container full of these colorful little gems, you can always set them on a piece of jewelry like a “Pearl” with a post sticking straight up, and epoxy, but then you have a pesky hole on top of the stone, (not the best) you can make the post extra long and finish it flush with the top of the stone and polish it, (better) but here is a quick way to set them into a piece of jewelry.

In this example, I used a 4mm Amethyst Bead, Hematite Bead, and a Turquoise Bead. I made a square earring and drilled a 5.5mm hole in it. I soldered a 0.6mm silver post at the center of the top of the hole, at a slight angle, facing backwards a bit. I drilled a small hole, a divot actually, not all the way through, just deep enough for the post to fit in to give it more surface area and strength for the soldering connection. I used a 0.7mm ball bur.

 Then slide the bead onto the post and push the bead towards the center of the hole. You are done! No glue needed, let the stone spin freely. it will not come out and the bottom hole is pretty much hidden by the hole. Quick, easy, slick! I added a Stainless Steel Earring Wire, but you can do this with earrings, pendants, rings, whatever. Use your imagination.

Now go make something shiny!

Take care

Doug