creative stone setting :)

sooooo.... i'm setting stones in this bracelet, and i don't really have a good way to hold it. whenever you set a stone, you need to have it firmly held in or on something so you can have the leverage to move the metal over it.

if i were making this bracelet in gold, i would set each individual section then solder the links holding them together. but because this is a silver version, and everytime you add heat to silver it oxidizes, leaving a purple film in the metal. when you have that purple spot, the only way to remove it is by emery... which, by doing that, you have to start the entire finishing process over.

soooo... thank god for the starbucks thermos! it is the perfect size! i wrapped a towel around it... and a bunch of elastics... laid the bracelet over it and held it on with more elastics.... E VOILA!!! i have a great bracelet stone setting mandrel!

if you haven't seen this bracelet before... here is a gold version of it. it has vs diamonds, rubies and natural pink orange sapphires.