This is the latest batch which ended up being four rings. Three of the rings are a tarnish resistant sterling silver. The design is tailored specifically for each stone. I have an idea of what components I want to use but allow it to evolve as the design progresses. Often the ring looks very different than what I had imagined at the beginning of the build.
The three sterling silver rings are an Iolite Sunstone and ginkgo adjustable ring, An adjustable Fire Agate ring and a Montana Agate ring with Aspen leaves and branches.
The fourth ring is Palladium silver and 14Ky gold. Palladium silver is harder than regular sterling . It is also more valuable. I like to use it with gold when I make these delicate designs. The stone is a black Ethiopian opal. There is a lot of fire in this stone but it is very difficult to catch in pictures.
I blacken my silver to increase the contrast in the small details. I remove all the blackening except what is in the small cuts and creases. The silver is a bright white before the blackening, a mild silver color afterward. The toned down silver will continue to develop a patina over time. But will develop it more evenly than if it had started with the bright white silver.
