DIY Network

Convertible Beach Glass Bezel by Ali Friedman From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-410

Guest jewelry designer Ali Friedman creates a beautiful necklace/choker from beach glass.

Materials --

5 pieces of sea glass
Fine silver bezel wire
24- or 26-gauge sterling silver sheet
18-gauge sterling silver jump ring
Silver solder tiny amount of each: easy, medium and hard
2 pieces of 7" sterling silver chain
6 small "S" hooks
1 large "S" hook

Tools --

Protective glasses
Scribe
Wire cutters
Fine silver shears
Flux and flux brush
Solder pick
Solder block
Household propane soldering kit
Sparker
Sparex
Copper tongs
Crock-pot
Water
Jeweler's saw and blades

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Note: Beach glass at one point was actually trash -- it was broken glass that was in the ocean and actually tumbled and then washed upon the beach.

1. Wrap bezel wire snuggly around piece of sea glass so that it fits exactly. Mark with the scribe the spot where you will need to cut the wire. Cut with shears or with a saw (figure A).

2. Make sure the bezel is the right size. File the ends so they are perfectly flush with each other.

3. Place bezel onto solder block. Brush flux onto the seam. Use wire cutters to cut a small piece of hard solder. Flux the solder and place it on the seam (figure B).

   Note: Flux is a chemical used in soldering which cleans the surface and results in a better bond.

4. Light propane torch with sparker. Gently and evenly heat the bezel until the solder flows (figure C). The flux will bubble and once it runs clear, you will know you are getting closer to the solder running. Make sure it stays on the solder seam. Once it runs, remove flame and turn torch off.

   Safety Tip: Always wear safety glasses when you are using a torch.

5. Use copper tongs to place the piece in a heated acid bath.

   Note: The acid bath is made from water and Sparex. (Follow the directions on the Sparex container to make the bath in a crock-pot).

6. After at least ten minutes, remove the piece with copper tongs, and rinse with water.

7. Make sure the bezel fits well. The silver is soft, so just use your fingers to fit it around the glass. File it so that the bezel is only a bit higher than the sea glass at all points (figure D).

8. With the saw, cut a piece of sterling sheet that is slightly larger than the bezel (figure E).

9. Brush the silver sheet with flux and place on solder block, preferably above a divot in the block. Place the bezel on the fluxed sheet. Cut several small pieces of medium solder. Flux them and place them inside the bezel on the seam between the bezel and sheet.

10. Turn on the torch to medium and heat piece from beneath until the solder flows. Place piece in crock-pot for ten minutes. Remove with copper tongs and rinse with water.

11. Saw off extra sheet and file until it is flush with the bezel. It should look like a little cup. Sand with 220-grit and then 400-grit paper until the cup is smooth around the edges.

12. Saw jump ring in half and file ends until they lie flush against the bezel cup (figure F).

13. Flux all pieces and line them up the way you will solder them. Cut four tiny pieces of easy solder and place one on each joint. Turn on torch and gently heat the piece until the solder flows and connects the half jump rings to the bezel cup. Place piece in crock-pot. After ten minutes, remove with copper tongs and rinse with water.

14. Sand off extra solder and fire scale. Moving through sandpaper and then 3M polishing papers, polish to high sheen.

15. Make sure sea glass and finished bezel cup are clean. Press glass into the finished bezel. Using bezel pusher, push bezel gently toward the sea glass, moving around the piece and making sure not to push too hard and create gaps. Repeat, pushing the bezel firmly against the glass. Finally, press bezel down from the very top to make sure it holds the sea glass solidly in place.

16. Once you have several pieces of sea glass set in this manner, use the "S" clasps to hook them to each other and to the chain, creating a simple necklace with one piece of glass, or a more formal necklace with multiple pieces.

RESOURCES :

Sparex No. 2
Krohn Technical Products, Inc.
Toll-free: 800-526-6299
Fax: 201-933-9684

3M Polishing Papers
3M
Toll-free: 888-364-3577
Website: www.3m.com/

Tools and Silver
Rio Grande
Website: www.riogrande.com

Note: If you don't live near the ocean, you can buy tumbled glass at many landscape supply stores and often on E-bay.

Alf Jewelry and Metals
Website: www.alfmetals.com

Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing
1880140292
Tim McCreight
September 1997
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Hand Books Press

GUESTS :

Ali Friedman
Owner
Alf Jewelry and Metals
Phone: 323-810-7388
Email: ali@alfmetals.com
Website: www.alfmetals.com