{"id":501,"date":"2016-04-15T06:57:39","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T06:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stuartcupit.com\/wordpress\/?p=501"},"modified":"2026-01-02T09:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T09:00:17","slug":"labradorite-triplet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stuartcupit.com\/wordpress\/?p=501","title":{"rendered":"Labradorite Triplet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Labradorite triplet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After making lots of rings, I wanted to create something big and more involved, little did I know this would turn out to be such an epic project. Matching set of three pieces, including a 9 stone flexible bracelet, ring and pendant. I bought a set of Labradorite cabochon stones from Dhorgems with the vague idea of making a bracelet. After some research and pondering, I came up with a link design between each stone held in a bezel set framework with pierced out backs. Started out by constructing the 9 settings from sheet silver, each one taking several hours to construct, sand and polish. For each one, I had to build 4 projecting hinge parts from some J-tube (that\u2019s thick walled tube), that\u2019s 36 separate hinge parts! Took ages.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Found a great tip on YouTube for how to hold the hinge parts in alignment while soldering them in place. Using a retractable pencil lead, slide a bundle of them through the hinge parts to align the two pieces. When heated, the graphite in the leads doesn\u2019t melt, brilliant! Some of them came out so well that they didn\u2019t need any further adjustment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to incorporate some gold into this piece for the first time (lots of firsts in this one) so I used gold wire to make the hinge pins and riveted over the ends to stop them sliding out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I had to build a catch and a few extra links to get the overall diameter to fit Jules\u2019s wrist. Did lots of research to come up with a catch design that fit the look of the bracelet and ended up with a novel hybrid design that I couldn\u2019t see online but which I think worked well. I even did a 3D CAD mock-up and rendering in 3DSMax to help visualise the design. Built another 8 hinge parts and cut, shaped and soldered up the fiddly little parts for the catch. The design prevents the catch from accidentally coming open because the pin locks the two halves together unless it’s moved out of alignment before trying to open.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Photo_0158160_Canon_G12\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

After final assembly, riveting, tweaking, polishing some more, the whole thing took shape, it looks great and works really well. The gold pins look great between the iridescent blue stones, the hinge joints move freely, catch functions well, gradual sizing of the stones matches the hinge spacing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnt the hard way how to rivet by not hitting the end too hard and bending the pin. Also, to have had more height on the bezel to rub over the stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While making the bracelet, I worked on a ring and pendant, both with similar bezel settings to form a matching set. These were simple In comparison to the complexity of making the bracelet, all had matching blue Labradorite stones and matching wavy pierced backs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, very happy with the three, especially the bracelet. Perhaps something simpler next.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bracelet<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n