The last part of Module 1 was to make a brooch with a set stone and a pin back - building upon the two prior experiences.

We started by sketching and I had already gone through my stone collection and selected a large trillion cut cabochon of Mookaite Jasper, from Australia, that I had bought at the Tuscon show almost 10 years ago.  I also have a collection of deer bones - vertebra, jaws with teeth, scapula, tibia, fibula, and skulls with and without antlers which I have found in the woods (don't worry they were picked clean by the vultures and I washed them when I got home).

I sketched a large piece with the stone in a bezel setting with an pierced back, a vertebra would be prong set over it and I would place silver beads on wire around it all. I planned (note the tense) on using Shibuichi I had cast and rolled a long time ago. 

I cut out the back plate, made the bezel and cut the bead wires. Then I went to solder it all together and that's where it went wrong. The bezel setting soldered to the plate fine but those damn wires would not solder and then 2 broke off at the joint and I melted the bezel. FRACK.  I gave up as it was a Sunday and I did not want to do this all over plus I did not have more shibuichi. I emailed the teacher and said we needed to talk on Tuesday before class. 

On Monday, before my appointment, I selected a few other stones I liked and wanted to work with and did a quick layout of them. On Tuesday, during the meeting, the teacher and I discussed next steps and he liked my idea of NOT doing the same piece again but doing something else that was a new design.

I chose a large cab or Larimar from the Dominican Republic, Opalized Dendrite Agate from Wyoming, and a small Black Opal from Australia - again all purchased during the Tucson Gem & Mineral show, oh and a small torch fired enamel bead, on copper, that I made. I would put a pin back on the Larimar and join everything together with links, ending with the bead. I started on Friday and had all the components made by Sunday and attached the pin back. On Monday I polished all the settings and set the stones then added the pin wire.  I was ready to turn it in on Tuesday to find out that since everyone else was sooooooooo far behind, we were given a week's extension! I used the free time to make two more fish pins.

I am glad the first piece had issues because I like the second piece more

The second part of this unit is to make a brooch with a set stone and pin back.
This week we had a demonstration on making pin backs - using draw plates to get the tubing the right size for a string steel wire, cutting two pieces of tube to hold the pin wire, bending the wire and sharpening it, making the catch and soldering it all in place.

I decided to make a sample pin, for me, so I could practice the process before actually doing it on the brooch I am making.  Let me tell you cutting tiny tubing to 3mm and 6mm is not fun because if you are not careful it will fall on the floor and you will NEVER EVER FIND IT!!! 

For my pin, I decided to us an impression die I have of a small fish. I pressed into 18 gauge copper and cut out an oval. Then polished it to about 600 grit. I did not do a high shine polish because some texture enhanced the fish because, I super heated the copper and quenched it very fast to get the Red, Copper II Oxide on the front face. I then had to use a coarse grit spider wheel to remove the oxide on the brooch back, around the fish but NOT the fish.  I then soldered the catch and the pin tubes onto the brooch back, bent and set the wire and TA-DA I have a new pin to put on my winter hat.
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