[Jewelry making - Article 00135] - Re: [Orchid] Puzzle ring fabricating process

[Gary]

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    I've had several offline requests about the following, so have
    decided to answer here. 

    I'm in UK and saw a puzzle ring for the first time early in 1961. I
    was really taken with it and tried to buy it, but the owner wouldn't
    sell. I started looking in jeweller's shops without success, but my
    girl friend was luckier and managed to find an antique one that she
    gave me as a Christmas present. I was delighted with it and quickly
    learned how to assemble it. 

    Unlike the original, where each ring was a rather crude casting in
    low grade silver, this one was in gold and obviously made of wire, so
    I thought I'd like to try and make one. I made the jig (I still use
    it - its the one in the photo) and made one out of 1mm copper wire.
    It wasn't very attractive, but was a working puzzle ring. Spurred on
    by my "success" I decided to make one out of silver, but where to buy
    silver wire? I had no idea. Up to that time I had no interest in
    jewellery at all! A jeweller's shop owner suggested I tried a bullion
    dealer in London's famous Hatton Garden, so off I went to Johnson
    Matthey and purchased 10" of silver wire, a tiny square of silver
    solder, and a pot of EasyFlo flux. 

    I rushed home and made my very first bit of jewellery - a sterling
    silver puzzle ring. That was is 1961. 

    An aunt saw it and asked if I would make one for her. I sold it to
    her, purchased some more wire and made another one, which another
    aunt bought. My mother was one of 13 so I had lots of aunts and
    several requests for puzzle rings. Eventually I made a couple out of
    gold wire and one day an aunt said "I like these rings you're making,
    but I don't want a puzzle ring. Can you make me a ring with a stone
    on it?". Of course, I said "Yes", but really I had no idea. I went to
    the library and "devoured" all the books on jewellery making I could
    find, trooped up to Hatton Garden, purchased a green zircon (rather
    pretty brilliant cut about 6mm diam) a coronet setting to suit, some
    gold shank wire, and eventually made my first "normal" ring. 

    I was then "hooked" and have been hand making jewellery ever since.
    I still make puzzle rings, but mostly its other things - rings of
    course, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. 

    The following link is of a gold puzzle ring with 3 rubies, assembled
    and disassembled to show how the the stones are attached. 

    http://tinyurl.com/4h4oqp 

    The ring is made first, then the collets for the stones. The first
    collet to be attached is the central one; the underside is cut to
    fit the top ring (its the top "8" ring) and clear the one beneath it.
    It is then secured with binding wire with the ring assembled so as to
    get it in the correct postion. The ring is then carefully
    disassembled without disturbing the collet, which is then soldered
    on. The two remaining collets are fitted the same way, but both to
    the same ring - the top "V" ring. The rings are cut away from inside
    each collet so as to leave room for the lower part of the stones
    which are subsequently set in the usual way. 

    If there is sufficient interest I'll create and post a tutorial of
    making the next one - but I doubt that it will have stones. 

Regards, Gary Wooding
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