Three Tones Braided Wedding Rings

Confirmed rings design before going to production

awesome pair

HIS ring

HER ring

“Love was a feeling completely bound up with color, like thousands of rainbows superimposed one on top of the other.” 

― Paulo Coelho

This assignment was recommend by a diamond supplier from Singapore (still have no idea who the person is :P) The bride - a very soft spoken young lady, went around Malaysia and Singapore to look for a capable goldsmith to take up this task. A three tones 18K gold rings (i.e. yellow, rose and white gold) with 76 pieces of 1.25 mm diamonds to be deliver in 3 weeks time. Nobody dare to take up the challenge due to lots of testing has to be done especially the three tones braided part and so many uncertainty in the production flow. 

Ok.....the design is something we always wanted to try on, plus we can imagine how beautiful the rings are going to be. These tempting facts make us just can't resist the challenges. 

My part is art work presentation, I took 2 days and nights to think and try on the weaving effect so it looks like hand braid. At the beginning, the HER ring is plain. Then she decided to add diamonds onto it to enhance it elegant.  And she is right, the micro pave diamond setting really create an awesome effect!

After art work confirmation, Chin start do some testing on the braid using silver cords. He did a few attempts before reaching a consistent and tide braid. Then worked on actual material - yellow, rose and white gold. The time is getting short! We were in tense when the cords broke during the braiding process - I meant a few times! (Due to too thin) Chin have to re-mill the gold cords then repeat the whole process again.  OMG!  

But still we manage to make it. Finally, the beautiful three colour gold cord were tide together in harmony. :D

The third challenge is the diamond selecting process. To match their budget, we try to look for the par rate diamonds. But they are too small (1 mm size - like dandruff??), too cloudy and yellowish in colour. Then we decide to choose the 1.25 mm diamonds with quality we can accept.  We make some adjustment on the diamond quantity but the cost is still within their budget.

Chin take almost 2 days just to set the diamonds. I told the ring owner, Chin make the rings with sweats and tears, plus his eyes were so stress and sore that he can feel they tend to fall off.  She just laughed :) The happy ending is the rings owner like them. She said they look even more beautiful compare to the picture - INDEED!

Let age be no excuse....

What will you do to gain knowledge? Will you drive 182 miles or 292 kilometres from Penang to KL? 

At the age of 60+++, what will you do as leisure? Will you learn hand skills from scratch? 

Josef Bronner will...

A German senior engineer cum GM who sign up "Basic Jewelry Design and Smithing Course" with MC Square Studio. 

Travel back and forth, spending 20 over days with us to create his series of master piece. 

You must have these ingredient to make the course a success namely passion, time, money and diligence.

Josef Bronner has these all (^.^)

After the course, he will be leaving Malaysia - a place he has spend almost his entire life and back to Germany 

Me, Chin, Lizzie, Dawn and Wei will surely missed him much - a humble senior citizen.

This quote from Henry Ford most well describes him:
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

Spot the teacher and the student :)

Amazing piece crafts from wax....

Pink Silver -  I call this "Happy Metal"

Josef Bronner has good polishing and crafting skills

Inner Peace Seeking Moment - Mix Media Charms Pendant

idea recording

combination of silver and brass

Just realise - to materialise our idea is an inner peace seeking journey. When reading from paper the world chaos seems like a never ending story. And the story became a real horror. The weak and small are always the victims of the violent and hatred. As a 3 children mother, I was so terrify to accept this fact. 

When in such emotional condition, I choose to ease myself by writing, singing, dancing, drawing, watching tv bla bla.... But when the negative feeling is still there, I turn to God for HIS guidance!

Design description: 

The round crooked background silver plate is the current world with confuse lines criss-crossing all over created by hammering technique. The texture was emphasized by blackening technique.The original sketch was a round structure, but I was not satisfied with the outcome. Turn to use heavy duty scissors to cut and trim the round onto crooked.shape until it represent my though of the confusing world, then I stop.  The flame shape brass plate holding colours cubic zirconia representing 5 of us: black is the father Chin, white is me, blue and pink is Lizzie's and Dawn's favourite colour. And lastly the green prince of us at the bottom of all stones. We hope to be the light that walk the talks of GOD's teaching. At second though the flame plate is also like hands holding together when you carry something precious. Symbolized GOD's love and teaching hold all us together to face the current and future challenges .

Priceless Gift From A Mama

Mama's Design

3D Artwork

the separated parts before reunion

Mama priceless gift for birthday and Christmas

Since taking this tough course titled : "How to take care of 3 kids cum work from home without getting mad". I have missed doing something I love since Feb 2012 (to prevent this blog to become weeds garden, I have to do something fast)  - organise my though and try to speak it out!   To answer your question - Yes, my 3rd bb was born in April 2012. Our business was in hibernate condition for 3 months since then. I have no more excuse to continue doing tasks that I love. So let this project break the long silence.

A very old friend of mine, a simple person that always has the fine hand making little crafts and delicious bakery (YUM YUM!). She was very indecisive when making decision on gift for her lovely daughter. Until one day she sent me the sketch of her own design. What else can be more unique then that. a perfect life long keepsake for her sweetie.

The pendent is made of 750/18K gold (a strongest material among gold carat) but the chain is 916/22k gold. Not our original plan of 18K gold. Just realise that Malaysia market supply expensive 18K/750 gold jewelry i.e. about RM 350/gram. Which is much more higher compare to 22K/916 gold i.e. RM 195/gram. No doubt the cost of producing 18k/750 gold is higher especially  in terms of tooling cost, but a mass production chain with such high cost is still too much.