Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Initial Ring

Posted on February 28, 2013 by lakeshorelavaliere

The hand stamped brass initial ring and the hand stamped nickel & stainless steel initial ring are the two most popular items in the lakeshore lavaliere online shop. Recently I received a message from a prospective customer asking if I made the ring in sterling silver. I already had the discs, and had actually just ordered sterling silver 18 gauge and 26 gauge wire for jewelry making with this exact idea in mind. I love sterling silver jewelry, and I love working with sterling silver in making my own jewelry. Sterling silver is an alloy made of no less than 92.5% silver, and the remaining ~7.5% is usually made up of copper with sometimes trace amounts of other metals. It’s easy to work with, and because it is composed of more than 90% silver, it is an ideal metal to use in jewelry because it is great for people with sensitive skin. When I was a kid, I couldn’t wear any nickel earrings without getting a nasty reaction because my ears were so sensitive. The doctor told me that less than 15% of the population had metal allergies or sensitivity (lucky me to make the cut….), and that most of those people were sensitive to jewelry with high amounts of nickel, although mostly on their hands and in their ears (which is why I use a stainless steel 18 gauge wire base in my rings that are stamped on nickel preventing skin contact with the nickel disc, even though nickel doesn’t bother most people). So, he suggested that I try sterling silver, which is slightly more expensive than the base metals, but is still an affordable alternative. I’ve been wearing sterling silver ever since, and now I love working with it in the pieces that I create. Not only is it great for people with sensitive skin, it withstands the test of time much better than even pure silver because pure silver is too soft to create durable pieces with. The copper infusion in sterling silver makes it strong and durable (which is why sterling silver is so commonly used in silverware), which makes it perfect for jewelry.

***I hope you’ve enjoyed my tangent on base metals, sterling silver alloy composition, and precious metals. Feel free to skip my lecture above on why I love sterling silver and it’s comparison with base and precious metals. To sum it all up, sterling silver is awesome, great for sensitive skin, and stronger and more durable than fine silver. Therefore, I love using it in my different pieces, and I now offer the popular lakeshore lavaliere hand stamped initial ring in sterling silver:

To access the listing in the lakeshore lavaliere online shop….. Just Click the Pictures!

Go to etsy.com/shop/lakeshorelavaliere to browse the different shop sections/ inquire about a custom order:

If you have any questions, or would like to make a request for a custom order while browsing the lakeshore lavaliere online shop, Etsy convo me by clicking ‘contact’on the left hand side of the page
For other Inquiries/Requests/Custom Orders, Feel Free to Contact lakeshorelavaliere@gmail.com

Follow lakeshore lavaliere here or on Twitter & Pinterest for more information about upcoming events, tutorials, & new pieces!

United We Love Hand Stamped Linked Heart Ring

Posted on February 7, 2013 by lakeshorelavaliere

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching-and by request I decided to make a Valentine’s themed ring. The design features the iconic image of the symbol for love and all things sweet- perfect for Valentine’s Day, the heart. Hand stamped on a brass disc which I then soldered to the brass ring base with two blown glass red beads and 4 brass spacer beads, this ring has a romantic and cute little image of two linked hearts,

Simple and sweet, this ring is a great accessory or gift for Valentine’s Day!

To access the listing in the lakeshore lavaliere online shop….. Just Click the Pictures!

Go to etsy.com/shop/lakeshorelavaliere to browse the different shop sections/ inquire about a custom order:

If you have any questions, or would like to make a request for a custom order while browsing the lakeshore lavaliere online shop, Etsy convo me by clicking ‘contact’on the left hand side of the page
For other Inquiries/Requests/Custom Orders, Feel Free to Contact lakeshorelavaliere@gmail.com

Follow lakeshore lavaliere here or on Twitter & Pinterest for more information about upcoming events, tutorials, & new pieces!

Hand-Stamped Personalized Ring

Posted on October 29, 2012 by lakeshorelavaliere

Monogrammed jewelry is a great way to give a personal gift for any occasion- or for no occasion at all like this lakeshore lavaliere gold tone hand-stamped brass ring:

This hand stamped gold tone brass ring was a gift for my roommate, who is also the lovely hand model you see in the pictures below. After stamping the blank with her initials, I used the oxidation process that I mentioned in my last post to really make sure the letters were a nice and dark contrast to the rest of the blank. Then, I punched two holes to slip the wire through in order to anchor the blank to the wire ring base & added a metal & jewelry adhesive as well to create a firmer hold. I made the ring’s base from gold tone non-tarnish copper 18-gauge wire, which is definitely the wire I prefer to work with because it doesn’t nick every time you touch it with a tool like most other jewelry/craft wires.

I’ve always loved all things monogrammed, and this ring was a fun way to be able to give a gift to the girl who is bravely entering her third year of sharing a residence with me. Next up: a ring for my other roommate.

These rings are available in any size, in silver, and can be personalized with anyone’s initials (or a word or name as long as it is short enough to fit on the blank!)

To access the listing in the lakeshore lavaliere online store, just click the pictures!

go to etsy.com/shop/lakeshorelavaliere to browse the different shop sections

For Inquiries/Requests/Custom Orders, you can contact me by email at lakeshorelavaliere@gmail.com

etsy convo me to get a custom order going right away. (go to my etsy.com shop, and click the ‘contact seller’ button on the menu on the left-hand side of the screen)

Thanks for reading!

Flower Cabochon Filigree Ring

Posted on October 22, 2012 by lakeshorelavaliere

Resin cabochons, like the aqua flower cabochon on this ring, make for beautiful decorative additions to a piece of jewelry. I’ve seen them used in many different ways, like these earrings & barrettes below:

and I thought that a resin flower cabochon would look great as part of a large statement ring. I used an antique gold filigree base and a decorative antique gold bezel to really accent and make the aqua flower cabochon pop:

To access the listing in the lakeshore lavaliere online store, just click the pictures!

go to etsy.com/shop/lakeshorelavaliere

For Inquiries/Requests/Custom Orders, Contact: lakeshorelavaliere@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!

Flower Pendant Filigree Ring

Posted on October 16, 2012 by lakeshorelavaliere

This flower pendant filigree ring was a custom order to make a necklace pendant into a ring. The back of the pendant came to a point in the middle, so in order to attach the pendant to the filigree ring base I had to file the back down into a flat surface. Using a special adhesive and extra wire, I attached the flower pendant to the filigree base. To finish, I applied a patina solution to create the greenish aged look.

Repurposing the materials to create this ring was such a fun & challenging project!

To access the listing in the lakeshore lavaliere online store, just click the pictures.

go to etsy.com/shop/lakeshorelavaliere

For Inquiries, Requests, Custom Orders, Contact: lakeshorelavaliere@gmail.com