Anchor Ring

Mae is the programs director of Sedge Island Natural Resource and Education Center, and she is one of the coolest people I know. We spent a long weekend together this summer when I taught a workshop at Sedge, she knows so much about local marine flora and fauna! 

She commissioned this strong and symbolic ring using a gold charm necklace that her grandfather gave her as a guide. The necklace had a very tiny anchor charm that she wanted transferred into a silver ring. I took the charm and traced it, a few times in pen and pencil, since my micron markers were actually too thick for the small details. 

Then I meticulously hand cut it out using an 8/0 saw blade, which in non-jewelry maker terms, could be equivalent to about 5 strands of hair!

I sanded the edges smooth and added a little radius to match the contours of the gold charm then formed the ring and soldered it on. I gave her the ring when we met up for a fossil hunt this fall, she helped me find my first ever shark tooth!

I can't wait to see how this ring wears with time. In my opinion, as silver ages, it gets the best patina! Especially on something like a ring that is worn often, the high points will remain bright and all the little details and recesses will be highlighted from oxidation.