Sterling & Fine Silver Ring by Andrew Thornton - Size 6

Sterling & Fine Silver Ring by Andrew Thornton

Size: 6.

From Andrew: A year ago…maybe more, I found these really cool carved bronzite cylinder seal beads from Afghanistan. Each one was hand-carved and done in a style that dates back millennia! I really loved them and even drove back through a torrential thunderstorm to get them after a mix up with our order. (They accidentally didn’t tally them up in our order and put them back after we left.)

I used PMC to press out the designs. I was fortunate enough to have a pack of the classic recipe. Most people hate shrinkage with the original recipe, but I like how it can miniaturize a design!

After the pieces were fired, I soldered them on to ring bands. They were tumbled in steel shot, patinated in liver of sulfur, then hand polished. When they came out of the tumbler, they were bright and shiny. It wasn’t vibing with the ancient design, so I gave them a nice satin finish. (The satin finish is actually easier to maintain.) Then I did a final buff with some Renaissance Wax to help protect the finish.