Pearl Pegs

[Urban Jule]

Is it possible to make your own pegs to mount pearls? If so, any suggestions for a tutorial? I want to mount 4mm pearls on the surface of a pendant I am designing. Metal is sterling silver. Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[amti]

Do you have the proper torch and gasses? If so, it's really easy to do a basic peg. I did a beginner's jewelry class last fall and took a piece of sterling wire and attached it to the inside center of a small domed circle. I punched the circle from a flat sheet of silver and then domed it. Here's a picture of the bracelet I made using that technique. It's not perfect but I couldn't fine tune it since the semester was ending. The hardest part for me was making sure it all stayed together when attaching the domed disc to the bracelet band. I darkened the silver and have worn it a few times so you can see where it needs to be darkened again.

 

[pattye]

Welcome to the forum, Urban Jule. Have you checked you tube for tutorials? Ganoksin.com is a resource also. Have you ever done soldering?

Helen, thanks for sharing your bracelet, the dark metal is a great compliment to the bluish pearls. How awesome to not deal with a clasp!

 

[CathyKeshi]

Love that bracelet, Amti; I'd like to see that one in person!

 

[Marianne]

Wonderful bracelet, Helen!!!

 

[Katbran]

Great job on the bracelet Helen. As a short cut - though I know you were in class - you can buy precut disks. Saves a bit of effort !

 

[amti]

Great job on the bracelet Helen. As a short cut - though I know you were in class - you can buy precut disks. Saves a bit of effort !

Oh man, wish I knew that ahead of time! I was sweating while heating the silver... it's a tricky process not to melt any of it except the solder!

Thank you all for your compliments on the bracelet. I never meant to post it since it's really not that great of a design and the craftsmanship is a bit embarrassing. I have a gold flex band type bracelet which I love (changed out the cfw pearls into gssps) and wanted to make similar with Tahitians, and this was the closest I could make with my limited skills. The design isn't perfect or super comfortable. But it was something I came up with and decided to keep since it was wearable. It will need to be oxidized again soon but I'll have to wait until I take another class next fall!

 

[Charlotta]

I would love to learn how to work with metal and make all my own findings. The clasps I could design...how fun. Don't now when to have the time though. Would get expensive to I think...me experimenting with 18k gold...with kitten to help...

 

[Urban Jule]

Making Pearl Pegs

Making Pearl Pegs

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I have all the proper equipment. I'm imagining that the process is not that much different from soldering a post onto an earring, am I correct? With the exception of making a convex base to hold the peg and the pearl? I've googled "how to make pearl pegs" and have found nothing on Ganoskin or YouTube. Thanks again.

 

[JerseyPearl]

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I have all the proper equipment. I'm imagining that the process is not that much different from soldering a post onto an earring, am I correct? With the exception of making a convex base to hold the peg and the pearl? I've googled "how to make pearl pegs" and have found nothing on Ganoskin or YouTube. Thanks again.

Basically yes; you just use a piece of wire and solder it to the cup (or whatever base you're using). The wire gauge is dependent on the size of the drill hole. Much like soldering on a prong to a setting, only it's in the middle of your base rather than on the edges.

 

[Katbran]

If it's just one then it's not too tricky - you drill a little dent to set the peg in and solder. ( if you are setting more than one pearl you may need to switch from Hard to Medium part way through.) I'd practice on a piece of scrap silver a few times to get the feel of it.

 

[amti]

And don't forget to lightly saw groves on the peg for the glue!

 

[JerseyPearl]

And don't forget to lightly saw groves on the peg for the glue!

Amti, I use a metal file to rough up my pegs as well as the inner cup.