Fine Silver Menagerie Stacking Rings

by Marcia Southwick
(Santa Fe, NM)

This series of stacking rings grew out of an instinct towards collage. I'm a writer and was a university professor of poetry writing for years, and collage is one of processes I work with.

I was experimenting with creating tiny molds, for images to layer onto flat pieces, when the idea of making them into stacking rings occurred.

I fused rings out of .999 fine silver wire, 12 gauge. Then I made the cabochons out of PMC, dried and sanded them, and fired them with a butane torch.

I then added clay slip to the bottoms of the cabochon with a layer of extra clay to attach it to the ring, then fired the cabochon to the ring.

I brass brushed the rings, oxidized them, sanded them, and machine tumbled them for strength and shine.

What I learned from this chance experience is that I can use the principles of collage I learned in writing and apply them to designing more innovative jewelry. What fun!

Marcia Southwick
B.BOLD Jewelry for Boomer Girls