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Hi, I've just recently been teaching myself how to carve wax for an engagement ring for my girlfriend as well. This book was a good starting point for me.

If you're thinking about actually making it yourself still, I recommend you purchase these tools and a jeweler's saw. You'll also need some sort of scribe (I have a good pair of calipers that I use as a scribe) and a ring gauge. Having some good files around will help as well. All in all, you can get setup for carving wax for $100 or less. It's difficult, but with practice you absolutely improve. I've made about 5 or 6 practice rings and I learn something new each time I make one. It's really all about the "order of operations" when carving.

Casting isn't super difficult, there are plenty of good tutorials on YouTube for that. Dental wax and equipment is a bit different, but I'm sure your friend can help. Look on craigslist for a centrifugal casting machine and a small kiln. Everything else you can get on riogrande (things like investment, casting grain metals, etc.).

After casting, you'll probably want to get a flex shaft. You can use it to clean up and polish the ring. And then if you get a hammer attachment, you can use that to set the stones. Here's a good tutorial on pave setting.

It sounds like you're set on going the CAD route, but if you decide to carve and cast yourself, let me know!

I'm surprised they took you to straight to repair and surpassed fabrication work. But congrats nonetheless!

First, know what type of torch you're using. Propane, Acetylene or natural gas. Each of them behave differently, get to different temperatures, and have different safety regulations. Check your regulators before touching the torch and always have a fire extinguisher handy.

Second, you have to notice the difference between reducing, oxidizing and neutral flames You want to try to use a neutral flame most of the time.

Third, remember that size of flame is important. Most of the time, you can get an area just as hot with a smaller flame, it will just be more concentrated in a certain area. Thinner, more intricate pieces need smaller flames.

Fourth, remember to use a heat shield on anything you heat and flux on anything you solder. Unless you want the pink of firescale on purpose, don't forget them. Practice applying your flux and heating it so that it doesn't burn off.

Fifth, remember that solder travels in the direction of heat, and likes to travel on cleaner surfaces. If one part of your piece is colder than the other, the solder is going to want to travel away from that, with some effect of gravity, and closer to the flame of your torch. Try to heat your piece evenly unless there's an area that heat can't be applied.

Sixth, never EVER get heat near stones other than diamond.

Seventh, make sure your solder joints are as flush as you can make them and your pieces don't move. Use a clean sawblade, a file, or 220 sandpaper to make sure everything lines up as best as possible. A cleaner, perfectly made joint will be easier and have nicer result. Line up everything with locking tweezers or a third hand so that they don't move around.

Eighth, remember your hardnesses of solder. Hard is hot, easy is cooler. Use the hardest solder you're comfortable with so the joint is as strong as possible, while still trying to be repairable in the future.

Last, but most importantly, invest in a guide. The Complete Metalsmith is a great resource for any jeweler-in-training.

No problem. :-)

I've never owned the one that I linked, but it's highly reviewed. Lots of good reviews usually don't let you down.

I have this one:

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OALOHS/

At ~$100, it's a bit more pricey, but I use it for professional applications so I wanted to start out with a mid-grade model. Wish I could compare it to the $40 one for you.

Ultrasonic cleaners are great because they clean out all the dirt and grime that you can't get to with anything else, or even see, really.

It's awesome for glasses, too. I'll pop my glasses in there for 480 seconds and they come out like new. Rinse. Dry. New glasses.

I restore classic cars and I've had parts in there. Plastic knobs and light lenses come out sparkly.

My wife's jewelry is always clean.

I mostly use mine for watchmaking purposes which involves a lot more little jars filled with other chemicals, but I've been surprised at all the other things that I've cleaned in it.

They're pretty versatile little machines if you get one that's easy to dump and rinse out. Sometimes the amount of dirt in little things is shocking.

I also agree with PibbleDrivel in that it is probably a briolette cut citrine with a hole drilled through the side with either a rolo or box chain gold necklace going through it.

Here are some links, but be sure to research them properly before buying from them:

$49 Blue Heron Jewelry - http://www.blueheronwoods.com/CitrineNecklace-pr-481.html

$22.99 Overstock smokey quartz - http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Charming-Life-Sterling-Silver-Smokey-Quartz-Briolette-Necklace/3539924/product.html

$44.99 Overstock Rose de France amethyst (drilled from front to back and needs jump ring or connection of your preference) - http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Watches/Pear-shape-18x13mm-Briolette-cut-Rose-De-France-Stone/6377769/product.html

$156.67 Amazon citrine and yellow gold - http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Necklace-Natural-Briolette-Citrine/dp/B00847LNM0/ref=sr_1_12?s=jewelry&ie=UTF8&qid=1345967008&sr=1-12&keywords=citrine+briolette+necklace

$172.36 Amazon citrine and yellow gold - http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Necklace-Natural-Briolette-Citrine/dp/B007ILDS80/ref=sr_1_15?s=jewelry&ie=UTF8&qid=1345967008&sr=1-15&keywords=citrine+briolette+necklace

Probably cheaper to simply purchase the citrine and necklace separately and thread the necklace through yourself, to be honest. Hope this was helpful. =D

I've been in a similar predicament; all the diamond earrings on Amazon have such mixed reviews. I've bought pearl earrings from HinsonGayle like these before as a gift and now they are my go-to item for hard to shop for friends. They are very shiny, perfectly smooth, and come in a nice little box. One note: they are kind of large and showy.

This would be pretty easy to put together for a hobbyist. If you post some better photographs, I could give you some links to the different components. The hardest part to find will be the part where it attaches to the ear. The rest of the pieces can be easily found on Etsy or a beading supplier website.

Are the colored, faceted balls glass or plastic?

EDIT: A kit like this would help y'all remake them.

EDIT 2: Or contact an Etsy artist like this person who makes very similar items and commission a custom single earring.

If you're looking to go with no pendant, you may want to choose a chain like a rope chain that will look better on its own. This one may be nice (it's only 1mm so it's thinner than the photo suggests). Wearing a box or snake chain by itself may look odd and like it's supposed to have a pendant but doesn't.

Initials are also very popular. I'm sure you could find two small engraved discs and engrave one initial on each, or one disc with both initials would look nice as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Marcasite-Turquoise-Paisley-Necklace/dp/B005318AIK/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t - The silver looks too light, I think.

http://www.silvertribe.com/necklaces/turquoise-necklaces?reset_filter=1 - This site looks like it has some interesting necklaces in a range of prices. It doesn't have to look exactly the same as your current piece, right? No need to make a gorgeous necklace look like something you got off of a piece of cardboard at Claire's by being super matchy-matchy, lol.

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Onyx-Ring-Black-Hills/dp/B01GA07JIE listing of the exact ring. u/raaabbit was spot on it seems.

"According to legend, French goldsmith, Henri LeBeau got lost in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the 1870s gold rush. He fell asleep thinking he was dying of thirst and starvation. He dreamed he saw a mountain stream with grapevines growing on its banks. He woke and walked over a rise to see the stream and grapevines in his dream. In gratitude, he dedicated his life and talents to creating jewelry in the shapes of grape clusters and leaves fashioned in rose, green and yellow gold."
The description in general seems like a nice read.

amazon has a great selection of loupes

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K0BGNNC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one has a stronger 60x magnification. I use this to confirm the laser inscription on my diamond as well as to really look at small details on the diamond

MAPP would be a bit unwieldy, imo.

I use this guy: http://www.amazon.com/ALL-PURPOSE-LARGE-BUTANE-TORCH-SOL-310-00/dp/B0058EDUYG

It works great. Gets plenty hot, nothing on it has melted even though I'm right up in the action with it, easy to refill but doesn't go through the butane too quickly, and has an adjustable flame (which is really key for a lot of things). Eventually I'll upgrade to acetylene, but for now it works great.

If you want a step up from that the Blazer gets consistently good reviews - http://www.amazon.com/Blazer-GB2001-Self-Igniting-Butane-Micro-Torch/dp/B000VML7KO/

> mine it yourself in the US is Sapphire.

It's highly unlikely that you're gonna be able to find any kind of a gem grade stone by visiting an open-to-the-public mine. And if you do find one, it'll be so puny and an ugly color that it wouldn't be worth the expense of cutting it.

However, I have a sneaky suggestion that poses some fun and excitement for you and she'll get a knockout gem in the end!

Start off buying an inexpensive but high quality rock tumbler. It'll come with a small amount of varying grits and instructions.

For sapphire rough you're gonna need silicon carbide 220 grit and a few weeks of patience.

Couple bags of 15mm alumina balls for filler material inside the tumbler.

Contact a gem cutter like this guy HERE, select the synthetic sapphire/ruby (or spinel) color(s) of your choice and ask that he cut up a quarter-boule into varies shapes and preform them into alluvial shapes in the 5-7ct range. This will allow you some breathing room for polishing so that you wind up with a handful of various shapes and sizes after tumbling. You would then (secretly) drop these lil beauties into your honey's gem gravel before the wash. You'd probably have to fill in the assisting staff at the mine of what you're doing. She then discovers the gems and picks out which one she wants to have cut.

You then contact Phil again, send him the piece(s)....and he cuts a perfect gem in the size and shape that you choose either from the tumbled rough or new material.

You save a bankroll, have a blast being sneaky and she gets a REAL sapphire or ruby for her engagement ring and is never the wiser. :)

u/SandraRosner has offered good advice on this issue.
I would go with clear silicone ring size adjuster, not metal ones. Here's acouple from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anpro-Adjuster-Sizes-Clear-Resizer/dp/B073FDFLSF/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540226182&sr=8-3&keywords=ring+size+adjuster


and


https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Adjuster-Loose-Rings-Assorted/dp/B07C15P2F7/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1540226182&sr=8-4&keywords=ring+size+adjuster

so is it worth it? How can I tell? Like this looks pretty similar and it's significantly cheaper: https://www.amazon.com/Suxerlry-Stainless-English-Initial-Necklace/dp/B07WRDDZNK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=necklace%2Bold%2Benglish%2Bletter%2Binitial%2Bmens&qid=1572496854&sr=8-2&th=1

Maybe something like this?

As a temporary solution, there are plastic ring "size adjusters" you can wear. Here's one example, here's another example.