Outline Enrichment of Silver
Stones and Their Cuttings
Little has been written regarding the designing of jewelry. As can be readily seen, a semi-precious stone is the controlling factor in the major portion of the designs with silver as a background. Any enrichment merely accentuates the beauty of the setting. This statement would lead us to consider the outline as dependent in character and thoroughly related to the stone. It is necessary then to take the stone as a point of departure. The standard stone cuttings used in simple jewelry are shown in [Figures 166] to [170]. The first three and the last are cabochon cut, elliptical in contour with flat bottoms. The long axes have been drawn in each instance.
Courtesy of P. and F. Corbin
Plate 30
Relation of Stone to Contour
With [Figures 171] to [174] we begin to see the close relation between the stone and its enclosing form. Rule 5f. A longer major axis in the stone calls for an increased length in the corresponding axis of the silver foundation or background. It is really a re-echo of the proportions of the primary mass of the stone in the mass of the silver. It is well for the beginner to make the axis of the stone and the silver blank coincide and to use this long axis as a basis for future enrichment. In a vertical primary mass, similar to the one shown in [Figure 180], it is better design to place the stone a short distance above the geometric center of the mass as it insures a sense of stability and balance. A stone when placed toward the bottom of a design of this nature is inclined to give a feeling of "settling down" or lost balance.
[Figure 176] varies the design shown in [Figure 171]. The two circles related to the stone are connected by four silver grains or balls. [Figure 177] shows an attempt to enrich the contour of the silver, but there is a resulting tendency to detract from the simplicity of the unbroken outline and, as a result, little is gained by its attempted enrichment. [Figures 178] and [179] show a better form of enrichment by accentuating the outline. This may be accomplished either by engraving a single line paralleling the contour or by soldering a thin wire around the outline.