Being a self-taught metalsmith means that a lot of what I do is trial and error. Unfortunately mostly error! When I do try something new, I often make silly mistakes that a teacher would (hopefully) warn me against. My latest "learning experience" was one of those little mistakes: I tried a prong setting with a tiny little 3mm (did I mention it was small?) cubic zirconia. I eventually succeeded, but the dents in the wall from throwing tools illustrates why you should learn this technique with something a bit larger. The frustration level got pretty high while trying to solder the prong wires in a tiny space, hold the bitty CZ while trying to place it, and set the prongs on the little stone (did I mention it was small?). When will I ever learn to think these things through just a bit before I start off on these adventures?
That said, this cute, little (did I mention it was small?) Sweet Heart Necklace is now available in my Etsy shop.
