Answering the call of the wild, this sterling silver ring necklace blends stamped paw prints, hammered borders, a wildly rustic antique patina, and an adjustable black leather cord tied with slip knots. Based on a handmade finger ring, my ring necklaces were crafted as an alternative to finger rings in order to leave the hands unencumbered by bulky jewelry thereby providing the freedom and dexterity for comfort or sports like rock climbing.
To create the ring, a flat band was sheared 8 mm wide and in the proper length for a size 8 ring from an 18 gauge sterling silver sheet using a precision bench shear. By striking a paw print steel metal stamp with a hammer, the paw print design was imprinted on the flat metal, before aligning the ends and soldering the seam with an acetylene torch. The loosely formed and soldered ring was slid over a steel ring mandrel and shaped to perfection by gently hammering with a non-marring nylon mallet. In order to add the honeycomb texture along the edges, a small ball hammer was tapped along the outer borders while the ring was still on the mandrel.
