How To Make A Wishbone Ring With Guest Tutor Asími

Hi there, my name is Eleni and I am a silversmith here in London, UK. I run my own online jewellery business called Asími, where I hand craft sterling silver jewellery such as rings, earrings and necklaces.

You’re probably reading this because you’re wondering how you can make a wishbone ring. I’ve written out a step by step guide, with all the tools and materials needed to make your very own wishbone ring.

Recommended tools & supplies

Measure the ring blank

Begin by measuring the ring blank to your desired size. A quick reminder that to do this, you need to take the inner diameter + metal thickness and times it by 3.14 (pi).

When it comes to creating the ‘V’ shape in the ring, it depends on if you want the ‘V’ to be deep or shallow. To do this, you would add 8-9mm onto your ring blank if you want a deep ‘V’ and for a shallow ‘V’, you would add 7mm.

• Inner diameter + metal thickness x 3.14
• Deep V = 8 - 9mm
• Shallow V = 7mm

I would like to add that making a wishbone ring isn’t an exact science and does require some practice until you get the hang of how you like your ‘V’.

Saw & file D-shape wire

Once you have your measured ring blank, measure it with a ruler and mark the required length with a pencil and use a jewellers saw to cut.

TIP: Don’t forget to lubricate your saw blade to help it glide through the metal and prevent it from sticking.

Once you have sawed out your ring length it's time to file the edges straight, place the wire up against your bench peg and use a file to file both edges down, making sure they’re flat on each side.

Solder

Flux the join that you will be soldering where the two points meet. Place hard solder on the join and slowly start to heat the piece using your torch. Once the solder flows, turn the ring round and use your torch again to make sure the solder has flowed completely. Place your ring in pickle solution until it’s nice and clean, then rinse in water.

File

Using a needle file and emery sticks, file down the point so that it's rounded nice and smooth.

Shape the Wishbone ring

Place your ring on the mandrel and hammer it to size, avoiding the point.

Next, grab a pencil and mark the point where the ring would close if it were an ordinary ring. Once you’ve marked it with your pencil, remove the ring and reach for your nylon pliers. This bit is tricky and might take some time, or even a few goes! Place your pliers where you marked your ring and bend the ring down. You should have a v shape now!

Place it on your mandrel again and hammer your ring, making sure you rotate the ring so it’s even on both sides.

Time to polish

There are many options to polish, but one of my favourite ways is to use tripoli and red rouge. I use tripoli first with my Dremel, making sure I remove any tripoli residue before using moving onto red rouge. Once you have used the red rouge, you can use warm, soapy water to remove the residue from the red rouge.

Alternative ways to polish include using polishing papers, 3M radical discs or putting it in the tumbler - but remember, the tumbler doesn’t get rid of scratches, it only polishes!

The finished wishbone ring

I hope you’ve enjoyed this step-by-step guide and hope you have fun making these beautiful, meaningful rings.

If you liked what you saw, come and say hi to me over on my Instagram page @asimistudio.

How to wear your wishbone ring

Due to the wishbones V shape, this makes it ideal for pairing with other rings and this is why it's often a popular choice with engagement and wedding rings.

You can choose to wear your wishbone ring facing down or upwards, it's completely up to you and whether you want to pair it with another ring.

Adding diamonds to your wishbone ring is thought to bring the wearer long-lasting luck and happiness. That's why you'll often find eternity and wishbone wedding rings encrusted with sparkling diamonds!

Diamond is also April's birthstone, so a diamond wishbone ring could be the perfect handmade gift for a loved one.

Explore our wide range of diamond stones for jewellery making online, with classic diamond faceted stones, cabochons, crystals and beads.

Jewellery Wire

Explore our wide range of wire for jewellery making, including sterling silver, eco-friendly, 9ct gold, copper, brass and more. There are various shapes to choose from including D-shape, square, rectangular, beaded, twisted and gallery wire.

Build A Tool Kit

If you're unsure of what tools you need to get started in jewellery making, head to our Build A Tool Kit section. You'll find an array of tool kits for various areas of jewellery making including beading, metal clay and metalsmithing.