A few months ago, a customer came to our attention who has a particularly strong passion for goldsmith work from the Middle Ages and who also has a trained taste and a remarkably well-founded knowledge of this section of historical goldsmith work.
After we already have the basics for an exceptional pectoral were allowed to make for him, he now commissioned a finger ring in the style of the High Middle Ages with an elaborate arcade setting for a rare and wonderful one medieval Sapphire from his collection.
It is also noteworthy that our customer wanted a particularly pronounced patination, i.e. artificial aging of the ring, in order to come as close as possible to the medieval originals.
After preparing the starting materials, such as a corded wire and a thin rolled sheet - both made of high-alloy gold - the production of the elaborate arcade gemstone setting for this very special finger ring could begin immediately.
As a Arcades-setting refers to specially decorated gemstone settings, which are designed on the outside like the arcades of houses. These versions appear in the Middle Ages gem crosses or book covers and were meant to symbolize the buildings and streets of heavenly Jerusalem.
The arcades of our gemstone setting for the medieval ring were made from first knotted and then rolled gold wire and placed on the gold sheet of the later gemstone setting made of 750/- yellow gold. After that, the “arcades” could be firmly soldered to the gold sheet.
I think you can already see the Middle Ages dawning against the background of my gloomy “dungeon grid” from afar – slowly but surely and convincingly 😉 .
Now the setting – following the shape of the medieval sapphire – is bent, closed and finally soldered together. Then a so-called "inner frame" (a kind of inner ring) is soldered into this socket, on which the sapphire can later lie securely and firmly.
Now it was time to put on the "capitals" of the arcades. To do this, a tiny gold wire was rolled flat, divided into pieces a few millimeters in size, bent and clamped onto two adjacent arcade arches, in order to then solder it firmly there:
Now the actual ring splint followed. For this purpose, a strong gold wire was rolled out and bent into the ring size determined together with the customer. An exciting tool was used for this - a so-called ring bending pliers:
The finished ring band could now be soldered to the medieval arcade mount. To do this, the soldering points were wetted with a special flux, then a small piece of gold solder was formed into a tiny ball in the flame, which could then be attached to the soldering point during the soldering process. Immediately afterwards, the solder flows around the connection point between the setting and the ring rail in the hot, hand-blown flame - and both parts are connected to each other forever after they have cooled down 😉
Here is this soldering process again as a mini video:
Another highlight of this extraordinary ring is certainly the engraving of the ring band. According to our customer's request, some Latin words from the first sentence of the "Regula Benedicti“, i.e. the monastery regulations of Saint Benedict of Nursia to be engraved.
For this purpose, it was agreed with the customer that the engraving should be on the outside as well as on the inside of the ring band and that the same Gothic font could be used that he had already used for the inscription on his pectoral had selected.
Here is a brief insight into the milled engraving (which was then smoothed out with a graver and then blackened):
It is always a very interesting challenge for a goldsmith like me when I almost have to ignore my craft skills, which I have painstakingly acquired and highly trained over decades, with regard to the most precise production possible, when it is ultimately a matter of making the object convincing for many centuries to let age 😉 .
Finally, here are a few nice impressions of this really extraordinary ring:
In any case, we have obviously met the taste of our customer again:
“… Oh that's terrific!!!
Another masterpiece…”
“... Awesome, in every way. You truly have an enviable talent and feel for the ancient techniques, flair and magic of this goldsmith's art. Thank you very much! …”