Oooh, pretty rocks.

Here is the labradorite cabochon I mentioned in my other post. It is grade AAA (highest quality) as evidenced by the hypnotizing depth of blue flash. Labradorite is so named because it was originally mined in Eastern Canada's Labrador. Its colour can range from grey, blue, green, orange & yellow:

I like to call these teardrops, 'my little buggers'. I have had the worst luck working with them. Bezel-setting is a new skill for me & although I've had no trouble with round cabochons, the little point on these stones have been frustrating, to put it oh so mildly. Its crucial to wrap the bezel around the stone tightly, following its shape without any gaps. Then the bezel must be soldered to a piece of sterling sheet, called the backplate. This creates the bezel cup into which the stone is fitted.

During this process, I've melted the bezel, seared holes into the bezel, let the backplate slip out of position, singed my fingers, unleashed my patented tantrums & gotten high on propane. But now that I'm posting about this, I guess I'll be more motivated to get back into that basement studio/dungeon of mine, quit whining & try again, eh?

Other jewelry artists have assured me that teardrops can be tricky even for seasoned metalsmiths, so I guess I'll let my patience meter charge up again.