Prong Basket Pendant

by Kim St. Jean

Highlights of the Free Prong Basket Pendant Lesson

I have to admit - since I have a pretty good collection of jewelry supplies (and access to more I can borrow) the thing I had to go digging for on this project was a gluestick! I love Kim's tips for saving precious sterling silver sheet, even if they involve a few school supplies.

Instructions

To make a Prong Basket Pendant , you'll need:

Tools:

Template

Pencil, paper, glue stick

Metal shears

Metal punch, such as 1.25mm hole punch

Jeweler's saw with 3/0 saw blades, beeswax, and V-slot bench pin

Metal files: Kim used #2 barrette

Bench block

Bench top buffing machine with medium abrasive buffs

Round bail making pliers, such as Wrap & Tap

Soldering paste, hard & easy

Soldering pick

Solderite soldering board on a protective surface (rubber mat, or a cookie sheet)

Annealing pan filled with pumice

Pickling pot with Sparex solution

Copper tongs

Quench bowl & towel

Torch (Kim uses Sterno Culinary head with propane can)

Cross locking tweezers

Soft brass brush

Prong pusher or stone setting pliers

Here is our Basic Sawing Kit - a perfect companion to this video!

Kim St. Jean's Prong Basket Pendant - , Contemporary Wire Jewelry, How To Punch Holes, Hole Punching, Punch A Hole, Sawing, Saw, Wire Saw, Texturing, Design, Tools, Saw kit

And the Deluxe Soldering Kit - all the tools you need in one kit!

Materials:

Commercial prong basket

Faceted stone

24-gauge sterling silver metal sheet

2″ piece of sterling silver pattern wire

Here's why I LOVE this project:

Putting an element off-center brings more interest to the piece (and all around 1:05, we get to watch Kim sketch her design!)

We've been to jeweler's saw school with Kim in a prior video: at 4:19, Kim shows us piercing, which means we punch a hole through the metal sheet, then thread the sawblade through the sheet - and then saw out the component to make a space for the bail!

This piece helps us learn the proper order of soldering: always solder your larger components first! Because the bail will take more heat to complete than the prong basket, we solder the bail first. Kim goes over this at 12:58. Then come over to 16:38 so Kim can explain paste solder compared to other kinds. She also explains the difference between hard, medium, and easy; when to use them & how they change the tools you choose to use - and how she keeps hers organized!

You can sweat solder with paste, sure! Kim shows you how at 27:31. Just remember not to quench the basket til it's joined!

I enjoy Kim's method of shining up a piece after pickling it: a wet German brass brush shines it up without scratching, in no time at all.

At 34:30, Kim shows how to use prong-pushing pliers - I've seen these before but never in action!

Wouldn't this be a fun way to set birthstone-colored CZs? Leave a comment and let me know how you're going to use what you've learned: either the pattern wire bail, the prong basket setting, or something else you took away from this lesson.

I can't wait to see what you come up with after watching this project!

If you haven't picked up your Free 5-DVD Stone Setting Series yet, CLICK HERE to order your copy today, $0.00, just pay $9.95 shipping.

Materials

10x8mm Oval Amethyst CZ - Pack of 1

E5-210U

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $1.90
Gold Club Price: $1.43

Add to Bag

10x8mm Sterling Silver Oval Wire Snapset Head for Faceted Gemstone - Pack of 2

K2-310

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $8.96
Gold Club Price: $6.72

Add to Bag

24 Gauge Dead Soft Sterling Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H8-24SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $44.43
Gold Club Price: $33.32

Add to Bag

Wide Fancy Floral Sterling Silver Pattern Wire - 18 Inches

H25-8H

Lesson Quantity: 2.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $57.70
Gold Club Price: $43.27

Add to Bag

Add All Items to Cart

Tools

Introduction to Stone Setting with Kim St. Jean - 5 DVD Set

DVD-STONEINTRO

DVD-STONEINTRO
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $0.00
Gold Club Price: $0.00

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Deluxe Soldering Kit

G15-5

G15-5
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $116.97
Gold Club Price: $87.73

Add to Bag

Basic Sawing Kit

G15-7

G15-7
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $34.95
Gold Club Price: $26.21

Add to Bag

Pro Shear

SHR-544.00

SHR-544.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

Out of Stock

Euro Punch Pliers--Round - Small--1.25mm

PLR-133.60

PLR-133.60
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.97
Gold Club Price: $11.23

Add to Bag

144 Piece Saw Blades - Pack of 1 Set

G18-2

G18-2
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

Add to Bag

4 Inch Saw Frame

SAW-344.00

SAW-344.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

Add to Bag

6 Piece Assorted File Set with Wooden Handle

G14-7

G14-7
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $5.57
Gold Club Price: $4.18

Add to Bag

Bench Block Helper with Steel and Nylon Blocks

DAP-500.30

DAP-500.30
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

Out of Stock

Benchtop Polisher

POL-260.00

POL-260.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $115.97
Gold Club Price: $86.98

Add to Bag

Hood for Benchtop Polisher

POL-262.00

POL-262.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $41.97
Gold Club Price: $31.48

Add to Bag

6 Step Barrel Plier - Pack of 1

G2-503

G2-503
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $18.95
Gold Club Price: $14.21

Add to Bag

Silver Solder Paste Hard SS75 - 1/4 T.O.

SOL-822.20

SOL-822.20
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $19.95
Gold Club Price: $14.96

Add to Bag

Silver Solder Paste Soft SS65- 1/4 T.O.

SOL-822.10

SOL-822.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.95
Gold Club Price: $12.71

Add to Bag

Solderite Soldering Board, Hard, 6 Inch by 6 Inch

SOL-420.10

SOL-420.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.97
Gold Club Price: $11.23

Add to Bag

Deluxe Titanium Soldering Pick, Blue Handled, 6-1/2 Inches

SPK-930.00

SPK-930.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $5.97
Gold Club Price: $4.48

Add to Bag

7 Annealing Pan with Pumice

SOL-520.00

SOL-520.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $36.97
Gold Club Price: $27.73

Out of Stock

Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

CLN-584.00

CLN-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $31.95
Gold Club Price: $23.96

Add to Bag

Sparex Number 2 Pickling Compound

SOL-802.10

SOL-802.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $6.95
Gold Club Price: $5.21

Add to Bag

Copper Pickling Tweezers, Curved, Reinforced, 8-1/2 Inches

TWZ-959.00

TWZ-959.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

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Cool Cup

SOL-700.00

SOL-700.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $15.97
Gold Club Price: $11.98

Add to Bag

Handy Flame Butane Torch

SOL-315.00

SOL-315.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

Add to Bag

Fiber Grip Cross-Locking Tweezers - Small

TWZ-740.04

TWZ-740.04
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.97
Gold Club Price: $2.23

Add to Bag

Wood Handle Metal Brush, Brass

BRS-968.00

BRS-968.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $9.95
Gold Club Price: $7.46

Add to Bag

Prong Pusher

PSH-770.00

PSH-770.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $3.97
Gold Club Price: $2.98

Add to Bag

4 1/2 Inch Prong/Stone Setting Pliers

G2-81

G2-81
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $8.97
Gold Club Price: $6.73

Add to Bag

Complete Stone Setting Course with Kim St. Jean - 16 DVD Set

DVD-STONECOMPLETE

DVD-STONECOMPLETE
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $799.20
Gold Club Price: $599.40

Add to Bag

Beeswax--1oz Bar

WAX-120.00

WAX-120.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $3.47
Gold Club Price: $2.60

Add to Bag

Add All Items to Cart

Category: Contemporary
Technique(s): Hole Punching, Sawing, Texturing, Design, Tools

Reviews

Kim St. Jean

Following ten years as a public school teacher, Kim combined her love of teaching with her creative talents and began teaching jewelry classes. Mostly self taught, Kim now has been teaching jewelry classes for 19 years.

She is an award winning instructor, author and jewelry designer. Kim has been published in numerous magazines and books. She has appeared on several beading/craft television programs and has written three books; Mixed Metal Mania, Metal Magic, and Colorful Wirework Jewelry. Kim was elected one of the Top Ten Instructors in the country by the attendees of the prestigious Bead & Button Show. She now has 36 instructional videos available and numerous how to videos on YouTube. Her husband Norm has learned through osmosis and assists Kim wherever they may be teaching.