Capture a Summer Memory

UV resin is wonderful because it sets fast when set under a UV light source or in the sun. But these rocks are opaque, meaning no light can pass through them, so regular resin should be used.

Regular two-part resin is very strong and cures to a nice shiny surface. There are several drawbacks to regular resin for this project. The first is that since it is very fluid, it can flow over the edges of some bezels if too much is used. Second is the long setting time.

Therefore, fast setting two-part clear epoxy was settled on for a trial.

The drawback to it is that the 5-minute setting time is VERY fast - not ideal when making a lot of pieces at one time.

However, if all the parts used are assembled and ready to go, it is wonderful when making only a few pieces.

After placing the pieces in bezels, there is a 30-minute wait time during which things can be nudged only a bit and anything that touches the surface can leave a mark.

After 24 hours the epoxy is rock hard, shiny, and the jewelry piece is ready to use.

Note: I did not cover the pieces at any time, just set them aside to cure. Even though there is a bit of dust and cat hair was floating in the air, nothing stuck to the pieces.

Since garnets, along with many other semi-precious gemstones, are found at Crater of Diamonds State Park, my daughter-in-law and I pulled some garnet chips from my stash to add a bit of color on top of the neutral mix of stones.

Use tweezers to set stones in place inside the bezel wall. Since this bezel does not have much height, only a single layer of stones is used. Have another bezel or two with rocks in them ready for another next bezel - see Step 6.

Add the small rocks assembled in the bezel in Step 4 to the epoxy.

Stir the rocks into just enough epoxy so they stick together. Here, too much epoxy is surrounding the rocks.

If this happens, add more small rocks or dump them out on an index card so the small rocks can be picked up one or two at a time with tweezers or a toothpick in the next step.

Drop the rock and epoxy mixture into the center of the bezel. Use a toothpick to push the stones into place inside the bezel.

Because the epoxy is so thick, it holds the stones exactly where they are placed.

Do not worry if the inside of the bezel is not entirely covered. The little bit of shiny silver sparkle adds to the look of the piece.

Position two or three small garnet chips on top of the mixture. Turn the garnet chips over to coat them with epoxy.

If tweezers were used, immediately clean them with wet wipes. Wet wipes are great for removing epoxy from the outside of the bezel cups.

Set the pieces aside and allow them to cure for 24 hours, at which time they are ready to use.