Making the Gretna Green Wedding Rings
My Gretna Green Anvil and Scottish Thistle wedding rings starts life as rough blanks that are first cut and shaped to the width and finger size.
They are next sent in this raw state to the Assay Office to be checked for quality of gold and then Hallmarked giving it a guarantee of its precious metal content, a practice that has been used in the UK for over 700 years.
Once Hallmarked I can then start work making them into the unique Anvil or Scottish Thistle wedding bands.
First the rings are heated to several hundred degrees and quenched in water to soften the metal so they can take the Anvil or Scottish strike.
The centre of the rings are marked with a scribe and placed on a steel mandrel supported by wooden blocks. The Anvil and Scottish shape is created by a special punch which is struck into the rings by hand.
I have to be very careful with the first five strikes as one off centre and a ring is ruined and cannot be used again. An expensive mistake when its gold or platinum.
To create the wedding ring takes between 20 to 30 individual strikes, resetting a ring after every blow. It is almost a similar technique to a traditional blacksmith hammering over his anvil which is quite apt considering the finished item.
Finally the rings are polished using a series of spinning cloth mops covered in different graded polishing compounds.
After finishing the unique rings they are put in a presentation box and sent to you. I always send an email before they are posted so you know they are on there way.
The whole range of my rings can bee seen here - gretnagreenweddingring.com
or at my other shop here - cumbrian.com
My Workshop. Telephone me on 01228 526554.
They are next sent in this raw state to the Assay Office to be checked for quality of gold and then Hallmarked giving it a guarantee of its precious metal content, a practice that has been used in the UK for over 700 years.
Once Hallmarked I can then start work making them into the unique Anvil or Scottish Thistle wedding bands.
First the rings are heated to several hundred degrees and quenched in water to soften the metal so they can take the Anvil or Scottish strike.
The centre of the rings are marked with a scribe and placed on a steel mandrel supported by wooden blocks. The Anvil and Scottish shape is created by a special punch which is struck into the rings by hand.
I have to be very careful with the first five strikes as one off centre and a ring is ruined and cannot be used again. An expensive mistake when its gold or platinum.
To create the wedding ring takes between 20 to 30 individual strikes, resetting a ring after every blow. It is almost a similar technique to a traditional blacksmith hammering over his anvil which is quite apt considering the finished item.
Finally the rings are polished using a series of spinning cloth mops covered in different graded polishing compounds.
After finishing the unique rings they are put in a presentation box and sent to you. I always send an email before they are posted so you know they are on there way.
The whole range of my rings can bee seen here - gretnagreenweddingring.com
or at my other shop here - cumbrian.com
My Workshop. Telephone me on 01228 526554.