Thursday, March 19, 2015

This Blog Will Be Continued at New Location

Rather than trying to keep two separate Blogs active and updated, this Blog will be continued at my new location which is a part of my main Ross Coin Rings website.

The new location for all my Blog postings will be here.

Please stop by my new location and continue reading my Ross Coin Ring postings over there. Thanks a lot.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

What is the smallest size coin ring you have seen?

 Quite frankly the smallest size coin rings you generally see are those sized for a woman or a child. Many of those range from about a 2.5 to a 5 or 6.  It is possible to fabricate a US Quarter down to a 5 or 6, but if you need a size smaller than that, I generally recommend starting with a smaller coin - like a dime or a penny.

The other day I was wondering just how small I might be able to forge a coin ring, and still have it look fairly nice. I started with a US Dime (clad), and although I had to resort to using some special tools I do not generally use - I was able to produce a pretty nice coin ring that is "almost" a Size 0 (zero).  It actually turned out to be a Size 1/4.

You can see it and many of the other coin rings I make, at my website and in my store. Stop by and check out all of my coin rings and leave me a comment if you so desire.





Sunday, February 22, 2015

Ross Coin Rings Gets a Facelift - Wow! Now that's a Makeover

After much research and some head-scratching, I decided to give the Ross Coin Rings website a general facelift and makeover. Check it out... and I hope it is an improvement.

Coin Rings on Sale - Can these prices be right?

Today I placed two different coin rings in a Sale category on my website. Those individuals looking for their first coin ring will find these two items very reasonably priced. They could also be given as a gift, or worn on a small chain as a necklace. Either way, a coin ring is always a focus of attention and comments.

Check out these two coin rings here.


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Ever wonder How Coin Rings Are Made?

Jewelry, in the form of rings, have been made from coins for many decades; probably even centuries. You can read more about the history of coin rings here.

Double-sided coin rings have really come along a bit more recently. They get their name from the fact that the coin is forged (or manipulated) in such a way, so as to preserve the details of the coin engraving from both sides of the coin, as well as the "factory" outside edge. A good example  is shown here.

As is true of many crafts, or artistic endeavors; the process of creating a coin ring may range from the simplest of techniques - requiring only a few basic tools, to rather elaborate fabrication methods that involve a wide range of precise and specific jewelry making tools.  Some of the more complex methods involve not only special hand-made tools, but the methods themselves may be proprietary in nature.

Naturally, the end products from these very diverse methods reflect the amount of time, skill, experience and resources that were applied to crafting the specific coin rings. In most all cases, this fact is very evident just from the appearance of the final piece.

In order to gain some first hand knowledge about how a fine coin ring is made, I have compiled a set of instructional videos that were recently released by a single skilled coin ring maker. His name is Skyler Jenkins and his shop name is The Mint - Change You Can Wear. Although these videos go into a fair amount of detail, they really represent a good beginning. Generally, an accomplished coin ring maker will devote many hours of trial and error work before gaining all the necessary nuances of fine coin ring making.

Nevertheless, if you will watch one or more of these videos, I think you will begin to get an appreciation for the amount of time, skill and tools that are necessary to turn out a beautiful coin ring. To get a look at these videos, please sign up here and ask for the link.

Friday, February 20, 2015

An Interesting Silver Coin Ring for the Size 10 finger

 Today, I added a new silver coin ring to my store on Ross Coin Rings. This beautiful ring was forged from a  US 1943 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. It is a size 10 and as you can see is finished with an antique look to capture all the fine engraving that is so much a part of these iconic old US coins. The details were preserved both inside and out. When you are asked by others to see the ring, you can proudly show them the original engraving on both sides of your ring.

Stop by my Ross Coin Rings store often as I am always adding new items. At this time, shipping is FREE.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Ross Coin Rings Now For Sale on Site... and free Shipping

Today I instituted several changes to my Ross Coin Rings website. Until now, my rings could only be purchased by clicking on a link to my Etsy shop. As of today, my rings can now be purchased directly from the Store on my Ross Coin Rings website, as well as from my Etsy shop.

Hopefully, this change will make it more convenient for visitors to browse and purchase rings from my inventory. Check back often as I also have plans to expand the current inventory.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Why is this called The Gamblers Coin Ring?

 The Morgan Silver Dollar, regardless of the year, is a well-known icon of US coinage.  This beautiful coin is 90% silver and when made into a coin ring, results in a very massive and attention-getting piece of jewelry.  Sometimes known as a "gamblers ring", the large ring is always noticed by others and is said to bring the wearer good luck. I am currently running some actual tests on this theory.

When crafting this particular coin ring, I took special time and care to form it into a unique one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. I make these rings on custom order only, and in sizes from 13 to 18. If you are interested in having me make one for you, please contact me and I will quote you a price and fabrication time.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

When I sit down to work, I mean business

My bench is where I craft all of the Ross Coin Rings.  Some of the hand-tools I use were designed by me and are used during certain proprietary steps of the crafting process. Here is a recent picture of me where I am checking the inside diameter of a finished ring with my dial calipers.

Sizing is important for a good fit, so I try to achieve the size ordered within a few thousandths of an inch.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Coin Ring from 1957 Franklin Half Dollar

This 1957 Franklin Half Dollar, containing 90% Silver, was made into a size 11 coin ring for a special custom order. The features of both the inside and outside of the coin are readily seen, and this ring should make a wonderful heirloom that may be handed down for many generations.