Being able to achieve a perfectly round ring, or oval bangle, is incredibly important in jewellery. And it has to be the right size, shape and depth too – so many things to think about! This is where mandrels come into their own!
A ring mandrel is a slightly tapered length of round steel which precious metals can be forged or shaped against. This forging is carried out by hitting the metal with a hammer while the metal is supported by the mandrel. This hammering action is what makes a lot of the noise in a jewellery workshop!
A ring is made by piercing out the correct length and width of the right metal from sheet or bar. This length is bent loosely into a ring shape, with the two ends touching. The two ends are then soldered together (we’ll cover soldering further down the line…). Once the two ends are joined, this loosely round shape needs to be made beautifully and perfectly round – this is when we reach for our ring mandrel and our hammer (hammers, in all their glory, will be studied in our next blog post).
Ring mandrels are round for rings (obviously!) and the tapering is very structured in relation to different finger sizes. When it comes to bangles, the mandrel can be oval or round. Here in Stonechat Jewellers we tend to make oval bangles, as they fit and sit better. A bangle mandrel is shorter and much wider than a ring mandrel, in keeping with the range of sizes required.
Given the variety of convex curves, from shallow to deep, available to goldsmiths on the ring and bangle mandrels, it’s not unusual to see a craftsperson using a mandrel to help shape another piece of jewellery – they are incredibly useful!
