Neil Blythin Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 A friend of mine recently asked me if I could make a 'nail ring'. She had seen one, and liked the idea. So, I pounded out a nail (similar in shape to a horse shoe nail) which I then made into a ring. Another friend was once a hobbiest jeweller, so I had access to a ring mandrel to make sizing it a bit more accurate. Suddenly, a whole bunch of people that have seen it, want one. What I didn't realize, was that these things are at the height of fashion right now. Apparently, Cartier made them (in gold) back in the 1970's, and re-launched the line last year; adding a bracelet to the collection too. A gold Cartier nail bracelet, with diamonds, will run you $34,000! And IMHO, I think theirs are ugly too, as they look Iike a wire nail... Nowhere near as cool looking as a wrought nail. Google up Cartier "Juste un Clou" (just a nail). I was shocked by 1) how stupid (and uncomfortable) these wire nail style rings look; and 2) how much the fashion / jewellery community were/are raving about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Early pioneers would go to the smith for him to make them wedding rings out of shoe nails. They could not afford gold bands by the time they started west. I have known them as prairie wedding rings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulKrzysz Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Who ever thought you could make a fortune from bent nails? Looks like Carpenters are heading for a early retirement. You mind posting some pics or the rings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Blythin Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 I actually didn't take a picture of that first ring I made ... It was a one-off for a friend, and I didn't plan on making any more. If I end up doing more for her friends, I'll be sure to take some pics. There are a few similar that people have for sale on Etsy and the like. It was a fairly simple ring. The head of the nail was bent over slightly against the nail's shaft (so that it was flat/smooth against the finger), with the pointy end in a bit of a small scroll - also to keep it out of the way for safety & comfort. I made it from stainless. Left the outside of the ring with a black oxide finish. The inside surface I polished up with some emery cloth - again for comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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