People ask why a ring takes most of a year. The honest answer is that very little of that time is spent making the ring.

The first month is drawing and, mostly, not drawing. The stone sits on the bench. The second and third are for the metal: alloying, drawing wire, letting it rest.

The middle

Months four to seven are the mount. Each claw is filed, tried against the stone, filed again. A claw that is too thin is scrapped and started over.

The end

The last two months are finishing, hallmarking, and a period during which the piece is worn by no one. It sits. If it still looks right after six weeks, it goes.