Cowry Shell Pendant EZ

   The following is an easy way to mount a cowry shell and other found objects.  This particular example should be classified in the C.B.E. category, that is, Crude, But Effective. It's a nice project because it's relatively easy and involves no soldering. This is basically the same setting as the other shell pendant, with a few minor variations. The setting can be used to mount beach glass also.

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Just a simple shell, about an inch long.

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   I traced the shell shape onto a piece of paper and then drew the 4 tabs sticking out.  Then I glued the paper down to a piece of metal. I'm using nickel-silver in this example, but you could use anything.  I used a regular jewelers saw, with most likely, a 5/0 blade to cut the shape out show here.

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   Here's the shell set on top of the cut out metal, just to see how it fits and all.  Notice a problem? I didn't either till about 10 minutes later.

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   Here I'm drilling a hole in the middle of the piece in order to fit a saw blade through so I can cut a hole in the piece.  The shell is rounded on the back and would not sit flat, so the hole allows it to set into the setting a little more securely. 

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    Here you can see me grinding a slant to the sides of the hole, so the shell can fit as tight as possible.  Right about here is where I was looking, grinding, listening to the radio and probably drinking a beverage of some sort when the thought occurred to me, "YOU IDIOT, YOU FORGOT TO DRAW AND CUT A PIECE OF METAL AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNT TO RUN THE JUMP RING THROUGH!!!!" At times like this, I use a primitive coping mechanism that involves uttering, usually loudly, various words and phrases.  This time was no different. Didn't really help either, but such is my pre-simian brain. 

    So the rest of the pictures involve another, very similar piece and the one above with a small "ear" hard soldered on and sanded flat, you really can't see the fact that I grew a piece of metal onto the original piece.  It's a good skill to have.
   If you look carefully at the enlarged picture below you'll see a faint line where I have  hard soldered on a piece of metal and then drilled the hole for the jump ring.  

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   In these two pictures you can see the tabs are being bent up to get ready to set the shell into.  I haven't really shown any finishing,  but it's pretty much the usual sort of sanding and buffing.

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    Here's two more shots of the metal piece and the shell being fitted.  Then it's just bending, twisting and tweaking  along with carefully squeezing in the cowry shell. They can break, you have to be careful/ready for this sort of thing.

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   In the above two photos,  you can see how much of the shell protrudes through the hole. Without the hole the shell would be rocking on top of a flat piece of metal as opposed to setting into the metal and being griped on the sides.

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   I fitted a jump ring, soldered it, and ran an inexpensive cord through it.  It's a very adaptable mount that does not take too long, requires no soldering, and does not require a tremendous amount of skill.

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