The Bead Cascade

A graduation gift, ordered by a father who wanted something his daughter could wear with a dress or with a hoodie. He sent two reference photos and one instruction: nothing that looks like it came from a mall counter. We built a station bracelet in 18k yellow gold, 6.4 grams finished, twelve bezel-set round stones at 1.8mm sliding along a 7.5 inch rolo chain.

The first wax was wrong. I had spaced the beads evenly at 12mm and when I put it on the sizing cone the whole thing wore like a metronome. Too regular. We pulled every other bead back by 3mm so the stones bunch in the middle and open up near the clasp. Second wax went to casting on a Monday.

Each stone sits in a hand-turned bezel with a 0.6mm wall, burnished over at the bench rather than set with a punch so the rim stays smooth. Twelve stones means twelve chances to roll an edge. Two of them lifted on the first burnish. That happens with small rounds. I pulled both, re-cut the seats about a tenth of a millimeter deeper, and re-set them the next morning.

The links are soldered, not just bent closed. Every joint got pickled, tumbled four hours in steel shot, then hand-polished with a light rouge so the beads keep a soft glow instead of a mirror finish. Sharp edges on the end links got filed and papered to 1200 grit. Nobody sees the ends. Whoever wears it feels them every day.

Figure-8 safety clasp, tested by hanging 2kg off the closed loop overnight. It held. It shipped in 4 weeks, and the only thing I would change is the last bead spacing. It is 2mm tighter than the drawing. I left it. He has not noticed.