Crown Bail

 

I love silver findings, especially box clasps and bails. I wasn't satisfied with what I was finding on the market, so I decided to design my own. I don't usually make detailed sketches like this for myself, as I can see it all in my mind's eye, but computerized milling requires meticulous design drawings, lest it get misinterpreted as something else.

I was getting increasingly surprised and annoyed that it was taking me almost 4 days to get this sketch right. I had to re-do it so many times, that I started to regret just not going ahead and trying to carve it by hand. It probably wouldn't have looked as nice if I had, so I suppose it was all worth it. Almost always is.