How do you make a spoon ring?

To make a spoon ring, cut off the end of a spoon, and bend it around a ring mandrel using a mallet and pliers. You need a sterling silver spoon and basic metalworking tools.

1. Gather your supplies

   Get a sterling silver spoon, jeweler's saw, file, ring mandrel, rawhide or nylon mallet, torch, pickle pot, thick strip of leather, ring-bending pliers, and polishing cloth or buffer.

2. Determine the size of the ring

   Measure your finger, and mark the length on the spoon. With the jeweler's saw, cut through the spoon at the marking. File the end of the spoon so that it is smooth.

3. Soften the metal

   Sterling silver does not bend easily, so anneal it first. Heat the spoon with a torch, then wait for the spoon to cool. Pickle the metal to remove impurities by dipping the spoon in pickling liquid.

4. Form the ring

   Use the nylon or rawhide mallet to bend the spoon around the ring mandrel. Turn the spoon over to round out the other side. If the ends of the ring do not meet, place the spoon in the ring-bending pliers with the leather strap for protection, and press the ring against the work surface to close the gap. Finish rounding out the ring on the mandrel.

5. Polish the ring

   Heating and working silver dulls its surface, so use a polishing cloth or buffer to shine the ring.