G.M. Bentley Designs, Fine Hand Engraving

This pure Palladium, Sapphire and Diamond Engagement-Wedding Band Suite was inspired by the crystal blue sky and ocean of New Zealand, and the purity and diversity of it’s Fern population, specifically the Silver Fern, featured prominently on this island nations flag. This couple fell in love there, and wanted to remember and celebrate their families island home, and their passion for life there. This labor of love is titled “Love Springs Eternal”. Like a fresh mountain spring, Sapphires cascade from a crack (saw kerf) on the inside of the band, flowing into the hand pierced, sculpted stone set gallery of the feature diamond, a 1.76 Ct. antique cushion cut diamond belonging to their family. Small fern fiddles set with Sapphire and Diamond Melee unferle in small clusters of six, as diamonds flow from the top of the band at it’s splitting point on either side, to fall off to the sides of the shank, gently disappearing into the main settings fern motif. The Silver Ferns engraved on the outside of the bands grow in a gentle curve from the split in the shank, in mirrored opposition to each other, continuing the gentle movement of the upper band’s bead set arms. Thirteen stones occupy each “arm” of the shank, sharing 7 openings on the inside of the ring. Drawing on oriental influence, small circular swirling clouds separate the fern motif, as small diamonds twinkle between them, like the stars so brilliant in the crisp New Zealand sky. This ring set was fabricated from 1 piece of 2.5 x 5.00mm flat wire 5 inches long. It holds a total of .68 ct. top grade Ceylon Sapphire, and .45 ct. VS -SI dia. melee on the arms. Surrounding the feature stone are Russian make melee ,VS-SI from Joseph A. Dia., their make playing beautifully off the antique cut of the main stone, a treat to work with, very lively, totaling. .62 ct. Forged, fabricated, hand engraved.

Shown disassembled are the badly worn, solder laden pieces of the original hand made basket setting, gem set table, and worn out shank for this Old mine Diamond and Saphire Art Deco Revival ring. Likely originally constructed prior to the turn of last century, the client requires a hinged shank to fit past her knuckle. To supply the structural integrity required for the band to work properly, the new like dimensioned, hand fabricated setting will display a motif derived from the original scroll work in the open pierced gallery. All the design details will be laid out on the new framework in white water color and pencil prior to being fully engraved, chased and stippled in high relief.

The hand fabricated setting has been completed. The Pineapple and Fan design running down the sides of the shank are here being cut into the top portion on each side. An emerging leaf at the border will complete the background and create a sense of transition to the surface. The designs chosen for this ring have classical roots, creating a sense of time and technique in design reminiscent of past centuries, when a Jeweler was expected to indeed, be a Renaissance man.

This is the fully restored ring in it’s amazing detail.

The Engraving of a Silver Flatware Service starts with the Master Design being drawn onto the sample piece of silver. From there the engraver determines the tool cut and texture desired for the finished design. The client may choose to have a bright mirror like finish, in which case the graver is sharpened to a high polished cutting edge. A fine diamond wheel of 600 grit would produce a satin like cut, a 1200 grit wheel a much finer silky satin finish, etc. After client approval, this piece will transfer identical designs scaled to each piece in the service, completing the work.

This is the finished Master Monogram, # 83 from the Engraving Charts. This is refered to as an “Interlocking Script Cypher”, last initial larger and in the middle. In this instance a small scroll element travels downward from the center character, to start the eye moving down the service piece, as requested by the client. When cutting a “threaded” monogram, it is imperative that the threads diverge and converge in a even and gracefull manner, consistent in depth and width, fluid in line and composistion. Having the graver emphasize the passing of stem elements in front of and behind each other further reinforces the illusion of three dimensionality, a most convincing “icing on the cake”.

This is a self tensioning bar clamp style buckle, the keeper an integral part of the buckle’s hollow gallery, where the leather sits tight against the wearer. This type of buckle does not require holes in the leather, it prevents unsightly stretched or torn holes from detracting from the overall presentation. It is perfect for the more exotic and fragile types of leathers. This crest, carved in three dimensions is an interpretation of the clients design. I tried to render the “S” as floating in the foreground space, with cadeuseus-wound snakes supporting the scales in equilibrium (notice the screw heads at the connection points of the chain to the fulcrum bar) These, like the diamond set snakes eyes are 7/10ths of a millimeter in diameter. As the sun sets over a shimmering golden sea, the reflections of it’s ray’s play with the diminishing light of day.

The second photo shows the “Evening shadow’s cool embrace.” I tried to anticipate the play of light and form that might allow for the one engraving to capture both times of day.

This is an example of a custom “symbolist” diamond engagement ring, forged out of 18k

red & royal yellow golds with a platinum tube setting.

Custom Ring Details:

• 18k Royal Yellow and Red Gold
• Platinum tube set Diamond, (clients stone)
• Diamond Ring

LABOR ET LABORE
(with love and labor)

Forged out of 22K yellow and 18K royal yellow gold, this pearl, ruby and diamond necklace is a portrait of mans impact on our Great Lakes. A mother fish nestled beneath water starwort patiently waits for the hatching of her fry while gentle bubbles of oxygen rise about and cling to her tidal sanctuary. Their future however, is imperiled by the nutrient consuming Zebra Mussel, clinging to this sectional free floating plant. Introduced by ballast water into the Great Lakes, its presence will challenge their survival and ultimately Lake Michigan’s food chain.

This custom necklace incorporates:
Rubies
Gold
Diamonds

The “serpent in the Tree” ring is actually a symbolist “intaglio” monogram “cut to seal” as a stationary die. The ring is a reproduction of an antique signet in my collection, produced in 14k yellow gold, given by the woman who commissioned the monogram on the ring to her husband as a wedding ring.
The symbols are the Tree (the letter k engraved backwards) and the Serpent (the letter S engraved backwards) representing his initials, while elements of the design (# of plates on the serpents chest, and the 4 round scales on his back) represents two of the numbers of the anniversary of their meeting. The third # of that occasion is hidden in the wax impression the image makes when pressed into stationary wax. Of the 4 round disks on the serpents back, one is a ruby, (lapped free hand on a diamond platen, .032 in diameter which becomes a depression when the seal is produced, creating three raised balls with the one depressed ball, a sequence of binary code (as I was told) that he works with, which represents the third # of the anniversary.
The surface of the engraving is on a flat “table” that measures 11×14 mm or so and the ring was size ten.