Pamela's Advice on Working with Delicate Gemstones

The MJSA Journal, a wonderful publication for jewelry makers, recently interviewed Pamela about how she works with delicate gemstones.  This is an excerpt from that article, written by Shannon L. Brown:
"To keep the edges of this teardrop-shaped Ethiopian opal safe, Pamela Froman bezel-set it in her own alloy of 18k pink and yellow gold.  She added a diamond-studded swirl over the bottom of the bezel to form an extra layer of protection for the opal's delicate tip, mirroring the element at the top.  Set from the back, the opal is covered with a filigree cutout sheet of gold, then laser welded at the edges, taking advantage of the laser's ability to weld next to heat-sensitive gemstones."

This gorgeous one-of-a-kind cuff is currently available at McCaskill & Co. in Destin, FL.