River Rock Pendant
Drill through a rock, add tubing, and set a stone.
by Michael Boyd

This project is an example of what Michael Boyd teaches in his metal and stone workshops. To learn more about his workshops, see “Metal Into Stone” by Hazel Wheaton, page 31 of March 2004's Lapidary Journal.

I like to incorporate metal into rock and enjoy figuring out new ways to make this concept work. The project outlined here is a basic design which uses a lot of the techniques I teach in class. I also use these techniques in my line of jewelry with materials ranging from simple river rock to precious stones. (Examples of the jewelry Michael creates can be seen in “Buying at the Border” in the November 2003 issue.)

Select a rock that is pudgy and about the size of a quarter — don’t pick one that is flat.

Establish drilling guidelines. Wrap a rubber band around the center of the rock. Using a Sharpie® marker, draw around the band, this will be your vertical center line.

Remove the band, then put it back on horizontally, crossing the vertical line. This line will dictate how your pendant hangs, so make sure the band is above center; it will help ensure that the weight of your pendant is below center and that the pendant will therefore hang properly. Draw a line around the band, then remove it. You will now have a cross on the rock. Put the band back on, this time going around the circumference of the rock. Draw around the band for your third line; remove the band.

Your rock is now prepped for drilling. The first hole to be drilled is the above-center horizontal line. After this hole is drilled you will add tubing which will accommodate your chain or cording. When drilling: place the appropriate drill bit into your flex shaft; always hold the rock under water; remove the drill bit periodically to flush out the hole and clean the bit; proceed through every level of drilling slowly — this process takes time.

While holding the rock in a container of water, make a divot with a 2mm diamond ball burr, where the horizontal and circumference lines meet; repeat for both sides. This divot will serve as a pilot hole which will aid the start of your drilling and help prevent your drill bit from skating around the rock.

Using a 1mm diamond drill bit, begin drilling at one of the pilot holes, making sure you’re holding the rock and the flex shaft straight.

Drill towards the other side, working until you are about half-way through. Remember to use the guidelines when drilling; match your drill bit to the horizontal line to make sure you’re not going off course. Once you reach half-way through the rock, start drilling from the other pilot hole and work until the two holes meet.

Ensure that your hole is straight through, then continue boring the hole using progressively larger drill bits, increasing by 1/2mm increments until you reach the size drill bit that matches the diameter of your tubing — I recommend 3mm tubing for this part of the pendant.

Hold the rock with the front facing you and the horizontal line, horizontal. Make a pilot hole with a 2mm diamond ball burr about 3mm down from where the horizontal and vertical lines cross.

Continue drilling a hole from front to back using the same drilling process from Step 3, progressing up to a 1.5mm drill bit. Make sure you’re below where the lines cross — you don’t want to interfere with the horizontal hole.

Countersink the outside of all of the holes, knocking off any sharp edges.

For the 1.5mm hole, drill 1mm into the rock using a 3mm diamond ball burr. For the 3mm horizontal hole, drill 1mm into the rock using a 5mm diamond ball burr.

Insert a length of 3mm tubing into the 3mm hole. Mark the tubing about 2.5mm longer than the length of the hole.

Using a jeweler’s saw, cut the tubing at the mark. Anneal the tubing, then file the ends level.

With the end of a burnisher, flange one end of the tubing. Insert the tubing into the rock and flange the other end.

Using a rivet hammer, gently tap the tubing, flaring and folding the rim of the tubing out, down, and over the rock; alternate tapping each side of the tubing so it flares equally on each side.

Set the rock aside.

Texture a piece of metal with a textured hammer or by roll printing in a rolling mill.
I used sterling silver and an old hammer with a carved texture on both ends of the hammer head.

Cut a shape out of the metal that complements the rock but is smaller than the front face of the rock.

Using a wooden dapping block (wood will preserve the texture on your metal piece), dome the metal to fit the dome of the stone.

Select a gemstone and appropriate bezel cup, or make a bezel in gold or silver.

Solder the bezel cup onto the surface of the textured metal using medium solder. Solder a length of 1.5mm tubing to the center of the back of the textured metal using easy solder.

Clean the stone with a cotton swab and acetone, removing all marked lines.

Insert the tubing on the back of the textured metal into the stone, front to back.

Mark the tubing 1-1.5mm longer than the depth of the stone. Remove the tubing and, with a jeweler’s saw, cut at the mark. File the tubing level.

Mix up a small batch of two-part epoxy. Apply the epoxy inside the stone’s hole and on the outside of the tubing. Insert the tubing, then flange the end of the tube with the end of a burnisher.

Carefully tap the flanged end with a hammer, folding the tubing down onto the stone.

Set your stone into the bezel cup using a bezel roller.

After the epoxy has cured, you can patina the metal if you like. I used liver-of-sulfur and a brushed matte finish.

String your pendant onto a chain or leather cord.

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