How to Shape a Ring

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Things You'll Need

  • Ring mandrel

  • Small rubber mallet

Shape a silver ring using a ring mandrel.

Shaping a ring is an essential component of jewelry making and jewelry repair. Rings, especially those made of soft, malleable metals with a high gold or fine silver content, can bend out of shape with regular wear and use, as well as they are accidentally crushed. A slightly distorted or bent ring is easily tapped back into shape in the same way you shape it to begin with -- using a ring mandrel and a soft, rubber mallet.

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Step 1

Slide the ring down the mandrel as far as it will go. Use your fingers to gently force the ring down, as close as possible to the mandrel's markings showing the actual size, or desired size, of the ring.

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Step 2

Tap the band of the ring gently against the mandrel with the rubber mallet to begin to reshape it.

Step 3

Slide the ring down the mandrel as it reshapes, and continue tapping the ring until it is round and slides easily down to the desired size marking on the mandrel.

Step 4

Remove ring from mandrel.

Tip

If the ring is made of a malleable metal such as 18K gold, you can shape it easily by sliding it down a pool cue, from thin end to thicker end, until you can’t move it any further, and pushing the metal into shape with your fingers.

Warning

Use care if your ring has a bezel or stone setting – you will only want to tap the band portion of the ring.

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