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14 S T U F F • 2 0 1 7 every 20 pieces of meteorite it receives before finding a piece suitable for forging jewelry. The design process begins with Chris Ploof himself, but must undergo the approv- al of other skilled artisans to guarantee the ring will withstand time. An engineer ensures the pieces will be durable and can be constructed in a cost-effective manner. What happens next is a combination of strong forging and graceful goldsmithing. Once the meteorite is cut, forged, and fabricated, it is combined with platinum, gold, or mokume gane. This process requires thorough knowledge of the melting points of materials. "First, in the case of mokume gane or meteorite mokume gane, between 15 and 35 separate layers of metal are bonded together to make a solid billet," Chris Ploof said. "After bonding, the bil- let can be twisted, cut, and re-assem- bled, then ground down in areas with burs and shaped with punches or chis- els. It is then rolled out to a workable thickness, revealing its new patterns. Or, it can be formed into seamless rings and other jewelry." The ring is etched in the final process- es to enhance its individual pattern, which can never be replicated. A finishing expert studies every nook and cranny of the ring before passing it along to the stone setter who must make sure a stone can be held securely. The whole process can take between 50 and 500 steps, depending on the complexity of the ring and the material, before the items are shipped express to destinations all over the globe. The Ploof production process includes bonding, forging, processing and patterning for each separate ring line, followed by machining, chemical etching, and all traditional fine jewelry processes such as fabrication, forming, soldering, polishing and stone setting, depending on the ring. FACTOI D $34,830 Average annual pay of team assemblers in May 2016, the lowest-paying manufacturing job in Central Massachusetts Continued from page 13 Cool Stuff Made Here P H O T O / N A T H A N F I S K E