Unless they were created with a compass or dividers, most round forms that jewelers encounter have no center point indicated. This can often present problems if, for instance, you are going to place a bezel and set a stone in the center, or if you want to pierce a pattern that must fall directly in the middle of a piece.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to locate the center of any circle: triangulation. This method can be used on paper, on a jar lid, or on the end of a round rod, as it was used by navigators on the open sea.

For jewelry, take a pair of dividers and set it at what you estimate to be the center. Now rest one leg on the exterior and swing an arc. Repeat this same step from three different points on the circumference.

If your estimate was correct, all three lines will converge on the center. If not, the small space between the arcs will indicate precisely where the center is.