Critical Notes


Jewelry making covers art, commerce, and science. In Critical Notes, experts address these facets and give advice to both beginners and professionals.

HomeJewelry MakingCritical Notes
The Hard Facts of Sapphires and Rubies

The Hard Facts of Sapphires and Rubies

Ask any jeweler to list the gemstones with which they prefer to work, and sapphires and rubies would undoubtedly rank...
Read More

Hammering and Forging Safety Guidelines

Goldsmiths and silversmiths use hammers frequently in their work, silversmiths especially. A regular trade goldsmith might use a bench hammer...
Read More

Important Principles of Casting Safety

Here's something to aim for: a well laid-out, orderly workshop, well-lit by multiple non glare light sources, well-maintained equipment, electrically...
Read More

Pickling Notes

Jewelers treat soldered objects with dilute acid solutions to remove oxides produced from heating and soldering as well as glassy...
Read More

Patination Safety Considerations

Jewelers use so-called -oxidising- solutions to darken metals like silver, copper, brass, nickel silver, bronze and, with specialized mixtures, on...
Read More
Cracks in Jewelry Manufacturing

Cracks in Jewelry Manufacturing

As many jewelry manufacturers and goldsmiths know from hard experience, cracking in jewelry can occur at any time during its...
Read More
Technology’s Relevance to Jewellery Design

Technology’s Relevance to Jewellery Design

Jewellery design is generally considered solely from an artistic standpoint, and the jewellery is viewed as an expression of a...
Read More

Jewelry Workshop Safety Report

This talk briefly reviews issues of studio safety and discusses ways of recognizing risks in the studio and reducing hazard...
Read More

Sample Consignment Agreement Contract

The following is Consignment Agreement contract. It is intended for information purposes only although if you wish to use it...
Read More

Solder Flow Retardant Notes

While goldsmiths normally strive to have their solder flow easily, there are times you don't want it to flow, such...
Read More

Depletion Gilding Notes

This is an academic paper, not a technical 'how to' guide. Many of the procedures described are unsafe in practice....
Read More

CNC Milling vs. 3D Printing

For someone new to the jewelry industry, the sheer assortment of tools and equipment in the typical workshop can be...
Read More

Notes on Presto-Lite Torch

We use a method for cutting down firescale when using a Presto-Lite Torch along with an acetylene B tank. The...
Read More

Learning Metalsmithing Process

An art school is in some ways a difficult place to learn to be a metalsmith. Traditional systems of industry...
Read More

Maintaining Good Workshop Air Quality

Four areas in the jeweler's workshop produce harmful substances that MUST be properly removed from the shop in order to...
Read More

Basic Fire Safety for Jewelers

Have a fire plan; ask your fire department for advice. Keep the appropriate extinguishers around and in good shape. Get...
Read More

The Effects of Global Warming on Pearl Oysters

Warming waters, changes in weather patterns, and increases in storm activity may all affect the future success of pearl farms,...
Read More
What Causes Casting Marks?

What Causes Casting Marks?

In the Spring 2003 Issue we asked the question "What causes these marks on this casting?" Around 100 readers responded...
Read More

Production Project Proposal

This is an example of a production project proposal involving the reproduction of two historically important buttons. This shows how...
Read More

Basic Chemical Storage Principles

There are a number of basic principles in storing chemicals. Know what your chemicals are, what their hazards are, their....
Read More

Art vs Craft

The Art versus Craft issue is a complex question and one that has bedeviled creators a great deal in the...
Read More

Studio Lighting Considerations

How you light your shop, illuminate your working area, experience the reflection from surfaces and the paint you choose for...
Read More

The Enamelist’s Vocabulary

Each medium has its own vocabulary and so it is with enamels and enameling. The glass glaze material that is...
Read More
Anodizing Principles Update

Anodizing Principles Update

Although the basic anodizing principles involved in the reactive metals have been discussed in the past, a deeper insight into...
Read More

Craftsmanship Improvement Method

This is a method to reduce technical problems which one repeatedly experienes. We all find during the learning process that...
Read More

Safer Pickle Alternative

Procrastination can sometimes lead to wonderful discoveries. Tom Arnold, owner of Facets Fine Jewelry in Arlington, Virginia, found this out...
Read More
The Ardagh Chalice

The Ardagh Chalice

Ardagh now is scarcely more than a place-name; it is in County Limerick in Ireland. In 1868, while a peasant...
Read More

The Artists as Curators and Critics

Fortunately, change is inevitable. Even for those individuals in the art establishment who assert that artists cannot and should not...
Read More

The Trouble with Pyrite

The first reference that I have that links copperas with the collection of fossils is found in the 'Life and...
Read More

3 Details of Jewelry Refinement

Quality matters to Michael Bondanza; he has been known to rebuild entire finished pieces -- some containing hundreds of precisely...
Read More

Chemical Inventory and Profiles

If you know what the chemicals are that you use and what their dangers are you will be less likely...
Read More

Basic Approach to Product Design

Design is a perennial issue for all who produce objects meant for a specific use, utilitarian, in contrast to objects...
Read More

Platinum Consideration Factors

Jurgen J Maerz of the Platinum Guild International USA outlines factors to consider when adding platinum to your line of...
Read More

Recycling Gold from Electronics

With over 300 tonnes of gold used in electronics each year, end-of-life electronic equipment offers an important recycling potential for...
Read More
The Ethics of Materials

The Ethics of Materials

I have always thought that if no other lesson had begun to seep through peoples' inertia and greed, that at...
Read More

Structuring for Efficiency in the Studio

Being more organized, and planning how you use your time will mean that you will spend less time on some...
Read More

Goldsmithing in the Future

This article is a set of predictions for what the jewelers bench and workshop will experience in technological change in...
Read More
Justifying Art for Art’s Sake

Justifying Art for Art’s Sake

For many years, I have struggled to find ways of conveying the meaning of art and its importance. I had...
Read More

New Generation Gallerists

What does it mean to be a gallerist today, especially one who deals exclusively in art jewelry? To find out,...
Read More
How Jewelers Approach Work Materials

How Jewelers Approach Work Materials

This diagram shows how jewelers approach working in the field in terms of how they relate to the material. The...
Read More

Confidential Disclosure Form

This form may be used if you have an idea for a product and wish to approach a manufacturer. It...
Read More

The Teachers’ Role

I believe the teacher's role is as a guide, an instigator, a devils advocate as well as instructor. A teacher...
Read More

The Digital Tool Debate Continues

In approaching this article, I found there are many avenues to pursue in the exciting and controversial subject of digital...
Read More

The All-In-One Jewelry Making Solution At Your Fingertips

When you join the Ganoksin community, you get the tools you need to take your work to the next level.

Become a Member

Trusted Jewelry Making Information & Techniques

Sign up to receive the latest articles, techniques, and inspirations with our free newsletter.