Our Rare Jewelry Books section will provide eBook versions, if possible, and information on hard-to-find works of interest to jewelry makers.
Contemporary Enameling – Art and Techniques by Lilyan Bachrach 256 pp., 550 color photos, 8-1/2″ x 1 1″ hard cover. ISBN: 0-7643-2355-5. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310 Lilyan Bachrach’s new book, Contemporary Enameling – Art…
This handsomely presented volume has an initial chapter tided ‘An English Goldsmith’s Work History, and over 140 of the 158 pages of the book display gold and enameled pieces with virtuoso designs and flawless craftsmanship. The objects of vertu, items…
After making jewelry and doing lapidary work for twenty-five years, I began looking for another type of jewelry making which would be a bit different. While on a visit to the Walter’s Art Gallery in Baltimore I became fascinated with the filigree work done by the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Mesopotasians.
John Peacock is a fashion designer’s best friend. Over the years, this former BBC costume designer has published a dozen easy-to-use sourcebooks covering 40 centuries of fashion, making them the most comprehensive record of fashion and accessories ever published. Peacock has finally compiled a sourcebook for jewelers as well as designers, and filled its oversized pages with color drawings of representative pieces of jewelry from 1900 to 2000. The presentation is unique and somewhat startling because, instead of glossy photographs of luscious jewelry, each page contains 20 different color drawings, grouped by item and dated. It took years of research using photographs, paintings, and the jewelry itself to produce these 1,500 highly detailed drawings..
This book is not only very good, it is important. In the introduction, author David Darom, who is a marine biologist, photographer and collector of knives, describes becoming aware of a gap between the exquisite work he saw in shows and a general perception of folding knives primarily as practical tools. As a successful author of 20 books on a wide range of subjects, Darom took what was for him a logical route to close this gap; he made a showcase book to exhibit what he calls a Hall of Fame of leading knifemakers..
The very term art jewelry has been bandied about so much within the past few decades that one must endeavor to apply the designation correctly, and, when attempting a book of this scope, fairly comprehensively. It would be impossible to include every artist jeweler working at this moment in time; therefore, the author should have chosen more carefully or qualified her objectives. It would have been preferable to narrow the boundaries and cover only one aspect of the movement, for example…
This soft back book is a practical guide intended for practising goldsmiths and is developed from a number of articles by the authors originally published in AJM magazine. It comprises articles and projects on making and repairing jewellery. Its aim is to show how one can save time and boost profits when making or repairing jewellery through good practice. It features over 200 colour photographs that illustrate the various steps and techniques..
The book is based on a workshop for beginners given by the author some years ago called ‘The Second Coat’. The publisher limited the book to 64 pages and wanted step-by-step projects. Since the book is about enameling and not metal working, the publisher also insisted on projects with pre-cut or pre-formed copper. Of course, there is no reason readers cannot cut and fabricate their own metal shapes, or use silver instead of copper for most of the projects.
Bernhard Schobinger, one of Europes most provocative and influential jewel artists, is the subject of this handsome monograph, originally produced for the first major retrospective of his work at the Museum Bellerive in Zurich , Switzerland . Replete with striking images by photographer and video artist Annelies Strba, Schobingers wife for more than 30 years. The volume is sure to please readers who have seen the works in person as well as those new to his oeuvre.
This small paperback book is written and illustrated by Nola May. At $9.95 it is an affordable introduction to ‘Indian’ style beaded earrings made with small glass beads. If that sounds like a sentence I’ve written before it is because this small book is published by Eagle Publishing who put out ‘Delightful beaded Earring Designs’ by Jan Radford which I reviewed previously – and it is very similar in many ways to that book.
This book by Maryanne Dolan is in its third edition and is clearly a required text for those interested in buying, selling and evaluating rhinestone jewelry. The Rhinestone Jewelry market has grown over the past few years as anyone who goes into antique shops knows. What you might not be aware of is that many of those.
This small paperback book is written and illustrated by Jan Radford. At 8.95 it is an affordable introduction to ‘Indian’ style beaded earrings made with small glass beads. It has a somewhat dry, thin feel to it, but for someone interested in a straightforward text on the subject it should be useful. There is a clear introduction which recommends a careful reading of the book and an appreciation of the importance of the basic steps in small seed bead stringing. The text exhibits a good understanding of tools and materials. Step by step directions for making the earring foundations and short sections on supplies, adding thread and removing unwanted beads provide the technical instruction of the book, much of he rest being depictions of different possibilities for earring designs.
Boy these people are really good at what they do. I’d love to watch them drawing sometime. Like their previous work ‘The Art of Jewelry Design’ this book belongs in your collection if you are interesting in drawing jewelry and need some basic design principles and information, especially about commercial conventions in design. It is without any doubt the best illustrated reference available for methods of rendering commercial jewelry and particularly gemstones. The designs are really heavy on the gemstones and the authors truly know their subject. This book also has what seems like more rendered metal surfaces and chains than the previous volume. It is really unsurpassed for its examples of rendered gemstones and stones in settings. Designing suggestions and conventions are discussed in the text.
This article is a book review by Hannelore Gabriel for the book “Die Granulation” by Jochem Wolters, for the 1984 Fall issue of Metalsmith Magazine. Die Granulation By Jochem Wolters D. W. Callwey, Munich, Germany, 1983 330 pages, 300 black-and-white and…
For those of us who get our sustenance from books about jewelry, Ethnic Jewellery is an excellent feed. Its 170 photos of delectable jewelry, commentaries, and maps quickly wafted this reader into daydreams about the bejeweled tribes that left us this priceless legacy. Editor John Mack, Senior Keeper at the British Museum, tackled the daunting task of documenting the traditional jewelry of non-European countries. He did this by inviting eight professors, curators, and trailblazer Oppi Untracht to explain the materials, techniques, and themes characteristic of the region in which the jewelry was made. Mack chose well.
ver read an annotated bibliography? Its not normally thought of as exciting reading by non-researchers. But if you are interested in the works and life of Peter Karl Faberge this bibliography is worth trying. It lists citations of written documents in which Faberge or his works are mentioned. Each citation is accompanied by a more or less brief paragraph describing the gist of the article. Citations include advertisements, audiovisuals, journals, newspapers and more from before 1920 through 1992. They are arranged by decade so that the annotations become a chronological history of mentions of Faberge in writing – what artists today call documentation. The descriptive annotations are good, brief, livened by quotes from the article in question and the rare hint of a personal opinion – this document is about information and it is quite distilled. Interestingly 34% of the citations are from the 1980s. Faberge has obviously become more important fairly recently. There are 1772 entries in this book.
This slim paperback book is a real addition to the book collections of the working jeweler, the jewelry shop owner, the gemologist and interestingly also to your customer, the general public. Wow! It is a compilation of straightforward information on how to take care of gems and jewelry and covers most of the stones in general trade use. At 32 pages it is modest indeed (as too is the price: $ 9.95) but every page is well laid out, visually interesting, concise, accurate, easy to read and find information and best of all has lovely rich color photographs.
One of the best things about a retrospective book is having a window into the mind of an artist, meandering from idea to idea, watching as obsession evolves into recurring theme. Gijs Bakker is arguably the most famous, and certainly the most prolific, jeweler in Holland. He and Droog Design, the team he created with Rene Remakers, embody the classic postmodern stance — ironic, witty, iconoclastic, fiendishly clever, a little arrogant. Gijs Bakker and Jewelry accompanies a retrospective exhibition at the Stedelijk Museums-Hertogenbosch in 2005.
About 15 years ago a friend showed me a copy of the first edition of Mark Grimwade’s Introduction to Precious Metals, and I immediately knew I wanted my own copy. Since the book was already out of print and I could not find one, I begged my friend to allow me to photocopy his. A few years later, I met Grimwade for the first time at the Santa Fe Symposium, and one of the first questions I asked him was when he was going to have his book reprinted. Over the next 10 years, I continued to ask him about it every time I saw him. Though I am sure that I was not the only person to hound him about this, I believe we all owe a debt to his wife, Pamela. In the preface to the book, Grimwade dedicates it to her: “It was she who sat me down one evening and told me in no uncertain terms that I had to get on with it.” Thanks in part to Pamela, the book is finally again available in a greatly expanded version. Core Understanding.
Today’s metalsmith and jewelry designer has available a full range of reference books—from the general text, which gives a broad overview, to the topical text, which explores a specific technique in great detail. In addition, we now have the popular…
It would be inappropriate to review this book without including a short description of the craft environment of the early 50’s, when it was first published. World War II was over, and the streams that would later form the current…
This book is an expert and concise introduction to the world of carving gem materials. You could actually do it if you studied the book carefully. It offers an insight into this world, tickles you with hints of new techniques and is a solid grounding in the thinking required for working these materials into carved shapes..
In this beautiful and personal volume, readers are invited to visit the sparse market stalls, examine the heirloom tools and meet the craftsmen responsible for the living tradition of jewelry in West Africa. Legacy offers step-by-step investigations into many working processes as well as fascinating anecdotes and biographies of the artists. The book is illustrated with hundreds of beautiful photographs and offers access to a world not often visited by outsiders. Equally relevant as an instructional guide and as a profound glimpse into the artistic heritage of Africa, this book adds something fresh and dynamic to the academic study of African art.
A welcome addition to the literature now coming out for bench jewelers, Making the Most of Your Flex-shaft by Karen Christians is an informative compilation of material for anyone who takes tools seriously. Everyone with a flex-shaft understands what a valuable tool this is. Here is a chance to learn more about it in order to maximize its effectiveness, efficiency and longevity, whether you are a beginner or advanced flex-shaft user.
My first reaction when I heard about this book was, “It’s about time.” Think of it: If you tried to read every new book on jewelry-making, you would be reading most of the time. Yet, how many books can you…
If you like art jewelry, innovative work, future jewelry directions and opening up new markets for the jewelry industry you need this book.
It is a very solid contribution to the developing world of art jewelry. (Capitalist types look well, the making of new markets and profit.
This very readable book represents the accumulated wisdom and experience of a lifetime in the field, and especially a life committed to examining and buying gemstones, as well as selling them. The view is unique, and rich with examples and deep background information. In fact the view is different than any other book in the field. It is eminently practical and deals with the skills of connnoissiourship,
that is how to really look at and see a gem, what the subtleties and conventions are.
This article is a book review by Tim McCreight for the book “Setting of Gemstones”, written by Walter Zeiss, for the 1984 Fall issue of Metalsmith Magazine. Setting of Gemstones By Walter Zeiss, Ruhle-Diebener-Verlag Stuttgart, Germany, 1984 125 pages $18.75…
Silversmithing is a big topic. While I have a few reservations about this book, my overall response is that it handles its content with thoroughness and detail. Let me deal with the shortcomings first. Silversmithing By Rupert Finegold and William…
This book is profoundly logical, extremely obvious and demystifying. The book and it’s content presents more relevant information about glass on metal than has ever been put into print in a single volume.
Do you like sumptuous drawings and colored renderings of gemstones and fine jewelry? Interested in basic design principles for commercial jewelry making? Want to impress customers and colleagues with your jewelry rendering skills? This book could be right for you. As a serious goldsmith who does counter drawing or wants to improve their rendering (and possibly design) skills you should add this one to your collection. It is an excellent reference for professional jewelry drawing skills. A recommended pick for the professional crowd. If you want to learn to render gemstones in a traditional manner this book is it.
Many fine books have recently been published for the serious student of metalsmithing. Tim McCreight’s new book is a tasty smorgasbord of diverse and varied metalsmithing skills. At first glance, the book is clearly an important new achievement in metalsmithing…
Harold O’Connor’s latest book is both logical and well laid out and will be a valuable reference to anyone using the flexshaft machine for either production work or experimentation. The tool, the flexshaft machine, is not glorified in the text…
The New Clay is a serious and readable text offering polyform clays as a material for unique and production jewelry and object making. Polyform clays are PVC claylike materials which come in numerous colors, consistencies and working characteristics and are set hard by low temperature baking. Afterwards they can be drilled, sanded and painted. Excellent imitations of most opaque and translucent gem materials are possible. One might at first automatically dismiss plastic-based “Fimo” and similar polyform clay jewelry as “beginning hobbyist” or a kind of low level craft work. This well thought out book goes far to counter such a easy dismissal of the New Clays.
Well, this is a book I have to have in my collection. I recommend it for yours. As a contemporary metal artist myself the book (and its earlier edition in 1985) is a vital resource for me, a place to see friend’s work, to moan about my own lack of inclusion and to compliment the erudite writing and strong opinions voiced. A number of the photographic images are new ones and it is intriguing to see how various people’s work has evolved and changed since the first edition.
Two new European jewelry books crossed my desk this summer. One offered an uneven survey of jewelry concepts and the other strong work, beautiful production values, and thoughtful scholarship.
Enameling Art Live by Toshiko Tanaka The World of Modern Enamel Murals 89 pages; soft, glossy covers; 172 full color illustrations, 12 drawings; 9-3/4” x 7-1/4”; Hiroshima Chuo Printing Co., Mr. Jiro Ota, Pub. Div., e-mail: chuo@lime.ocn.ne.jp. Quality is the…
This recently published 64-page small format book gives an overview of the jewellery and luxury objects that comprise the collection known as the Cheapside Hoard. The numerous and diverse objects of the Hoard had lain undisturbed in their deeply interred…
Camille Fauré: Impossible Objects Cork Marcheschi lSBN 615-13229-4 172 pages; full color; 11 x 9 inches This book demands to be opened. What the eye sees instantly provokes excitement to the viewer…or disgust. Carnival eye candy, blown up and in…
The Art of Enameling; Techniques, Projects, Inspiration by Linda Darty Lark Books, a division of Sterling Publishing Co. 2004; ISBN 1-57990-507-2; 176 pages, full color. Order From Thompson Enamel, cost is $24.95 USD + $3.95 for US Delivery; $7.65 Canada;…
After “Plastic”, “Glass” and “Wood”, “Metals” is now the fourth volume in a successful series of books on materials. It is a pathfinder for product knowledge with a wealth of ideas and unique illustrations. The author and industrial designer Chris…
Contemporary Japanese Jewellery, In order to introduce largely unknown contemporary Japanese jewelry to the West, British jeweler Simon Fraser, working with the advice of Toyojiro Hida, then a curator at the Crafts Gallery of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, organized a traveling exhibition titled ‘Contemporary Japanese Jewellery,’ which opened in London in 2001.
Cuttlefish casting is a quick and fairly accurate casting method. Its applications are limited only by the thickness and overall dimensions of the shell. It is difficult to achieve fine details on the surface of the casting, but this is offset by the richly complex texture that is a natural by-product of this method.
June Schwarcz (b.1918) in Denver, CO. She is a Fellow of the American Craft Council and received their Gold Medal. The museum collections that have her work include Metropolitan Museum, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, and Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. Mostly she makes electroformed, three-dimensional objects. The richness and brilliance of transparent enamels still fascinates her after 47 years of enameling.
Today’s record metals prices have probably encouraged you to be more diligent than ever about capturing every last bit of precious metal dust in your shop. With gold in the $1,600 to $1,700 range at presstime, never before have your old polishing buffs, dust collection filters, and carpets been worth so much. When the stakes are this high, you need to work even harder to ensure that you are maximizing your return. Getting what you deserve out of your refining lot requires more than blind faith. In this excerpt from “Many Happy Returns,” which appeared in the October 2011 issue of MJSA Journal, you’ll find two steps you can take to have the most lucrative and satisfying refining experience.
Full eBook. 96 Pages. If you’ve ever dreamed of making perfect silver beads every time, then this manual is just what you are looking for since Nancy shows you step-by-step with illustrations how to do it.
Full eBook.186 Pages: Modern Letter Engraving in Theory and Practice – A Manual for the Use of Watchmakers, Jewelers and Other Metal Engravers – Illustrated with Numerous Etchings – 1898
This practical tool-in-a-book combines instruction on rendering techniques with unique guides that assist designers as they conceive jewelry and other works for the body. An envelop on the inside back cover contains a useful plastic template of circles, squares and other shapes as well as a ruler.
This unusual book is offers not only instruction, but dozens of illustrations of the human figure that can be used as armatures upon which to design jewelry. By placing a sketch paper over one of these figures, a designer is able to see how a shape relates to the ear, shoulder or neck. The effect is dramatic, and leads to instant improvement in designing wearable jewelry.
Full eBook.48 Pages: Jewelry and metalsmithing are hard work, and also very rewarding. There is great pleasure in creating with one’s hands, in the process of taking raw materials and creating something. It’s also fun to get dirty, and to bang really loud on a piece of metal. It’s wonderful to have someone say, “Gosh, I love your earrings,” and being able to respond, “Thanks, I made them.” So whatever brought you here, and whatever motivates you to stay, welcome, and let’s get to work! This book is a resource for you when you work on your own. The book is written as though you will be setting up your own workshop at home, so I discuss safety concerns, what type of tools to use, and how to set up your own area. Good luck and have a great time!
Painted Enamels – An Illustrated Survey 1500-1920 by Erika Speel Published by Lund Humphries, Hampshire, England, 2008 Hard cover, 10-3/4″ x 8-3/4″, Illustrated jacket, 256 pages, 80 illustrations Order from: Thompson Enamel, Inc. P.O Box 310 Newport, KY 41072…
The Little Book of Water Etching and Enameling for Metal Clay Etching with water? This may sound strange until you consider, oh yes, this is metal clay where metalworking and clay techniques have crossover. Water is used to remove metal…
Now this is a truly attractive book. One of those coffee table type books dripping with gorgeous National Geographic quality photos, or maybe Smithsonian quality – and all about metal and gold objects. Besides being a beautiful book full of superb color pictures it is crammed with accurate ethnological information about who did what, when and where. It is good enough to function as a textbook, in fact Id call it the definitive book on the subject, or at least the most interesting and entertaining one, combining good factual, scholarly writing with enough juicy photographs to satisfy anyone wanting to add something impressive to their library of jewelry books and related subjects.
A selected bibliography list for the jeweler – Metal working, Casting, Plating, Enamelling ,Gem Cutting, Setting, Engraving and Etching, Other Techniques, Jewelry Repairs and A Selected Bibliography for Materials Science for Goldsmiths – Over 100 listings.
In his book “For Common Things”, the American author Jedediah Purdy foretells the end of the fun society. It is a scathing dismissal of the cult of superficiality and cynical indifference. Purdy calls for a return to culture, morality and…
This article is a book review of 3 books from 3 authors in the 1990 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine including Contemporary Patination by Ronald D. Young. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Artists’ Jewellery: Pre-Raphaelite to Arts and Crafts By Charlotte Gere and Geoffrey C….
This article showcases the book reviews for “Diamond Setting: The Professional Approach” and “Contemporary Jewellery: The Americas, Australia, Europe and Japan” published in the 1985 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diamond Setting: The Professional Approach By Robert R. Wooding…
This article showcases the book reviews for “Enamels, Enameling, Enamelists” by Glenice Lesley Matthews and “The Nature and Art of Workmanship” by David Pye published in the 1985 Winter issue of the Metalsmith Magazine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enamels, Enameling, Enamelists by Glenice Lesley Matthews…
This article showcases book reviews for “The Art of the Jeweler”, “Bead Setting Diamonds, with Pavé Applications”, “Custom Knifemaking: 10 Proiects From a Master Craftsman” and “Pearls: Their Origin, Treatment & Identification” published in the 1986 Spring issue of the Metalsmith…
This article reviews two great books “Practical Casting: A Studio Reference” and “Jewellery of the Ancient World” published in the 1986 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Practical Casting: A Studio Reference by Tim McCreight pb, spiral-bound, available from Brynmorgen…
This article reviews three books “ American Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition” and “Art Aurea” and “The Eloquent Object” published in the 1988 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy…
This article is for book reviews for the books “Jewelry by Architects”, “The Jewellery of René Lalique”, “Jewelry 7000 Years” and the three-set Titanium books, published in the 1988 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jewelry by Architects By Barbara…
This article is a book review published in the 1989 Summer issue of the Metalsmith Magazine including “Power and Gold: Jewelry from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Power and Gold: Jewelry from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines text by…
This article is a book review of 2 books in the 1990 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine including Victorian Jewelry: Unexplored Treasures by Ginny Redington Dawes and Corinne Davidov. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Victorian Jewelry: Unexplored Treasures by Ginny Redington Dawes and Corinne…
This article is a book review published in the 1992 Summer issue of the Metalsmith Magazine reviewing “Contemporary American Jewelry Design.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As its title states, Contemporary American Jewelry Design covers a special movement. It defines studio goldsmithing, its place…
This article is a book review published in the 1994 Summer issue of the Metalsmith Magazine reviewing “Hydralic Die Forming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hydralic Die Forming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths by Susan Kingsley 20 – Ton Press, Carmel,…
This article is a book review published in the 1995 Fall issue of the Metalsmith Magazine including “Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: the Archaeological Evidence.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: the Archaeological Evidence By P.R.S. Moorey New York, Oxford…
This article is a book review published in the 1995 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine including “One of a Kind, American Art Jewelry Today” by Harry N. Abrams. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “One of a Kind”, American Art Jewelry Today Published by…
This article is a book review published in the 1997 Fall issue of the Metalsmith Magazine reviweing “Uber den Schmuck und das Machen” by Hermann Jünger. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Uber den Schmuck und das Machen (About Jewelry and the Art of Making Things)…
This article is a book review published in the 1998 Spring issue of the Metalsmith Magazine reviewing “Object and Ornament: Canadian Jewellery and Metal Art” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Object and Ornament: Canadian Jewellery and Metal Art 1946-1996 by Anne Barros (Boston Mills…
Superb mographs about three contemporary metalsmiths have recently become available: Ah Xian — a Chinese sculptor who uses time-honored practices from the land of his birth, such as pierced and/or painted and glazed porcelain, carved lacquer, jade inlay and, especially, cloisonne enamel, to create exquisite, life-size human figures; Michael Rowe — a British modernist whose deconstructed silver and patinated brass tabletop objects have set the standard for avant-garde holloware around the world; and Tone Vigeland, the legendary Norwegian jeweler, who combines tiny, identical units of hammered silver or steel, evocative of Vikin mail and Nordic landscapes, to make both wearable pieces and large-scale sculpture.
Gems are a lot of fun to render, but because they require some precision, you might want to render a gem first before spending much time on the whole piece, Transfer the outline and paint the stone first. When you like the effect, complete the rest of the rendering around the stone. Where appropriate, use a template to create a delicate colored pencil outline of the stone.
To begin with I highly recommend this book of technical information and procedures for anyone wanting to learn wax modelling techniques (as always given patience and practice in carrying out the exercises). There is very little available in English on jewellery oriented professional wax working and this text contributes to the field. A good half of the currently available books are by Japanese authors (Wada for instance). This is interesting when one considers that Japan did not have a tradition of precious metals jewellery using gems until after the Americans (and later DeBeers) introduced the concepts after World War II.
The principle of this ancient, valued procedure is described here because of its historical interest, and with the thought that young people coming into the field should be aware of the basic procedures of the trade, even though they may not pursue them. In the case of precious metal refining, it is generally more efficient to send scrap to a reputable refiner where sophisticated equipment and years of experience will insure accuracy. In addition, the procedures described below use dangerous acids that mandate industrial quality ventilation and safety precautions, which makes the decision to send out refining chores even more compelling.
With over 300 tonnes of gold used in electronics each year, end-of-life electronic equipment offers an important recycling potential for the secondary supply of gold. With gold concentrations reaching 300-350 g/t for mobile phone handsets and 200-250 g/t for computer circuit boards, this “urbanmine” is significantly richer than what is vailable in primary ores.
At the counter, you remove the tape with a sharp blade and then slide the ring up a man-drel. Next, you measure Mrs. Moder’s finger with a set of ring sizers. Comparing her finger, size 5 1 / 2, to the ring, size 6, confirms that the ring should be brought down one half-size. Examine the ring closely. It is marked 14k and you have no reason to.
It is important to understand that many variables will affect patina results. Our tests were made on smooth, rolled metal. Textures will change the color, and cast metal has a different structure that can also influence color. These samples include no solder, and because solder is a different alloy, it will react to the solutions differently. Changes in temperature, length of exposure, climate, and strength of the chemicals wilt all influence colors.
The purpose of precious metal testing is to determine, first, whether a given sample is precious or base, and, second, to determine what proportion of an alloy is precious. Sophisticated equipment is used in a precious metal laboratory to determine content and purity values with great precision, but our attention here is given to methods a working goldsmith can use in the studio to determine metal content to a practical degree of accuracy..
The idea that a given material is, by nature, precious, is a relatively recent one. The idea that one material was precious while another was merely semi-precious simply did not exist in ancient times. The idea of dividing gemstones into the categories of precious and semi-precious is a relatively modern idea. The word semiprecious itself entered the English lexicon only in the nineteenth century..
Because titanium behaves somewhat differently than the standard metals in the goldsmith’s workshop some special attention to its working is in order here. When sawing, begin the cut with a very light stroke, and increase the pressure only when the blade has securely caught. The sawblade can be protected with a lubricating grease, but even with this precaution it will dull quickly. Titanium can be worked with standard files, but.
An enamel of any size can be produced by working sectionally. I cut copper sheet into irregular shapes to enhance and strengthen a design and to give the illusion of a large single piece. The pieces are mounted on a single sheet of 3/4″ marine plywood. This method requires a worktable large enough to lay out the full-scale work. I have made many panels by this method, the largest being 5″ x 7″, which is the size of my worktable. The large panels are hung with the tow-piece brackets used for wall cabinets.
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