This year Johnson Matthey Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of platinum group metals, in cooperation with the Society of North American Goldsmiths inaugurated the annual “SNAG Platinum Jewelry Design Competition”…
While this one may seem a little odd at first glance the idea has merit. Linda Chow suggests that a wire inserted through a hole is a type of hinge which by implication makes an normal jump ring inserted into a hole a kind of hinge. There are several…
It is important to pick tubing with an appropriate wall thickness and material strength for the requirements of the piece. Sterling will need thicker material than 14k gold. Nickel white gold is the hardest material goldsmiths generally…
Sometimes working with jewelry hinges can be too taxing. And not knowing how will make your work even harder. Here’s a how-to on working with jewelry hinges.
It is, however, usually best to bevel the openings of a tube slightly to give the rivet a better purchase in use. A beveled tube end produces a good flush rivet.
Yes you can make your own earring posts. It is generally more cost effective to buy them, but making them is not a problem and there are times that it is useful to know how.
A bearing is essentially tube sections which are attached to the metal being hinged into which the hinge itself is installed. The use of bearings offers us a couple of things. First of all, it offers us a way of increasing the structural strength…
Hidden hinges are sometimes used on bracelets and jewelry pieces. I saw one on a Vietnamese bracelet once and have seen several on Diamonds International pieces. The place they pop up most frequently is in kitchen cabinets and doors on smooth…
First one chooses an appropriate metal for the various parts, that is a metal with appropriate structural for it’s thickness and stress in use. In this catch there is little stress in use and therefore one can use even as soft metal as sterling…
Cuff-links can work well as a plain three-part hinge. There are some basics to the construction of cuff-links. The cuff-link consists of three parts: the front decorative part you see in use.
Cast hinges are a very important part of much production jewelry work, partly because hinge assembly on such pieces is reduced to inserting the hinge pin and so provides a very fast linkage system ideal for cast objects. We are primarily speaking…
It is customary to place the joint at the right of the back of the pin and the catch on the left for right handed users who…
It is not uncommon for moving parts to wear out. This is to be expected because of increased friction as parts rub against one another. A common example can be found in connecting rings such as the jump rings that attach a charm to a bracelet or a…
Installing or repairing hinge rivets can be difficult with a torch. Flooding a hinge with solder and permanently joining a link to adjacent links are among the risks when using a torch and solder. Use of the following pulse-arc welding techniques…
One of the most important types of closures used in jewelry is the box clasp. This clasp and its many variations are usually built into jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, and chains. However, as an exercise, this project demonstrates the…
The first requirement of all catches is that they secure neckpieces and bracelets in such a way that they will not fall off the wearer. Once this is accomplished, there are other concerns that should be addressed. Making catches requires a high…
Box catches lend themselves to a wide range of shapes and are frequently used on chains, bracelets and cuff bracelets. They combine security with ease of use and the ability to be adapted to the needs of each design. After mastering the basics,…
Hali Baykov offers here some diagrams and notes, with the basic steps in making specialized findings, including double pins and the use of a gallery to ensure there is good support and alignment with the brooches.
This project is a slight variation on the standard box clasp, the clasp outlined here uses two tongues rather than one. This means that the clasp is much more secure, so theres no need for the figure of 8 safety mechanism which can sometimes spoil…
Cold connections are great alternatives to soldering, especially if you want to use fragile or flammable materials in your jewelry designs. Cold connections have many variations, and this project will give you a closer look at hinged tabs…
Before photography, lockets were decorated with miniature, handpainted portraits — a luxury few could afford. The advent of affordable photographic miniatures propelled the locket to the forefront of jewelry fashion during the sentimental…
Getting a superior fit on your next custom ring order could be just a few mouse clicks away. Superfit Inc., the King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer known for its tailor-fit shanks, recently launched Digital Installations,…
Luis Moreno demonstrates how to fabricate a Ball Hinge…,http://www.google.com/profiles/Luis.F.Moreno.Silversmith…
Luis Moreno demonstrates how to create wire hinges…,http://www.google.com/profiles/Luis.F.Moreno.Silversmith…
Luis Moreno demonstrate how to fabricate yet another clasp…,http://www.google.com/profiles/Luis.F.Moreno.Silversmith…
Luis Moreno demonstrates how to fabricate a clasp…,http://www.youtube.com/user/luis67813?feature=mhw5…
Luis Moreno demonstrates how to fabricate a clasp…,http://www.youtube.com/user/luis67813?feature=mhw5…
