Metal forming is a basic jewelry making skill. Our articles cover topics from calculating the amount of metal a project needs to hammering techniques.
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” Open to members of the society, the competition professed the…
This article features the Metals Invitational Exhibition held at the Southwest Texas State University on February 15-March 8, 1984 by various artists. The Southwest Texas State University Metals Invitational was conceived about a year ago by Munya Avigail Upin, metals instructor in…
This article features the 25th Sterling Design Competition held at Lever House, New York City on May 30-June 19, 1984. First Prize Winner, Mark E. Fortune, Teapot The 25th Sterling Design Competition, sponsored by the Sterling Silversmiths Guild of America, for the…
Available in a wide variety of formulas, epoxy resins are used in jewelry making as adhesives, as coatings, and for casting. This reference article outlines the safety requirements for mixing and working with epoxy resins and introduces how to use adhesive and coating epoxy resins to include images and found objects in your work. The three featured projects demonstrate how to capture images in open and closed bezels as well as how to make a three-dimensional collage by layering resin in a deep reservoir..
These 950 Palladium earrings were designed by Tom McLaughlin of Lennons Jewelers, Syracuse, NY. The top portion of the design is bead set with small round brilliant diamonds on one side. When worn, the bottom portion swivels and is bead set with small round brilliant diamonds on both sides. The two sides of the bottom portion are separated by 18-karat yellow gold spacers. The diamonds on each side of the bottom portion accent the round Tahitian cultured pearls as they swivel when worn.
The palladium bench guide reviews the working characteristics of palladium for the jewelry bench staff and provides an overview of the unique advantages and benefits of palladium jewelry for managers, sales professionals and consumers. It is intended to serve as a source for information on the most commonly encountered palladium jewelry scenarios and the related materials available in the industry today.
Retailers have been converting bridal inventories from white gold to palladium as manufacturers expand the selection of new palladium jewelry designs. In addition to stocking palladium pieces, they have been custom making bridal jewelry with new palladium alloys. There are several factors responsible for this favorable (re)turn to palladium including.
This band was designed and rendered using Gemvision Matrix jewelry
design software. The 22-karat granulation beads measure
approxiametely 1.0 millimeter and have a small space between them.
The 22-karat granulation beads will be permanently applied by
fusion-welding using the ABI Tack II and the vacuum pump and ring
clamp attachments.
With the jewelry industrys acceptance and increased use of new 950 palladium alloys for jewelry design and manufacturing, its fundamental to have a general understanding of related casting procedures. In this installment of the 950 palladium jewelry manufacturing series of articles, Teresa Frye, president of TechForm Advanced Casting Technology shares an overview of her companys 950 palladium casting procedures and gives insight into the scientific approach they have undertaken to improve results.
When making custom jewelry with any alloy, certain components within the piece are often hand made to enhance the final product. In the two 950 palladium pieces featured in this article, a handmade chain and a bracelet catch are custom made to compliment the design and finished pieces.
This article examines manufacturing procedures used to hand fabricate 950 palladium earrings. These custom earrings designed by Lainie Mann feature cultured mabe pearls and pink sapphires set into hand formed and fabricated 950 palladium. The materials used in this project include.
This article covers methods and techniques for hand fabrication, soldering and assembly for a custom designed 950 palladium and cultured pearl ring.
Practicing specific procedures for pre-finishing and polishing of 950 palladium will make a stunning difference in the final presentation of this fine jewelry product.
finishing palladium This 950 Pd wedding band design was made using CAD/CAM design and model making technology and features high millgrained edges, textured diagonal grooves and a high polished flat surface. The ring was finished from a rough casting using a progressive abrasive system and limited standard polishing techniques. The pre-finishing and polishing system featured in this article can also be used after sizing any 950 Pd ring.
Setting gemstones in 950 palladium alloys is a bench jeweler’#39;s dream. Stone setters will agree that the combination of palladium’#39;s malleability, superior strength and the near absence of memory (spring-back) when it is bent or formed all set the foundation for success, regardless of the setting style. But without proper design (structural support, sufficient metal, accurate fit, etc.), planning and execution of workmanship, the unique and positive characteristics of palladium cannot be used to the best advantage. More importantly, ignoring the working characteristics of the metal could lead to problems for the jewelry through normal wear, such as mountings becoming misshapen resulting in loss of gemstones. The following review of gemstone setting specifically in palladium alloys presents some jewelry examples for consideration.
According to Frank McAllister, the quantity of individual pieces of jewelry made from 950 palladium has surpassed the same for platinum products in the recent months. McAllister, CEO of the Stillwater Mining Co. calculated this based upon the number of ounces used globally for each alloy. It wont be long before light, bright and white 950 palladium products find their way into your store, either as merchandise from your customers jewelry taken in for service or alteration or work required to customize 950 palladium jewelry from your own inventory.
When heated to high heat soldering temperatures, some 950 palladium alloys will develop a bluish-purple surface discoloration. It is easily removed by briefly and mildly heating the piece with a neutral flame. When palladium is heated to gold soldering temperatures, no surface discoloration occurs.
Palladium, long used as a luxurious jewelry metal, has recently experienced renewed interest largely due to its purity, natural white color and affordable pricing. Modern 950 palladium alloys containing various trace elements are superior to the palladium ruthenium alloys previously available for use in jewelry. The new 950 palladium alloys are:…
The “other white metal” is making its presence known and it wont be long before light, bright and white 950 palladium products find their way to your workbench, either as merchandise from your store or customers jewelry taken in for service or alteration. Notable designers and manufacturers like Frederick Goldman, Scott Kay, and Lieberfarb have incorporated 950 palladium products in their bridal lines for over a year. This installment features information, tips and techniques for working with palladium through a manufacturing sequence required to produce this necklace and earrings.
Designers and manufacturers have embraced 950 palladium alloys for a variety of jewelry manufacturing products. At the recent JA Jewelry Show in New York, most prominent among the new 950 palladium products were bridal lines featuring a wide selection of engagement rings and wedding bands. Even though palladium is a platinum group metal, consumers are largely unfamiliar with the metal. Here are some selling points that will help introduce this lustrous white, bright and light metal during sales presentations.
This simple pendant design will be made with 950 palladium wire. Tack-welding technology will be used to temporarily hold the prong wires prior to soldering to the lower bezel gallery wire. The trillion shaped Danburite weighs 6.4 carats and measures 13.35mm. No commercial settings were available to accommodate this gemstone.
The reintroduction of white, bright and light palladium for use in the jewelry industry has quickly introduced an expanding assortment of palladium stock items offered in a variety of palladium alloys. It is very important to know about the 950 palladium alloy that you are working with and to become familiar with their compatible features. Because the ingredients of 950 palladium alloys vary, so may factors such as color and working characteristics. For the best results when sizing, servicing or building jewelry pieces at the bench, use like materials.
Well designed 950 palladium jewelry plays to the strengths of this unique metal — the aesthetics of its light, bright, white color, weight and ‘#39;feel’#39;. It’#39;s a joy to create a beautiful piece of jewelry which delights the wearer, and promises to remain trouble free for years to come. So here’#39;s a tip: Emphasize the positive qualities of this unique metal in your designs. Whether palladium plays a supporting role to diamonds or fancy gemstones, or takes the spotlight in visual form or tactile comfort, employing its best characteristics in your creations will serve you well in saleable jewelry, customer satisfaction and your bottom line.
Striking differences between elements such as color, tone, texture, reflection, refraction, pattern and shape create contrast. Contrast not only enhances the qualities of each juxtaposed element, but can also create a pleasing balance in a design. Jewelry designs featuring the richness of yellow and the brightness of white metals offer consumers another direction in expanding their jewelry wardrobe. For the jeweler however, creating the intended contrast between yellow and white gold usually involves a matte finish and rhodium plating on the white, with the additional concern for allergic reaction due to the nickel in the alloy. With yellow gold and platinum there is contrast, along with a price tag that is prohibitive to many customers. The clear alternatives are palladium alloys which offer a true white contrast to yellow gold at comparable pricing. Belonging to the platinum group metals, palladium shares the same hypoallergenic characteristics, purity of color and lack of memory (a perfect stone-setting medium) as platinum, though it is lighter in weight and more easily gives way to a bright lustrous finish.
This Unique Settings ring is an excellent design for palladium with heavy, low-profile prongs for the 1.50 carat center diamond, ample wall thickness for setting the baguettes and supporting the overall structure and sufficient room for bead setting the small round diamonds and bright cutting along the sides. This ring mounting is an ideal example for an overview of step-by-step palladium manufacturing techniques.
Of late, an increasing number of white precious metal alloys have been introduced into the jewelry marketplace in answer to industry cries for a true white counterpart to the ever popular yellow gold. The search has been on for a workable white alloy that stays white, is hypoallergenic and priced more agreeably than the often prohibitive platinum. Alloys emerging include mixtures of 50/50 platinum and palladium, 585 platinum with cobalt and copper and several alloy combinations in between. Surveys indicate consumers appreciate the purity of 900 to 950 platinum, and would prefer the purity of a 950 palladium alloy if considering an alternative.
It took about two months of experimentation to get the formulas for Platinum Sterling Silver just right – Robinson created alloys containing 5 percent, 3.5 percent, and 1 percent platinum. But he’s the first to admit that combining silver and platinum isn’t a novel concept..
Considered to be one of the richest and most important archaeological finds in Great Britain, the Ship Burial known as Sutton Hoo was found near present-day Woodbridge, in Suffolk, in 1939. Coins from the burial mound date the site no…
Did you ever imagine you’d see the day when a finely woven mesh bracelet with thousands of tiny links could be grown in one piece, on a machine, using 18k gold powder? Well, that day has come.
It’s jaw — dropping, really.
Today, thanks to additive manufacturing, an intricate piece of jewelry something that used to take countless days of hand labor to make can now be produced overnight on a laser melting machine. The machine builds up a net shape, layer by layer, much the same way as a rapid prototyping system does only instead of resin materials, the layers are made of metal powder.
Putting a spin on tradition, Alexandra Hart of Alexandra Hart in San Diego crafted Broollopskronan, or Bridal Crown, a regal wedding headdress. The commission from a half-Swedish bride for something unusual but still traditional had Hart exploring her own Swedish roots. She and the client considered many options through sketches before deciding to go with this modern interpretation of a practice that dates back to the Middle Ages, when Swedish brides wore crowns loaned to them by their churches on their wedding days.
Alishan Halebian’s sphere is a metaphor for light and life. Beginning with the concept of a sphere, Alishan Halebian of Alishan in Irvine, California, created a double-sided 65 mm diameter pendant/ring with design elements that are a metaphor for light and…
Jump rings may be made most easily by using a small hand drill with various sizes of mandrel. Take a broken burr, old needle file handles or a piece of drill rod and make a slit near the end. (I would use a separating disc to do this). Or one may drill a hole through the rod. Then it may be set into a hand drill or a flex shaft handpiece.
There is something of the alchemist’s magic in Pat Flynn. Like those artful wizards of long ago, he changes common materials into objects of value and delight. Rusty nails, chips of slate, slivers of ivory snatched from discarded piano keys*all…
This article is based on technical information taken from my personal notes and experiences, shared information from the Penland Anodizing Symposium (Fall 1985, Penland, NC: Invited guests: Christine DePaul, Garret DeRuiter, and David Tisdale) and published information generously provided by…
The expressions which have come to identify the pre- and post-World War II generations – Me decade, suburban frontiersmen, spoiled baby boomers, generation gap – are clear if perhaps overly stereotyped images. While encapsulating specific attitude changes in 10- or 20-year increments…
Looking down the long corridors of time, the ancient Etruscans emerge as a powerful people whose economic and social development was founded on their metal industry. Over the centuries, however, the ancient Etruscan metalsmiths were gradually absorbed into the Roman…
While I was in graduate school at San Diego State University I became interested in the anodizing process. I had been working with aluminum in jewelry for a while when Arline Fisch brought back some basic anodizing aluminum information from…
For nearly 30 years, Ambery-Smith has been using architecture as an inspiration for her work. Her name has become synonymous with finely wrought precious metal jewelry, boxes, and condiment sets whose inspiration lies in Renaissance, Palladian, and classical architectural precedents: a pendant based on the fifteenth-century Florentine architect Brunelleschis lantern, for example, or the Temple of Jupiter brooch, an exercise in pure classicism. Her work is represented in galleries, museums, and private collections in Europe, the United States, and around the world.
Standard sterling silver is not a perfect material to work with firescale adds extra production costs and the tarnishing characteristic discourages potential customers. Firescale-free, highly tarnish-resistant Argentium Sterling Silver eliminates these problems, and the ability of the alloy to be welded opens up new production opportunities.
One can get tired of it all and want to be entertained, but the media outlets for distraction can look old hat and boring. So why not turn to art for a bit of uplift and fun? Why not abandon the daily grind, in which one has made all that life – draining progress in one’s career, and get a little innocent excitement back, regress for the pleasure of regressing, renewing one’s feeling for life in the process? The programmed leisure that passes for playfulness these days all those sports, with their rules and regulations, which make them seem like another dreary job (so much conformity, obedience, self suppression) is hardly as playful as art can be.
Soldering is a delicate and sometimes difficult process especially when you need to solder very close to a previous solder seam. Without extra care, you can easily melt that prior seam and dislodge the parts. One solution is to drop down a temperature level for the second seam.
These cufflinks designed by Bill Holman were award winners in the AGTA 2004 Spectrum design competition. They are 18-karat yellow gold and feature Drusy agates with a 24-karat deposition layer over the exposed crystal formation. The small gemstones are 1.50 millimeter diamond-cut round sapphires. In this article, Holman shares the details of his approach for making these award-winning cufflinks and how.
As well as being used for chasing they may also be used as punches to make textures. A stamp or texturing punch can be struck onto an annealed blank tool to get a negative impressions of its end. Each texturing tool can then produce its own negative. These blanks in turn are then hardened and tempered. It is wise to always wear goggles when using punches of any kind.
Over the years, bad habits creep into our work procedures. Periodical review of our techniques is needed to assure us that these “bad habits” are not allowed to continue to effect the quality of our work. In this article, we will continue our Back to Basics Series with an article on Filing.
A short review of construction and soldering principles would be a good idea at this point. They’re fairly basic. Principles of soldering (or what most of the world terms ‘brazing’ but jewelers call ‘soldering’) include: make sure that all joins are recently scraped, cleaned, sanded, or otherwise bared; that you can’t see light through a join; that you use tons of flux.
In this article, we will continue our Back to Basics Series with an article on Sawing techniques.
Connections are an important part of jewelry manufacturing. We make them with suppliers, with retailers, even with the people who buy and wear our jewelry. But some of the most important connections are those we make between metals. Whether creating custom one-offs or producing in volume, jewelers must constantly make physical connections between metal objects ear posts to earrings, clasps to chains, and jump rings to nearly everything.
Titanium and the other refractory metals other the metalsmith a new range of exotic colors – colors that are beautiful and subtle. The saying “less is more applies to titanium since the colors are created by the refraction of light…
Andy Cooperman’s Sargasso Server, a contemporary sterling silver fish slice, evokes life in the sea. The blade resembles a squid’s tapering, almost conical head, trailed by silver and gold ‘tentacles’ that form the handle. These long, interwoven strands of metal also suggest tangles of kelp, or sargassum weed. The transitional piece between handle and blade imitates the flared movement of a jellyfish and the nodular texture of a sea urchin. A Seattle metalsmith who works primarily as a jeweler.
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 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.
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.
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…
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…
Faces can be changed to provide any combination desired. Faces can also be replaced when worn. Sold with two different faces and a wrench to tighten or remove collars. Faces are brass and nylon.
Rings with by-pass shanks are right hand and left hand specific and are not interchangeable. When creating a ring with a by-pass shank, the side of the shank closest to the hand should come from the side of little finger. The ring will then sit straight on the finger. This is because the skin joining the fingers together is lower between the little finger and the ring finger than between the ring finger and the middle finger. If the ring is created with the shank going the other way, the shank will contact the hand on the middle finger side first and cause the ring to twist while wearing it.
Advanced Jewelry Technologies (owned by this author) and Rio Grande are introducing a new CAD CAM system designed to make it far easier to make class rings, family crest jewelry, and corporate jewelry. This kit not only streamlines the concept…
These step-by-step instruction manual guides the process (see procedure for making the class ring). With a core product to produce, endless variations are possible. The system consists of two components. These components are ring making and bezel making. Bezel Making…
CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing) is bringing a new efficiency and profitability to the jewelry workplace. Who is better to use this technology than the bench jeweler with a working knowledge of jewelry construction? In this situation, a program…
In many countries, regulations govern the caratage of gold solders used to make jewellery and, with few exceptions, gold solder alloys should be of the same caratage as the jewellery. One problem with the production of solders is to ensure a good colour match with the jewellery being assembled.
Everybody scampers for executing orders in a rush against all odds to satisfy customers or – if you’#39;re lucky – to make customers smile with a piece you’#39;ve created with your craft.
But how about yourself? Why not take the time, unwind and focus on a gift for yourself. Besides all recent technical advances of CAD/CAM there’#39;s still the most sophisticated things in nature. So why not take put an orchid on your bench literally.
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 level of skill, but the rewards, in both technical and aesthetic satisfaction, make the effort worthwhile. The following examples should only serve for inspiration, and may need to be altered for your particular use. It is part of the creative process when designing and drawing the piece to create the most suitable catch and to incorporate it into the entire design of the work..
This project is for beginners that wish to become silversmiths, part time or full time. Keep in mind that there are many ways to do this faster with the use of mechanical tools, but you are doing this project to learn how to use your frame saw and how to solder… ()
In recent years, we have witnessed a growing concern of manufacturers and retailers regarding the quality of the jewelry products. Closer attention is being paid to such issues as general aesthetic appearance, surface finish, color consistency, strength and overall durability of jewelry. Responding to the increasing quality requirements, we have made an attempt to develop some specific methods for testing the finished jewelry products including various chains, bangle bracelets, castings and components..
Chunghi Choo captures her joyful creativity in sensuous forms and beguiling surfaces, but, despite this sumptuousness, simplicity harmony and tranquility are always integral to her work. Born in Korea, she took a B.F.A. at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, majoring…
Claire Falkenstein is a master of linear metal sculpture. Hers is not an art of solid form, as relating to space and mass, but of a cursive gesture – a scribble in the air. It is essentially a public or…
Claus Bury’s rejection of his immediate past, a long standing European tradition in goldsmithing, and his defection to the fine arts by the end of the 70’s, points out a major weakness in the crafts: its inability to accommodate radical…
Behold the metals supplier, lord of all things shiny. He fills your crucible with casting grain and makes sure youre always one sheet ahead of the game. But perhaps more important than his ability to make metal magically appear at your door in 24 hours is his expert advice when your solder wont flow, your castings are porous, or youre just about ready to turn off your torch-for good. We spoke with a number of metals suppliers to find out what their customers commonly want to know. From metalworking problems that constantly reappear to recent concerns about new alloys hitting the market, they shared with us some jewels of wisdom.
The use of area inlay, called damascening or woven inlay, is common in the ancient metalwork of Iran, India, Japan, Spain and other countries. Since most applications require the use of ferrous metals as base materials, area inlay is not…
This method of etching uses a prepared ferric chloride solution which also contains hydrochloric acid. This ‘etchant’ is not a pure acid, but etches copper and copper alloys (like brass and bronze). It will not work on silver. It is available from electronics supply shops, such as Radio Shack or from chemical suppliers. It is generally used to clean or etch copper circuit boards. It can also be found at some printmakers’ supply stores.
True damascus steel is made by a casting process utilizing very high carbon steel. The material is held at or near the temperature of fusion for an extended period of time. This causes the formation of large, high carbon dendrites…
David Paul Bacharach is a part of the growing contingent of American metalsmiths who are challenging the Modernist tradition of vesselmaking (see “American Holloware, Changing Criteria” by Jamie Bennett, Metalsmith, Summer 1984). He has managed to avoid the principles of…
Sterling silver alloys typically contain about 7.5 percent copper, an addition that not only provides strength to the otherwise pure silver, but also helps the alloys to tarnish fairly quickly—a traditional frustration for jewelers and consumers alike. In addition, both…
Fire scale or fire stain is a reddish purple toned ‘bloom’ or ‘stain’ that appears on silver/copper alloys such as sterling silver when they are heated in the presence of oxygen. It even occurs in gold alloys with high copper contents. As it generally appears in the form of blotchy patches following abrasive polishing it is seen as a blemish which destroys the clear reflectivity of finished silver surfaces.
No single item is more used yet more neglected than flatware. It is used in one form or another by the average person many times a day, not only for eating but also for preparing and serving food. But few…
Due to a recent comprehensive exhibition at the San Francisco Craft & Folk Art Museum, we reintroduce to our readers the handwrought copper work of Dirk Van Erp, a leading handcraftsman in the American Arts and Crafts Movement, who opened…
At a time when the country is still reeling from the vogue for Indian jewelry displayed around the necks of rock stars, like the chains of the Lord Mayor, and on the blue jean shirts of admirers of “the Santa…
Durston rolling mills are recognized for reliability, robust construction and high quality for strength and accuracy you can depend on.
Durston is the foremost manufacturer of rolling mills throughout the world. They are recognized for their reliability robust construction high quality and fine finish.These are exactly the same as their standard models but without the extension rollers on the end….
High precision ring stretcher/reducer featuring a six spline mandrel and 12 polished countersunk dies. This high-quality ring stretcher ensures exceptionally accurate ring sizing. Its countersunk polished steel reducing plate will reduce bands up to 12mm wide.
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.
Quoting the scholar, Nyozekan Hasegawa, Masataka Ogawa Calls Japan the country of “the culture of hands.” Over the centuries, no hands have been stronger or more skillful in carrying on the traditions of distinguished craftsmanship than those of the Japanese…
The term fashion does not immediately bring to mind knives. But wait! The 1895 Montgomery Ward & Co. catalog offered 131 varieties of pocket knives. They were classified as: “men’s,” “ladies’,” “boys” and “men’s heavy pocket and hunting.” Although perceptible…
Granulation is the process of fusing tiny metal spheres of silver or gold, in a decorative pattern, to a surface of the same metal. It is an ancient technique that produces a beautiful, delicate effect. When making Granulated jewelry, all connections are fused instead of soldered.
Granulation involves placing and fusing tiny balls of silver on the surface of the backsheet in a preplanned design. The mixture of Hide Glue, flux and water is used to temporarily hold the granules in place until they are fused.
Firescale has been the scourge of sterling silver casters since the first silver was poured into a mold. It has been a thorn in the side of silver fabricators. Fortunately there are ways to prevent fire scale while silver soldering. This paper describes a simple, inexpensive method of preventing fire scale during vacuum casting.
Before sizing any ring, examine it carefully and compare it to the information on the job envelope. If you see any damage or potential problems that are not marked clearly on the envelope, inform the store manager or sales clerk who took in the job so that they can notify the customer. It is extremely important that you inform them now, before any work is performed, rather than wait until later to inform them.
Florence Resnikoff delights in the use of color. Vibrant and glowing, muted and moody, color for her involves extending beyond traditional metal and stone in washes of purple, rose, peacock blue gray—the expanded palette she achieves with anodized titanium, tantalum…
This article describes step by step instructions how forged ring shank is done as described by Bradney W. Simon. For this solid shank we’re going to forge the shape out of a solid piece of platinum. The bottom of the…
Created especially for jewelers by expert metalsmith and tool designer Bill Fretz, the Fretz® line of tools is precisely designed for excellent ergonomics, maximum durability and impeccable results
This paper describes a process that combines techniques researched by others with a few well known facts about the properties of certain metals. This information was applied to a metal fabrication process specifically designed to extend the images and forms…
In the world of fine art, galleries wield enormous power. Galleries such as Castelli, Knoedler and Marlborough, through the artists they choose to show, dictate which artists and styles are “in” or “out,” which work will receive the most publicity,…
Heads are made of the finest quality specially treated rawhide which will not mark or scar metal. Handles are made of hardwood. Made in the USA.
When Gary Griffith wrote this poetic meditation (see below) on the status of his work for an exhibition at the Helen Drutt Gallery in Philadelphia in 1981, he was at a turning point in his development. His hesitancy to designate…
Gorham Company was 45 years old when its 2,000-ounce “Century Vase” celebrating the nation’s centennial won great acclaim at the Philadelphia Exposition Over the next hundred years Gorham maintained its prominent position through both its design innovation and industrial development….
In late 1981, I began working with anodized aluminum, drawn to its light weight, availability and low cost. In developing a simple studio “facility” for anodizing aluminum, I focused on experimenting with both color applications and surface effects on the…
Last fall, the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee hosted a retrospective of the work of Helen Shirk. Nearly 70 pieces, from her early silver work in the late 1960s, to her recent patinated copper and brass vessels, confirmed…
From 1988 to 1989, German goldsmith Hermann Jünger was celebrated in his native country with a major retrospective of his work since 1945. More recently, in the spring of 1990, a new series of necklaces by Jünger was the subject…
Creativity is problem-solving, a skill based on the conscious and/or unconscious recombination and juxtaposition of information derived from diverse sources and influences. This requires a synthesis of intellect and emotion, establishing relationships between the worlds of imagination, thought and physical…
Stand straight, facing the work. Once you get yourself into this correct body posture, use your feet to move yourself so that your arm is comfortably bent to slightly greater than a right angle, with the face of the hammer resting on the metal to be formed..
Pewter, an alloy of tin, antimony, and copper, dominated European tableware for half a millennium until it was eclipsed by porcelain in the early 19th century. Now, almost two hundred years later pewter has entered a renaissance in the hands of creative metalsmiths. In this project, suitable for beginners, you will learn how to cut, form, fuse, solder, and finish pewter to produce a lovely and function cup.
This is a HIDI, (How I Do It). It is not the only way to make a piece like this, there are probably better ways, but this one worked for me. I also assume you are familiar with all the basic…
For the illusion of “floating objects” Helen I. Driggs shares her technique, a step by step guide, on how to mount objects in matel frames. ******************** Bi-directional tabs are a decorative way to secure delicate objects that have very pronounced…
I took in a broken hollow rope chain bracelet for repair this week. The bracelet had caught on a desk drawer and broke. I didn’t think it presented any special problems (outside of being hollow) until I looked further and…
This article offers instructions on how to resize platinum rings whether for a size smaller or bigger, as well as, repair bench tips and tricks. Rings are among the platinum items that jewelers most frequently receive for repair. To make…
Textile techniques are traditionally worked with fibers such as linen, cotton and silk. However, they can also be applied to metal.
I weave high karat gold and platinum sheet and wire by hand. The process of weaving creates fabric. I shape that fabric into ribbons and ruffles, spirals and loops, which become earrings, brooches, necklaces and pendants. I create two collections of limited production and one-of-a-kind jewelry, each based on a different technique.
This article is a review on the Jewelry & Small Objects Exhibition by James Evans held at the Prime Canadian Crafts, Toronto, Canada on May 28-June 9, 1984. A search for “linearality” is James Evans’s definition of his show at Prime Canadian…
This gemstone-encrusted shield is named in honor of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare who was worshiped as a patroness of the arts and crafts. She is always shown with her magic shield. Welcome to Stacey Rhodes Jewelry…
Welcome to Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece of jewelry to our line. In this issue we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you through…
Welcometo Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece ofjewelry to our line. In this issue we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you through every phase…
Welcome to Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece of jewelry to our line. In this issue we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you through…
Welcome to Stacey Rhodes Jewelry Designs, where we will detail all of the steps involved in adding a new piece of jewelry to our line. In this issue will we will be working with our latest design. I’ll take you…
Jonathan Bonner is a pleasant young man with a quick smile and an easygoing manner. If you saw him in the grocery store you might think he was a teacher or a doctor. If you walked by his house in…
Some of the nomenclature used in forming will be familiar but some might be new. Air pocket, Anticlast, Axis, Axial curve/Axial line, Bay, Bouge (booj), Compound curve form, Course, Cross peen, Furrow, Monocurve form, Planish, Radial Curve/Radial Axis, Stake and Synclast.
In previous articles we have looked into the “art” of prong repair using the laser (Full Prong Replacement and Tipping Prongs. This is the final article in the series on laser welding prongs but is by no means the last…
An art school is in some ways a difficult place to learn to be a metalsmith. Traditional systems of industry education took from 3 to 7 years of concentrated time to educate a goldsmith. This is because metals, as Jamie Bennett puts it, are a ‘process oriented media’. By this is meant there that there are often many more ways of working and manipulating the material than in other media.
I stood on Kawaramachi Street in downtown Kyoto. Kyoto, capital of Japan, home of the emperor from 794 to 1868, center for the three great schools of the tea ceremony, city of Noh drama, Ikenobo flower arranging and enigmatic Zen…
The core of life’s work in fine artisanry is the unfolding of a personal style within the cultural milieu of one’s time. Exploration, experimentation and sensitivity to material characterize such development. Over the past 30 years Lois Lois Betteridge has…
This is a metal frame for a brooch which can be made without any soldering. Findings can be glued or riveted to the back of the frame. You can enamel directly onto the frame or you can use it to…
Okay, so this is a bit esoteric. I mean, how many people do you know that make silver whistles. It all started with a commission from a captain of a racing yacht. He had lost his whistle and he wanted me to make one that also had the shape of a Christian Cross. He uses it to whistle to his crew when they racing, because the wind and sea drown out his voice. (no pun).
This article features the manufacturing steps for a one-of-a-kind free-form pendant designed and created by Barney Jette. The center stone is a one-of-a-kind chrysoprase carving by Steve Walters, Ramona, CA and is highlighted by a cultured pearl.
Mokume gane translated from Japanese means “wood eye metal”. This rare metal lamination process was developed and used by Japanese craftsmen in the 17th century for the adornment of samurai swords. Today, mokume gane jewelry is growing in popularity and this article covers the details related to the manufacturing process, ring liners and rails, settings, servicing and quality issues.
Martha Glowacki’s works are sculptural abstractions on the theme of landscape. They demonstrate her interest in the imposition of order on the randomness of nature and her discovery of pattern, both natural and manmade, in the landscape. The pattern may…
Mary Lee Mary Lee Hu has worked with wire – looping, wrapping, weaving and most notably twining—for the past 22 years. Yet within these seemingly narrow technical confines, Mary Lee Hu continues to invent new forms. This continuing evolution is also…
I first discovered Allan Adler’s Silversmithing Shop about 23 years ago when I arrived in Southern California to begin my metalsmithing teaching career at California State University, Long Beach. His shop was located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood; and I…
Entering the enameling studio, one is struck by its openness. Light fills the space. Shelves are lined with organic vessel forms and dense architectural silhouettes. Glass and pools of color illuminate the density of these shapes, creating a light of…
One observation on the career of John Prip (more often called Jack) is the way in which the man and his times have grown together. In some people this might be a coincidence; in others it would indicate an ability…
Robert Montgomery surrounds himself in a silent optimism that does not simply ignore adversity, but rises above it. His generous spirit has turned blight to bounty and earned him untold respect and admiration. He is an accomplished artist, a renowned…
This article was completed just weeks before Robert von Neumann’s accidental fall and subsequent death on April 23, 1984. Books and artifacts – from Eskimo masks to Picasso prints, from anthropology to art history – as well as wildlife –…
At the age of three, Ruth Penington created an apron for her doll, undaunted by the complexities of a pocket, hem, belt, lace edging and insertion of a blue ribbon. Today, seventy-five years later, an artist, designer/craftsman and teacher, she…
Among the most distinguished known surviving pieces of New Orleans-made silver is this tureen made by Adolphe Himmel. With its swelling rococo-revival body decorated with grapevines, grape clusters and leaves—both cast and repoussé—it compares favorably with any tureen made in…
The metal conversion chart below will help you determine the amount of metal needed to create a piece of jewelry in a different metal. To use, weigh the piece of jewelry. Then find the present metal along the top of…
This article is the second of a three-part series on Metal Spinning by James Seavey discussing the techniques in developing spinning skills. The process of metal spinning involves the entire body. As with any hand-forming process, it is the skill…
As skill develops in spinning, it becomes more important to have a sense of what forms can be produced. To fully appreciate the range of shapes possible, a thorough knowledge of tooling is needed. “Tooling” denotes the specialized tools needed…
My study of metalwork in Japan began with the words, “First you will make a ring.” The teacher ceremoniously handed me a sheet of silver, a saw and a few files. I waited for an explanation but none was forthcoming….
With the quartz as the central focal point of the ‘Reflecting Pond Necklace,’ Sturlin had to design a chain that could support its weight. He started crocheting 18k red gold wire—75 feet of it to be exact—to create a two-strand chain.
Multi-metal Lamination is a type of ‘faux’ married metal which produces a freer, more ‘painterly’ effect than the hard-edge, highly graphic, married metal. It is a technique in which designs may appear to float over other shapes and patterns. MML may be used in a figurative way or to produce over-all pattern. MML is achieved by layering patterns of different coloured metals on top of a thick base plate. The patterns are soldered onto the surface, and then compressed by passing through a rolling mill. The resulting illusion is of a single piece of metal with patterns of different coloured metals ‘inlaid’ into the surface..
Always preferring a combination of metals in her jewelry, Sydney Lynch of Sydney Lynch Jewelry Inc. in Lincoln, Nebraska, discovered a way to achieve that look cost-effectively using a bi-metal of 22k yellow gold backed by sterling silver. Sydney Lynch…
Cup-shaped cutters used to form a decorative bead or fine row of cuts on any piece of jewelry. Set of six contains sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and a chuck holding handle.
Pat Pruitt of Paguate, New Mexico, has been working with stainless steel for over a decade. Three years ago, he decided to seriously commit himself to making fine jewelry from it, saying, Let me see what I can do with this, how far I can take it. I am all about manipulating metal; there is just something beautiful about sheer metal..
The following text was written by Vannoccio Biringuccio, an Italian master craftsman in smelting and metalworking, born in Siena in 1480. Its publication date of 1540 predates Cellini’s autobiography, by about 20 years. And while Cellini makes no mention of…
In this presentation I attempted to provide you with information on platinum alloys to help you make an informed decision as to which alloy to employ for your manufacturing venture. There are several alloys I did not mention, mainly because they are experimental and have not found their way into the main stream. An alloy is chosen for its capability, ease of recycling and many other criteria. It must be user friendly, scratch and bend resistant and hold your stones securely. It is further of importance that it can be finished with few or no problems and hold a shine. These alloys that can do all this are here. They are on the market and can do just what you are looking for. It is sometimes just a matter of breaking old habits to see a major improvement in your product.
Joining is a very important production technique in the field of jewelry production. Therefore it is useful to know, what kinds of different joining techniques are possible. This paper will give you a rough overlook on joining techniques as well as some tips and tricks to do a good joint between platinum and platinum, and between platinum and gold. Which technique to prefer depends on the worker skill and on the available equipment.
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.
Art school is in some ways a difficult place to learn to be a metalsmith. Traditionally, it took industry from three to seven years of concentrated time to educate a goldsmith. This is because, as Jamie Bennett puts it, metals…
This article is a review on the Works In Metal Exhibition by Randy Long held at the Fine Arts Gallery, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana on November, 1983. Randy Long began her new position as Assistant Professor of the metals department at…
This article series from Metalsmith Magazine is named “Recent Sightings” and here Bruce Metcalf talks about art, craftmanship, design, the artists, and techniques. For this 1989 Spring issue, he talks about working with metalwork book art. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When “collectors” bookstores are visited…
This article series from Metalsmith Magazine is named “Recent Sightings” and here Bruce Metcalf talks about art, craftmanship, design, the artists, and techniques. For this 1987 Spring issue, he talks about pluralism in metals and the metalsmith community. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the…
This is the second in a series of articles on the art and skill of rendering jewelry and small metal objects. Here we show the stages of rendering from pencil roughs to finished pencil renderings with color to full-color renderings,…
This page provides some helpful tips when it comes to resizing damaged rings with stones. Read on for more. When sizing rings with stones that may be damaged from heat, hold the stones under water while soldering. To do this, place a…
Richard Reinhardt’s best-known pieces today are silver bracelets, constructed in concave or convex forms that curve smoothly and logically in a circle. Intermingled with these simple forms are forged, applied wires that gently scatter and break as if they were…
Roll printing, or texture transfer, has been around a long time. The ancient Greeks and Romans used various dies and, of course, every well-appointed Sumerian had a cylinder seal with which to authenticate his signature. Both of these employ the…
Scoring and bending is one of the most important ways of constructing jewellery. Scoring is a method of obtaining very sharply defined bends in metal sheets. The angle of the bend is determined mainly by the amount of material removed from the groove. It allows rapid and accurate work to specific angles.
Silicon carbide separating discs are superb for scoring metal for bending, particularly when the metal sheet is less than 4 or 5 cm across. While I was originally taught to use discs for catch building which involves only straight lines I discovered that they are superb for curved line scoring. Advantages include no disturbance of a textured sheet metal front surface while gaining enormous changes in plane. This is how many of my own pieces are done.
Double is a German word of french origin meaning rolled gold or gold fill material. I use it for the gold-fill material described here to differentiate it from the commercially produced sheet. Hand made double has different qualities than the manufactured metal. It is far less perfect, its finished size is limited by one’s workshop facilities and counting hours it costs more per square centimeter.
When I ran a trade shop, time was money, and I often found myself sizing 50 to 60 rings in a day. When you’re doing that kind of volume, being able to quickly size up rings can make a big…
The boat fold branch of T-folds is an interesting avenue. It permits you to have a curving, concave table, and to produce shaped tables as well as other complex derivations. The basic boat is begun by making a wedge T-fold. After the first angle is made the loop is tipped inthe other direction and pinched again to produce the boat pillow form.
“Culture of materials,” an expression originating from the early 20th-century teaching of Russian Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin, defines the artist’s deliberate examination and selection of materials for use in the art-making process. This examination and application defines the form and concept…
Technical Briefs deals with technical concerns of interest to a wide audience, addressing topics as diverse as vanguard technology and ancient arts. It will also answer questions from readers and respond to suggestions, always trying to explain in simple terms the…
Fabrics and precious metals would seem to be total opposites, like hot and cold or yin and yang. However, despite their obvious differences in hardness, they do possess similar properties-specifically, both are pliable and elastic, and can be stretched and manipulated. And just as fabrics and fibers can be suitable for knitting, crocheting, weaving, or other textile applications, so too can metal sheet and wire be suitable for-well, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. This crossover adaptability is especially evident with metals in the creation of jewelry and adornments. In their jewelry with metals, goldsmiths and silversmiths often apply techniques from weaving, sewing, and basketry, using sheet and wire in place of fabric and fiber to create intricate pieces that are lightweight and flexible. These methods provide an aesthetically rich yet simple way for a jewelry maker to engage with the material.
Transforming a single sheet of metal into an undulating organic form using only a hammer and stake is the art of anticlastic raising. When the hammer hits the piece of sheet metal resting on the stake, the metal rises into curves or coils, its edges stretching more than its center. It’s a technique that requires skills far more complex than the tools used — skills that Michael Good of Michael Good Designs in Rockport, Maine, has perfected since the late 1970s. With today’s high metal prices, one of the greatest benefits of anticlastic raising is the ability to create structural strength in relatively thin metal sheets. The resulting shapes are very flexible and springy, making findings an unnecessary addition. A necklace, for example, has such flex that it’s simply pulled open, slipped on, and closed.
Historically, a wide range of techniques has been used to clad or coat silver or base metals with gold. These processes are based on efforts to balance three factors: cost, physical properties and appearance. Rolled gold or gold-filled stock is…
‘The Art of Gold,’ curated by Michael Monroe, is the first major survey of contemporary American goldsmithing. The traveling exhibition was organized by the Society of North American Goldsmiths and toured by Exhibits USA. Comprising 79 works from 76 artists, the exhibition bas a preponderance of jewelry over objects and hollowware. Bruce Metcalf’s excellent essay in the exhibition catalogue locates the studio jewelry in the major design movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most notably the Arts and Craft. Movement, as well as assessing the current state of American goldsmithing.
About five years ago, Robert Fairbank, John Reynolds and I created a “living entity” called Goldsmiths 3 in Concord, Massachusetts. Our name simply reflects what we are: three goldsmiths, custom-designing and handcrafting all sons of objects in precious metals—primarily gold…
White gold presents unique challenges. Who among us has not struggled with white gold at one time or another? Some of those challenges sparked an important collaboration of every level of the trade, from alloy producers who make of millions…
Jewelry artist Steff Korsage followed her own determined path to find her own distinct voice, making hollow forms from metal – as individual beads and elements in eye-catching jewelry. One night in 1992, Steff Korsage had an auspicious dream. She dreamed of metal, geometric pieces of metal, filling the sky with their fascinating shapes. Instead of rolling over and going back to sleep, Korsage did what any sensible metalsmith would do..
Metal shop tin men seem to be as American as L. Frank Baum’s tale of Dorothy and company in the land of Oz. Throughout this century, tin men have surfaced as a conspicuous folk art form, and because of their…
Plique-a-jour, in French, means “applied to carved spaces” or “membrane where daylight passes through”. The ‘plique-a-jour’ enameled jewelry is endowed with gleam and delicacy. This technique, described by Benvenuto Cellini in 1568, had been forgotten and then rediscovered by the…
My recollection of the first piece of metalwork I owned is of a pin consisting of two poodles connected by a silver chain. This, the use of representation at its most banal, probably floats somewhere in all our early memories…
Five thousand years of Korean goldsmithing was interrupted from 1913 to 1953 due to the Japanese invasion and the Korean War. In looking back, goldsmithing or metalsmithing programs in Korea’s colleges and universities formerly concentrated on design rather than practice….
The following are excerpts from a panel discussion chaired by Lois Etherington Betteridge at the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ conference in Toronto, June 1985. The panelists included: Gary Griffin, Head of Metalsmithing, Cranbrook Academy of Art; Randy Long, Head…
Preparation for writing this piece began, I guess, when I was six or seven years old. At that age, my whole world was confined to a small yet comfortable apartment in Brooklyn decorated in the material evidence of my parents’…
Jewelry artist Michael Boyd fills his cup with newfound forms and shapes. Well known for his contemporary roll-on cuff bracelets of colorful stones and mixed metals, Boyd captured me from the start with his architectural designs. While Boyd remains on the cutting edge of contemporary jewelry design, he has branched out. For the first time, he is introducing to the public his hand-fabricated teapots and vessels made from stone and mixed metals..
Scoring metal is incredibly important for custom jewelry construction. It enables you to reduce the number of parts in a catch or a hollow piece, which increases strength and cuts fabrication time. The term “scoring” refers to creating a groove…
The word “technology” is defined as the totality of the means employed to provide the objects necessary for sustenance and comfort. Although the average person would probably not put a hammer in the same category with the computer, both are…
Three weeks before “Towards A New Iron Age” was to open at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, it arrived in a huge truck from its prior location at Southern Illinois University. An exhibition of this size (18,000 pounds of iron)…
Make the inner band the desired size first. 18 or 20 gauge is about right. Next make the bezel or inlay unit if it is an integral part of the design. Cut a paper template of the desired ring shape from stiff paper that fits over the inner band. The top part of the ring pattern should be slightly smaller than the bezel as it will stretch in the forming stages. Use small pieces of tape to hold the paper pattern together.
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.
William Underhill came to bronze pots just as his teacher at the University of California at Berkeley Peter Voulkos was leaving clay ones. After a decade of stacking, slashing and cantilevering pots—attempting to stretch their skins into more evocative sculptural…
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