When you work with minerals you notice there’s a difference in hardness between gemstones. As a jeweller you must know which gemstones are resistance to damage, both during the creation process and afterwards, while wearing the piece. For example, while setting a topaz you can file away the ends of the claws without damaging the …
Annealing wire
I made a video that shows how to anneal thin copper wire. The same method can be used for silver or brass and for thicker gauge wire. Thicker wire should be kept in a tight coil with the use of binding wire. I use a honeycomb soldering base and a white soldering block, but you …
Key Pendant – crown setting
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Leverback earrings with 8 prong setting
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Silver purification with nitric acid
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Home studio remodel
Living on the top floor has some disadvantages. One of them is the danger of water damage. Some time ago we began noticing some water stains in a corner of my home studio. The stains spread and soon enough the whole wall was completely soaked. We got some work done on the roof and the …
DIY storage for jeweler’s saws
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Abalone shell brooch – pierced walls
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Soldering flux
This article has moved to dalilacaria.com, my website dedicated to jewellery and metalsmith techniques.
Tool maintenance
Pliers and other tools made out of iron or steel need some regular maintenance to avoid getting rusty. For this task we need some lubrification fluid, preferably with an anti-rust component, a green scouring pad and some paper kitchen towels. I start by spraying a bit of the lubricant on a paper towel and rubbing …
Tools, not fingers
I need to put this up on my wall as a reminder…
How to make fine-tip pliers
For very delicate work, such as opening and closing small chain jumprings, for example, it’s sometimes necessary to have very pointy chain nose pliers. Infortunately, this kind of pliers is not always easy to find or it can be expensive. An easy way to work around that problem is to file the tip of cheaper …