The basis for any jewellery project is the metal to be used. Whether you need wire or metal sheet, you must start out by mixing the correct amount of different metals in the required alloy and then melt it to make an ingot. The most common silver alloy is sterling silver, which is 925 parts […]
Tutorials
How to make a simple gold wedding band
The simple wedding band is the most basic ring construction that you can make, but even this basic ring band can have many different looks. It can be made from round, square, rectangular or twisted wire. It can be wide or narrow, thick or thin. It can be straight on the inside and curved on […]
Rough topaz hollow “diaper” ring – fabrication process
I finished this ring some time ago but only now did I have the opportunity to describe the fabrication process. It is basically a hollow ring, with an internal and an external section. This ring construction is often seen in class rings, for example, but can be adapted to a multitude of designs. The outer […]
How to form cuffs from sheet metal
Some time ago, I decided to make textured brass cuffs. This post explains the process. I began with a rather thick brass sheet. This one was 2 mm thick and the final thickness I wanted was 0,7 mm. As brass is quite a hard alloy, the sheet can be fairly thin without fear of deforming […]
Beginner tutorial: sunflower earrings
I’m attempting to make more jewellery tutorial videos. I started with some very basic earrings, mostly to test my setup and see if everything is working properly. You can watch he video for these simple sunflower earrings here: And if you want to try making them, the components may be acquired here: Kit para fazer […]
Tutorial – twisting wire
Twisted wire is very decorative and can be used in several different ways – wrapped around a bezel, to make decorative jump rings or swirls. Here are some examples of such use: So long as you pay attention to a couple of important details, it’s very easy to twist wire and it doesn’t take any […]
Oxidizing copper or silver with liver of sulfur
I’ve made a video on how to oxidize, or apply patina, to copper or silver. The chemical compound used in this video is potassium sulfide, also known as liver of sulfur. In its natural state it’s a solid, like little crumbly pebbles, that can be dissolved in hot water. It’s also sold already in liquid […]
Mohs Scale – hardness scale for minerals, metals and other materials
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 […]
Wire weaving tips – sampler and ways to hold your wires
I’ve recently returned to wire work. I love silversmith projects but I have to sit at my bench, with the drawer open over my legs, while I saw, file or polish. Sometimes I just want to get out of there for a bit and wire work is ideal because it doesn’t require a lot of […]