'Doming Silver Beads' is a step-by-step manual on techniques to construct art-metal spherical silver beads. Text and forty-five line drawings cover the process from start to finish (selecting sheet metal, stamp designs, cutting discs, drilling, doming, soldering, sanding and finishing silver beads in a variety of sizes suitable for jewelry). The Appendix includes a list of specialized tools, subject index and annotated bibliography. The book is for intermediate to advanced silversmiths and art-metal hobbyists.
Metalworking is generally regarded as a skill that takes years of dedication, requires a large studio space, and costs a lot of money. Fortunately, Simple Soldering proves that does not need to be the case. This handy how-to guide is complete in its exploration of the craft of creating soldered metal jewelry, including tools, techniques, and 20 beautiful projects that beginners and enthusiasts can make at home. Author and teacher Kate Richbourg demystifies basic soldering for any home crafter, showing how to create sophisticated, polished, and professional-looking jewelry pieces through simple soldering techniques. First, she instructs how to set up a jewelry workspace that fits the confines of your budget and living space. Detailed step-by-step instructions walk you through the basic tools and materials you need, plus how to use them. A sample chapter gives a host of introductory exercises that teach solid skills, allowing you to test these techniques on a small scale. Finally, you'll discover 20 finished projects that include earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, and clasps that may also include bead or wire embellishment. Kate also demonstrates how to combine and layer techniques to gorgeous effect. She also examines common mistakes, shows how to correct or adapt them, and gives advice on when it's time to start over. Most of all, having taught thousands of classes on soldering, Kate has a "you can do it!" attitude that shines through to help even the most reluctant jewelry maker fire up the torch with ease. With Simple Soldering, the art of metal working one-of-a-kind jewelry is now at your fingertips.
Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry reveals the captivating history of the art of American Indian jewelry making, uncovering the ancient techniques, tools, and materials that have made contemporary southwestern jewelry what it is today. Revolutionists such as Hopi artist Charles Loloma, Navajo silversmith Kenneth Begay, Mexican/Mission jeweler Preston Monongye, and other jewelers began using varied materials and techniques traditionally unknown to the southwest. Pardue has researched the history and contemporary forms of metalworking, gems, stone patterning, and more, plus has dedicated a portion of the book to emerging artists whose work is capturing attention today. As you explore Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry's stunning photography, let the art speak to you of how it came to be and what it represents, echoing a similar message still told by traditional Native American jewelry
Your expert techniques with a silver lining! A comprehensive guide, Silversmithing for Jewelry Makers details techniques, surface treatments, and innovations specifically designed for all jewelry makers working in silver, and especially focuses on the needs and interests relevant to metal-jewelry artisans. Explore basic skills as well as specialist techniques, including filigree, chasing, annealing, engraving, etching, casting, and much more. Plus, profiles of contemporary practitioners are included in every section, along with galleries illustrating a range of beautifully crafted finished works. The handy resource section also features a how-to for selling jewelry in the contemporary accessories market. Experienced jewelry makers interested in either exploring silver for the first time or taking their silver jewelry to the next level will love this harmonious marriage between expert silversmithing advice and a jewelry artisan sensibility.
"This book is about how metalsmiths and jewelers can take advantage of the intrinsic characteristics of metal, understood since antiquity, and employ a mechanical device known for nearly 200 years to make objects by hand. Die forming, as described here, does not restrict or replace hand work. In fact, the die-forming process requires additional skill and knowledge in the making of dies, and in controlling their use in the press. Die forming extends the possibilities of what one can make and opens new avenues of exploration. It is a continuation of the tradition of innovation in craft." --introduction.
“Massive, beautiful . . . unquestionably some of the best writing on Spain [and] the best that Mr. Michener has ever done on any subject.”—The Wall Street Journal Spain is an immemorial land like no other, one that James A. Michener, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and celebrated citizen of the world, came to love as his own. Iberia is Michener’s enduring nonfiction tribute to his cherished second home. In the fresh and vivid prose that is his trademark, he not only reveals the celebrated history of bullfighters and warrior kings, painters and processions, cathedrals and olive orchards, he also shares the intimate, often hidden country he came to know, where the congeniality of living souls is thrust against the dark weight of history. Wild, contradictory, passionately beautiful, this is Spain as experienced by a master writer.
The Rise of Metallurgy in Eurasia is a landmark study in the evolution of early metallurgy in the Balkans. It demonstrates that far from being a rare and elite practice, the earliest metallurgy in the world was a common and communal craft activity.
Polishing and finishing is a highly skilled specialist craft; a professional finish will transform a piece of jewellery or silver into a work of art. Written by a leading polisher, this practical book explains the traditional techniques and shares the secrets of this often-underrated craft. The book includes advice on setting up a workshop, tools and compounds; a guide to finishing methods (including satin finish and oxidising); step-by-step examples of polishing bangles, rings and cutlery, as well as finished photographs showcasing a range of exquisite work; tips on best practice for designers, and specific advice for polishing different surfaces and gems. It is an invaluable guide to the process of polishing and finishing - a highly skilled specialist craft- beautifully illustrated with 162 colour photographs showcasing a range of exquisite work.
"...one of the most comprehensive beginner’s guides to jewelry silversmithing available." BOOKLIST 2/1/21 Silver Jewellery Making is a practical beginners' guide to making silver jewelry, with step-by-step projects guiding the reader through seven projects. The projects are designed to help the reader gain skills and techniques and eventually progress to making their own designs. The seven tried-and-tested projects have been developed by Janet over forty years of teaching and have been honed to develop readers' skills in a practical, doable order. The emphasis is on teaching good practice and acquiring the basic techniques and skills to give the reader a solid basis for developing their jewelry-making capabilities. Tools will be introduced for each individual project, and their uses and correct handling explained. Troubleshooting tips explain how to overcome common problems that may arise. At the conclusion of each project, there will be examples of how the skills gained can be used to make other items. The book is for those who wish to start jewelry making either on their own or as a supplement to beginners' classes.
