I love this jewelry studio organization tip from @henjewellery “I saw this idea of the boxes, for storing silver from @therealtoynadavidson & I ran with it. They are for storing photos, I found them on Amazon. Size 7¼” x 5½” approx (it’s mm here😁) I... more
Comment “Garfield” to get your refining bucket today! I truly could NOT believe my dirty sweep bucket—after just over a year—was worth $1400. Seriously. It’s a wild time to cash in those shop sweeps while gold prices are high. Here’s the scoop: When... more
Love this tutorial on making your own sanding sticks from @arvidvantornout “Voor alle studenten (en misschien ook collega’s hier ;)): Zelf schuurlatten maken 🤩” “For all students (and maybe also colleagues here ;)): Making sanding slats... more
Whenever I’m soldering a chain—or soldering to a chain—I take a few extra moments to paint on either Ronda Coryell’s Masking Mud or good ol’ Yellow Ochre. It helps protect the links I don’t want to solder and gives me a little peace of mind. Want... more
It’s easy to forget that earring posts need work hardening too—but don’t skip it or you risk a wobbly post that bends way too easily 💫 Here are two ways to work harden them: 1️⃣ Use flat pliers to gently twist the post—first one way, then the... more
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 “ 𝑳𝑼𝑪𝒀 “👊🏼 Friends!! You NEED to know — my girl Lucy Walker just relaunched her Metalsmith Academy and it’s absolutely insane (in the best way). 🙌🏼 𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 $𝟐 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟑𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 — yup, two bucks — and throwing a massive launch party... more
Want all of my top safety tips for jewelers? 🧤 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 “𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄” 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐌 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭! This post is sponsored by @gesswein.jewelry — we’ve teamed up to create a curated collection of every single tool I’ve recommended over the... more
Here is a hinge tip from @endeisjewelry for a video she created for @riogrande “There’s something so satisfying about creating hinges—adding both function and an edgy touch to these solitaire pendants. Once I ball one end of my sterling... more
Hey friends, I love this community so much. Many of you have been with me from the start when my youngest was only 7 months old (he is turning 8 this summer!) I want to introduce you to Winnie! This is my first dog EVER. I know a lot of us smiths have... more
Great tip for wax work from @metalbonesjewellery “I wrap masking tape around the mandrel because wax sticks to it well. It also lets me mark out the ring size and design before sculpting. Once the wax is ready, I use a craft knife to carefully... more
3 AMAZING TIPS IN ONE POST from @theschoolofjewellery.ie “Struggling to solder a cabochon setting onto a D-shape ring shank? Try these tips: Mitre Block Magic – Get a perfectly flat surface for a seamless fit. Tweezers Trick – Secure... more
Cool sand casting video from @roadkillgems that shows an awesome technique and tool! “Here is a quick tutorial on Craig Dabler’s core casting system. This technique is a little different from a traditional sand casting kit because you can cast... more
Here is a tip for anyone that struggles with balls 🫢 from @shayne.suttie.jewellery “I am using a steel trivet for enamel work as a heat sink to ball the ends of multiple wires.” I love this because you get the exact same size ball, great for... more
Here is a tip for straightening and work hardening wires from @mijouxjewellery “It’s amazing how easily wire can get kinked or bent so this is a really useful way of straightening it out again. I’m using a planishing hammer here which has a... more
Tip for holding rings in a vise for engraving or stone setting from @master.engraver 💡✨ During the @stullerbenchjeweler Bench Jeweler event, I was reunited with my first engraving teacher, Sam! I needed to hold rings for my stone setting demo, and he... more
Just got back from my first ever @stullerbenchjeweler Bench Jeweler Workshop, and WOW—what an experience! 🤯 I can’t believe this was the 21st year of this event—how have I never gone before?! I must be living under a rock! 😂 From demo-ing stone... more
Tip for setting bezel corners on triangles, heart points, squares, rectanges... from @sarahweberpurves “A lot of smiths are intimidated by sharp corners. The key is to have a properly shaped bezel, making sure to trim the bezel down the top of... more
Create your own tool for opening a bezel with this tip from @areteadorned “Anytime I’ve found in the final stages of setting a stone that I needed to remove the stone for a repair, I’ve struggled with removing the stone without damaging the... more
I really love this 10mm sheet ingot mold if you want to check it out 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 “𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍” It is always more economical to take your clean gold scraps and dust and melt them down if you have the tools in your studio! 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲... more
I don’t think I have ever seen this tip from @theschoolofjewellery.ie 😀 using two sanding discs as a sandwich! “When making brooch pins, lapel pins or generally any round taper I place two medium grit emery discs together and screw together on a... more
