Silversmithing is an exciting and developing craft, which combines traditional techniques with contemporary design and technology. This practical book introduces the craft with a guide to the workshop and its tools, then emphasises the importance of drawing and design before explaining key techniques and showing how they can be used in clearly illustrated projects. By keeping the individual pieces small, it explains a range of skills that can be developed and combined to make more adventurous items. It discusses transforming silver sheets or rods into three-dimensional shapes using sinking, raising and forging techniques. It teaches how to silver solder and attach handles to the rounded body of a bowl and create well-fitting seams. Nine projects illustrate the techniques in use and include making spoons, round boxes, hinged lids, drinker beakers and candlesticks.

This practical book introduces the craft with a guide to the workshop and its tools, then emphasizes the importance of drawing and design before explaining key techniques and showing how they can be used in clearly illustrated projects. By keeping the individual pieces small, it explains a range of skills that can be developed and combined to make more adventurous items. It discusses transforming silver sheets or rods into three-dimensional shapes using sinking, raising, and forging techniques. It teaches how to silver solder and attach handles to the rounded body of a bowl and create well-fitting seams. Nine projects illustrate the techniques in use and include making spoons, round boxes, hinged lids, drinker beakers, and candlesticks.

“[A] precise and comprehensive debut, a guide to using silver metal clay . . . those serious about silver need look no further.” —Publishers Weekly This book will show you how to create silver jewellery using everyday tools, easy to obtain materials and following simple step-by-step instructions. You will explore the amazing possibilities that the combination of silver metal clay and traditional silversmithing techniques has to offer, and will learn basic aspects of design in order to develop your own unique style. You will be able to create silver pieces which capture and celebrate nature by the inclusion of botanical details, or create graceful pieces with echoes from history; you can create contemporary pieces or add a touch of whimsy to your designs. Whether you favour traditional or modern designs, when you make your own silver jewellery, the possibilities are endless. The book is full of easy to follow projects, with photographs, detailed instructions and inspiring examples. Working with silver has never been so easy! “Essential reading for anyone who wants to get involved in crafting silver jewellery.” —Books Monthly

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.

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.

Precious metal wire is a versatile material that can be used to great advantage in jewellery design. This book focuses on using soldering techniques to confidently construct wearable wire jewellery designs. It incorporates fundamental skills such as cutting, filing, annealing and soldering, and encourages the maker to master these basic techniques, so they can create individual articles of wire jewellery using their own inspiration and designs. There are suggestions on how to approach the design process through sketching, model making and creating test pieces, and a comprehensive list of tools and equipment needed for working with wire. Also included are illustrated step-by-step instructions for learning basic wire working processes, such as drawing, twisting, hammering and soldering wire, and practical advice for constructing more complicated pieces of jewellery containing structural forms. With further instruction for making chain, applying surface finishes and adding decorative elements to individual designs, this will be of great interest to all jewellers, and is superbly illustrated with 226 colour photographs.

Hundreds of color photographs detail the procedures and display a breathtaking assortment of pieces by talented artists. Each innovative project introduces techniques that range from casting and stamping to hand engraving, electroplating, and more specialized methods. The chapter on gems alone--featuring the work of Bernd Munsteiner, considered the world's best gem cutter--makes this source book invaluable.