Precious metals are recycled time and again. When a jewelry piece is melted down, the material value remains but the history attached to the piece is lost forever. Sometimes retaining the sentimental value is more important than gaining the value of the raw materials. Read the rest of this entry »

Tubing can be bent into 1″ to 2″ diameter hoops by inserting wire through the tubing and wrapping it around a mandrel. The tubing wraps easier if it is annealed first (especially in the larger gauges). Read the rest of this entry »

The aim of this document is to offer guidance as to the best practice to be followed when using pre-fabricated sheet and wire products in Argentium® silver.

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The following article offers guidance to the best practice to be followed when using Argentium silver casting alloys.

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A subtle finish is often a very important part of the design of a jewelry piece. To build the repertoire of finishes that I use in my shop, I study and experiment. I love looking at heirloom pieces and observing the details and textures in them. When I see something that I like-a nice contrast or a subtle detail that seems to complete a piece-I invent a way of creating that finish using retrofitted or inexpensive tools.

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A fairly basic task, installing a head on a platinum shank is a routine process in many small shops. The following project offers some tips and tricks for making the process foolproof every time.

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With the high price of gold, jewelry makers are looking to incorporate alternative metals into their lines. I frequently work with palladium and stainless steel in my shop. The following are a few tips and tricks you can use to work more effectively with these metals.

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When you sell products mined from the earth, it’s not always easy to keep your hands clean on environmental issues. Some jewelers have already found their green grooves, but for others, even simple steps can go a long way.

By Michelle Graff - May 22, 2008 - New York - From housewares to automotives, industries that paid little mind to environmental issues in the past are now moving into greener pastures—and the jewelry industry is no exception.

Since so many of its products come straight from the earth, adopting practices that protect the planet is perhaps even more important in the jewelry trade than in any other.
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Special Advertising Supplement to Modern Jeweler
by Larry Fell

In 2008, green is the word. We’re buying more hybrids and fewer Hummers. We’re reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting. We’re drinking fair trade coffee and organic microbrews. Forget paper or plastic. Supermarkets are BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag).

Nearly every industry has been hit by green fever. The jewelry industry is no exception. Customers want to know where their precious metals come from and want to be reassured that the beautiful jewelry they love has caused no harm to the environment or to any workers involved in producing them. As always, customers want to wear jewelry that makes them look and feel good. That includes easing their conscience. They want their jewelry to be, in a word, green.
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 Marc Choyt of Reflective Images, Santa Fe, New Mexico, a jewelry retailer and manufacturer of designer jewelry, attended the first Madison Dialogue Ethical Jewelry Summit on October 25 and 26, 2007, at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Choyt is the author of a blog on fair trade issues at www.fairjewelry.org. He reports here on his experiences at the summit and the first steps toward fair trade gems, precious metals, and jewelry.

Shamsa Dawani shows me a stone paper of brilliant red garnets. They aren’t just pretty—as small as they may be, they represent a new future for our industry. It’s the second day of the Madison Dialogue Ethical Jewelry Summit at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. This handful of garnets for sale is a reminder of why a hundred people from all over the world have gathered at this conference to discuss the ethical issues of sourcing.

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