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. (more…)

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). (more…)

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 deciding whether to fabricate or cast a ring design, the value of Hoover & Strong mill products should not be overlooked. This article will show how to combine various Hoover & Strong mill stock products to produce a custom-fabricated platinum ring. (more…)

The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with a different way of sizing a ring up. (more…)

Professionally Prepared Stud Earrings

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Collecting scrap pieces of metal is inevitable in jewelry fabrication. As a silversmith for the past 13 years, I have collected quite an array of sterling silver scrap. This, of course, could be sold or cast into something useful. However, I am more attracted to starting from scratch. The reward comes from my own design and construction. (more…)

Not so long ago, on a very busy day, a man asked me to mend his wife’s wedding ring, a tapered bold band with a crack in the shank. I have to admit I neglected our normal take-in procedure and didn’t examine the ring thoroughly before writing up the repair ticket. (more…)

Have you ever wanted to try reticulation but were not sure how? Or perhaps the technique is just too time-consuming or risky and so you canʼt be bothered? Well, good news for you because Hoover & Strong has just taken all the risk out of this fascinating technique. (more…)