As retail stores and wholesale companies get into the designing and manufacturing end of the trade, more people than ever before need to know the basics of melting precious metals. (more…)

Professionally Prepared Stud Earrings

A. The nut is the proper size for the post and fits securely into the locking position. (more…)

Enter the alloy designers. Some praise them. Some pity them. For the alloy designers have a tough job on their hands: They have to design metals that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also offer mechanical properties suitable for making jewelry. This is not an easy task. (more…)

For a growing number of jewelry manufacturers and retailers, pure Palladium is a new and viable alternative to white gold.

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Soldering is a skill that all bench jewelers master at an early stage in their career. Although this process soon becomes second nature, sometimes itʼs good to review the basic principles involved to remind ourselves why we do certain things. Remember, an ideal soldered joint must be strong, but at the same time invisible. (more…)

Knowing the ins and outs of findings demonstrates another aspect of quality in your shop

A ll of us – bench jewelers and sales professionals alike – work hard to earn the respect and loyalty of our customers. It’s called setting ourselves apart and establishing the place where people want to shop. (more…)

Numerous skilled lapidaries have made gemstone butterflies. I remember George Gali’s bright gem butterflies featured at his many show booths, each delicately perched on an attractive mineral base. I also recall the butterfly pins and pendants of Ray Karr. I once saw a collection of gem butterflies at a California show that looked so real that I wondered how the artists ever got the case closed. (more…)

Think: phyllo dough.
That’s how Minneapolis-based designer George Sawyer describes mokume gane to prospective buyers. Think of it as pastry, he tells them, thin layers of metal of various types, colors, and karats, laminated together and then folded again and again to form patterns resembling wood grain. Sawyer provides the pastry analogy so that buyers might better understand that what they are considering is something truly special. It is Lesson One in educating the consumer-the first in a series of instruction he imparts again and again.
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By applying patinas, designers can bring new textures to their work - and add a few surprises. (more…)

Jewelers of America Inc.
Innovations for Working Bench Jewelers from JA Certified Master Bench Jewelers
By MARK B. MANN, DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION, JEWELERS OF AMERICA

Taking five minutes to make three simple alterations to a pair of standard pliers can save hours of precious work time at the bench as well as increase the precision of your work. JA(r) Certified Master Bench Jeweler(tm) Jeffrey Mathews of Jeffrey Mathews Designs in Dallas, Texas, has fabricated hundreds of three-stone rings-from scratch-using these altered pliers. (more…)