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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Reticulated Metals — Textures for Your Designs
80% Silver 20% Copper
80/20 reticulation silver has been part of the Hoover & Strong mill products range for many years. Now we offer you much more than just plain sheet. (more…)

Hoover & Strong is pleased to announce the introduction of Mokume Gane, the Japanese art of patterning metal laminates. This style of metal manufacturing dates from feudal Japan and means “Wood Grain Metal”. The style and look of patterns that can be created is limited only by your imagination. (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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3M Adalox paper-backed aluminum oxide sanding discs are used routinely by a majority of bench jewelers. In addition to using them for sanding, Jeffrey Mathews, CMBJ, of Jeffrey Mathews Designs, Dallas, uses them as a polishing device to reach narrow, hard-to-get areas of his fabricated pieces. Here’s how you can perform his trick: (more…)

By applying patinas, designers can bring new textures to their work - and add a few surprises. (more…)

Gold doesn’t have to glitter to be gold. In fact, many jewelry manufacturers deliberately trade high gloss for low luster in order to give their pieces a muted appearance. Since gold is, by nature, a metal that loves to shine, keeping it from doing so requires skillful mutilation with various abrasives. (more…)