I love working with metal. Can you tell? Creating my collection of Copper and Sterling Silver PURE METAL earrings requires lots of elbow grease. First I texture the raw metal. This is usually done by hammering but can be done with a rolling mill as well. The metal must be softened (heated) before starting the texturing. Since the metal becomes distorted from the … [Read more...]
The Taurus Personality plus Gemstones for your sign!
If you were born between April 21st and May 20th... your astrological sign is Taurus! Family and peaceful surroundings are a vital part of the Taurus personality. Are you a Taurus? if so, do you find that you are more methodical than most, taking the time to make the right decision? Not much spontaneity in your life, right? You are also known as a problem solver. Someone who … [Read more...]
The Nitty Gritty on Jewelry Patinas
Patina is a term widely used by jewelers who work with metals. After reading the real definition, I see that I was loosely defining this word to include colors other than the natural color that comes from oxidation. So perhaps I need to re-title this blog as 'The Nitty Gritty of coloring metals' I LOVE seeing the different ways I can make the metal colors shine and … [Read more...]
Tools of the Jewelry Trade; Pipe Cutter
The other day I decided to play around with a new process... using copper piping to create a jewelry design. I had seen some designs recently that started out as tubing/pipe and then were chased with a hammer to create some awesome results. I had some 1/2" pipe and 1/4" flexible piping that I had purchased at a local Home Depot. As I brought out my Jewelers Saw to make the … [Read more...]
Photographing Jewelry… Harder than it looks!
I am a jewelry designer and yes I do my own photography. As in the case of most artists who create limited Edition and one-of-a- kind pieces.. It is not cost effective to hire a professional to photograph each design! So I decided early on to take my own photos. And I can tell you that this became a whole new learning curve for me. I read lots of comments and tutorials … [Read more...]
