Tonight was the last Jewelry I class. Here are a couple more projects that were completed. The cabochon ring was done by Marina. It is made with sterling silver. The flower pendant was done by Colleen. Way to go ladies! Also, the next 30 people who like our Facebook page will be entered to win a $30 gift card to the studio. So if you haven't already, like us! ...

Christina and her sister Marina are both taking Jewelry I and are from the Republic of Moldova. Marina got both of them the class to take together while Christina is visiting. Christina is leaving this weekend and just finished these two rings before she left! The purple one is goldstone. ...

Today, Michelle and Colleen both finished their first ever cabochon rings. The top two are turquoise and silver. Michelle did the one on the left last night, then the square turquoise today. It's much faster going the second time around that's for sure! Colleen's is a brown evil eye type stone with a fancy bezel. Can't wait to see what these ladies come up with next! I don't know about them, but I'll always remember the first ring I made. I'm glad I got to help them do theirs. ...

What a cute idea for our piercing project! These dangle earrings look great on and are completely unique. Made by Jewelry I student Christina. Way to go! ...

This is a picture of a cabochon star sapphire. Although a lot of people associate sapphire with the color blue, sapphire comes in all colors of the rainbow except for red. My roommate recently got engaged and her fiancé gave her a yellow sapphire wedding ring. A little different than your average run of the mill engagement ring but very beautiful and classy. Just like her!  When I was learning about gemology, I was suprised to find out that ruby has the same chemical makeup as sapphire. The only thing that distinguishes a ruby from a sapphire is its color. If a sapphire is red, it is a ruby. Ruby and sapphire come from the mineral family corundum and have a mohs hardness of nine. This is only one less than the hardness of diamonds. So, the only stone other than a sapphire that could make a scratch on a sapphire is a diamond. Also, sapphires are very durable. Maybe that's why they are often used as watch faces. ...

We're going to have enameling in Jewelry II starting in September and I'm excited to have Michelle Startzman teaching. I've admired her work in enameling for a while. She's an ASU metals grad and current instructor there. A very nice lady. You can sign up or Jewelry II Here ....

I took this last weekend. A few works in progress by Chris, a key renter at the studio, that she has now finished. Chris is an amazing artist and all around nice person. Honestly, she can draw like no other person I've seen before. She definitely adds to the studio environment. I'm especially in love with the pendant that has the garnet balls attached. A picture doesn't do it justice. Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple more to put up of it though. It's amazing! Ok, just got a picture up of one of the unfinished pieces in the picture above. Chris has been working a lot with fold forming lately. You can definitely see it in her work. ...

Our friends Andrea and Les from NC BLACK Co. will be up in November to teach a 2 day green etching workshop. They are amazing teachers and VERY fun to be around. Galvanic etching is an electrolytic process, the principles of which have been known since the early 19th century, and the original process was patented in 1840 and called electro-etching. This workshop will demonstrate the galvanic process on a small scale for studio applications. Students will learn to electrically etch with minerals bronze, copper, and sterling silver. This is the ONLY non-industrial etching technique available that allows All the etched silver material to be recovered. The projects in this class include several image transfer methods as well as resists and intaglio techniques that will be used to create several etched bracelet blanks. After students etch a bracelet blank in each material, they will then learn to anticlastically raise them into cuff bracelets using NC BLACK Co 's end hook stakes ...

Instructor monitored open studio class for August 4th - 25th, 2011. Thursdays, 6-9pm, 4 weeks for $80.00, must have had a Basic Jewelry fabrication class. Two spaces available. Need commitment by Wed, August 3rd. Instructor Holly Carter You can use whatever you like of the following. Holly Carter is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Metals with a minor in Interior Design History. She worked as an Interior Designer while in School and had her first official client in 2004 under the business name of Incognito Designs which has since evolved into the art of making and selling Art Jewelry and Small Sculpture. Holly shows in Juried Exhibitions, Festivals, and Art Shows. Her interior design skills and education have helped her to work skillfully in metal, wood, and fiber arts as well. Having a historical and working knowledge of processes has been beneficial in her work as a metal smith. Holly also teaches Jewelry I, Jewelry II, Enameling, Casting, E...