Arizona Artist Series: Mark Plehn Q&A Mark of Sacred Spirit Gems has a stirring array of crystals and crystal healing jewelry with stone combinations that are carefully arranged to create optimal healing results for the wearer. He was kind enough to answer some questions in our Arizona Artist Series about his design process and what inspires him. How did you get into metalsmithing? I began the initial metalsmithing aspect of my jewelry career learning how to set gemstone cabochons with sterling silver wire.  Almost twenty years ago I was fortunate enough to have met an amazing silver wire stone setting artist.  She had a small table at a very small northern Arizona town craft fair and after some conversation and my bold request for her to teach me, we ended up at my dining room table a few days later as she passed on her knowledge!  I was and am so grateful for her open-hearted sharing of her talents for my benefit and I appreciate the gift I received that day every ti...

30 base patterns for cabochon rings, necklaces and earrings.  If you're like me, drawing perfectly symmetrical lines for your designs can be challenging. It's already hard enough to saw out exactly what you want when making a ring or necklace. I thought it would be fun to make up some base patterns that I use for my cabochon rings and necklaces for you to use. There are 30 of them along with a basic tutorial of how I went about using one with a bezel cup and cabochon. You can download it for free here . Let me know if you like it or would like to see different designs! It was fun to make and I hope it can help you make something special today. This is the silver and turquoise teardrop cabochon necklace I made with one of the base patterns for the tutorial. ...

Arizona Artist Series: Katherine Londen Q&A Katherine makes jewelry that mixes edgy lines with organic shapes and she always uses beautiful stones as a focal point. She just launched her etsy store, shopdearjewelry.com and we can't wait to see what she comes up with next.  Stick Earrings How did you get into making jewelry? I first became interested in metalsmithing in college, when I worked for a year as a sales assistant at a boutique jewelry store in Tucson called Viir Jewelers. I learned a little about gemstones and how they form in the earth, what gives them their colors, where they come from, etc. and I was fascinated by it. Jewelry making is really the intersection of art and science. I think that is the coolest thing! Years later, I read an article about Harold Studio and when I ended up taking a job downtown, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a class and learn. I've since taken several different classes. What inspires you? S...

Arizona Artist Series: Melanie Channon Q&A Melanie Channon is a scientist who makes beautiful wall hangings that will leave you breathless.  One of her pieces, Octopus is currently being featured at Arizona's Herbergur Theatre's Face Off Exhibit  with some other amazing artists until January.  You can see more of her work on her instagram .  How did you get into metalsmithing?   I took a class at Harold Studio in February 2013 and immediately fell in love with manipulating metal. What inspires you?   Metalwork made for religious purposes and/or royalty in the middle ages.  Pieces like reliquaries and crowns that were obviously time consuming and painstaking to make.  I really admire the dedication it took to make them.  I strive to reflect that kind of dedication in my pieces, even though they are not for religion or royalty.   What is your design process?   I try to think of things that I personally like (skulls, animals, character...

How to create with intention. It's so easy to focus on the negative, or the overwhelming list of things to do. The reason I am drawn to create is because it forces me to focus in the moment. But sometimes I can get so caught up in the process of making jewelry, I lose track of time and, more importantly, the goals I have for myself. ...

Picking the right jeweler's saw frame: There are a few things to consider when choosing a jeweler's saw: • What you will be cutting • The intricacy of your design • The size of the piece of jewelry This is your standard jeweler's saw . It is a great starter saw frame and we use them in all of our Jewelry classes at the studio. I like it because it provides a lot of stability(which is important) when sawing and it can cut out most projects. ...

A good flex shaft is a staple at every jeweler's bench.  It is hard to go very long without one because flex shafts have many uses including: • Polishing • Stone Setting • Drilling Flex shafts generally come in three parts: • Motor You want to elevate the flex shaft motor so it doesn't allow any kinks to get in the line that connects the motor and handpiece. The motor is generally controlled by the foot pedal. Foot pedals are not all created equal. Nicer ones can control the speed at which your handpiece spins. This can really come in handy when setting stones. • Handpiece This is where all the action happens. A standard handpiece uses a chuck key to tighten the jaws around any polishing tool or setting bur you may be using. There are some quick change handpieces that do not require a chuck key. If you have a little extra to spend, I was recently given a  quick change handpiece  and it seriously changed my world. I am so in love with it! • Footpedal So,...

We have some great classes scheduled to start in the next couple weeks!  Click on the class to register or for more information. Also, the studio will be closed this Wednesday, January 21 and will be open on Thursday from 12-3pm. Spinner Ring - Saturday January 17th 1-4pm Stone Setting - Tuesday 6-9pm - Begins January 20th Jewelry 1 - Friday's 12-3pm - Begins January 23rd Cloisonne - Saturday and Sunday January 24 and 25,  9-5pm ...

Here are a couple charts to use! Add caption ...