This weekend the studio had the pleasure of hosting Green Etching with NC Black . Andrea and Les taught a great workshop and we etched many different designs into metal. After etching each piece they then showed us how to form our bracelet blanks into attractive cuffs for wearing....

Tonight we started another Jewelry I class. Susanne made these earrings by using a jeweler's saw and piercing out the design. She then domed the metal and gave the earrings a hammer texture using the ball-peen end of a chasing hammer. They look great! Especially with all the shine they have going on. Way to go Susanne. ...

Jewelry designer Chris, a former Jewelry I student at the studio has shot off like a rocket since her first class for jewelry making. She's now a key renter and can be found many a day working in our back room or chatting it up with the others over the weekend at the studio. This sterling and garnet necklace is just one of many great examples of what she has made. Check out her website here ....

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...

I'm excited to announce that NC Black will be visiting us in November for a green etching workshop. NC BLACK Co Galvanic Etched and Anticlastic Formed Cuff Bracelet Workshop 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...

We started a new round of Jewelry I two weeks ago and here are two of the projects we have worked on. The focus was piercing and riveting. Loads of fun! ...

Oftentimes people in the industry refer to small stones(usually diamonds) in jewelry as Melee. So what exactly is Melee and how is it classified? Melee are little stones, usually no bigger than 2.6mm in diameter. They are most often used in pavé work but you can also see them in channel settings and flush settings as well. ...

This past weekend at the studio, the lovely Liz was working on a new wedding band for herself. She wanted to make a ring that carried meaning and was a reflection of her lifestyle and beliefs. I think she accomplished all of these things. Way to go on a great looking ring Liz!...

I have had several people inquire about a cabochon ring making workshop and finally finished a couple of demos this last weekend. Be on the lookout for a 1 day workshop for these! ...

Photographer, blogger, creative lady extraordinaire and personal friend Tiffany Egbert took some photos at the studio the other day and was nice enough to mention us in her blog kittenpawsvintage . Thank you Tiffany! This afternoon I had the pleasure of hanging out at Harold Studio and taking a few photos of pretty jewelry for them. Harold Studio is a unique studio in downtown Phoenix run by the lovely Johanna Ingram for professional and recreational jewelers to take classes or rent out space for all of their jewelry making needs. They have a ton of equipment there and it's a great resource for local jewelers or people interested in making pretty things. Such a cool concept, I don't think there is another studio like it in Phoenix. Above are a few pieces Johanna made and also examples of the kinds of jewelry you can take classes to learn how to make (ooh lala!) She's also hoping to start a class where engaged couples can come and make their wedding ...

With the ingot made from the recycled silver, I next proceed to draw it down to the size I want and while doing so, lengthen my wire considerably! I start off by rolling the wire through the wire section of the rolling mill. I generally pass it through between 2 and 3 times before I anneal the metal again. If this isn't done, the metal WILL crack and start to flake off. I've learned through experience that it isn't worth it trying to pass the metal through "just one more time".  After rolling the metal down to about the diameter I want, I move to the draw plate because the wire section of the rolling mill made the wire diamond shaped and I want circular wire. Note: While the rolling mill isn't necessary to drawing down wire, it will make everything go MUCH faster. As in, shaving off as much as an hour or more of your time. But, if you don't have a rolling mill, don't live in Phoenix where you can visit Harold Studio and use ours, or...

This week Harold Studio hosted its first ever birthday party! It was the perfect day to have one too. Everyone was able to make personalized charms. Many created charms with their own names or baby's names on them. Both kids and adults loved them! It was a fun and positive experience, celebrating a birthday through creativity and everyone coming out of it with a charm they made themselves. Add Comment   Ring Clamp 03/04/2011 0 Comments   Edit | Settings | Delete One of the cheaper and most useful tools I own. I use the ring clamp for almost every piece of jewelry I make. Having control over what I'm making is so important, this tool helps me file straighter, pierce better, and polish quicker. One of my favorite things to do with it is clamp my piece and anchor it against the bench pin. Doing this makes everything I do more accurate. Try it and you'll see just how more effective it is than holding whatever you're filing in your fi...

One of the cheaper and most useful tools I own. I use the ring clamp for almost every piece of jewelry I make. Having control over what I'm making is so important, this tool helps me file straighter, pierce better, and polish quicker. One of my favorite things to do with it is clamp my piece and anchor it against the bench pin. Doing this makes everything I do more accurate. Try it and you'll see just how more effective it is than holding whatever you're filing in your fingers. I almost forgot, less chattering of the file! Need I say more? Use your ring clamp!...

Using a mixture of 1 part Alum spice to 2 parts water. It works quickest if you heat the solution up(I use my studio crock pot). After about 30 minutes the drill bit should be completely gone! Alum is a spice commonly found in grocery stores. The great thing about using alum is that it is natural and safe. Something you can use to spice up your food as well as create jewelry? That's a no brainer to me. ...