Here is a tip for calculating the cost of materials while working on a one of a kind or production prototype - for this 18k yellow gold pendant I took out my mini digital scale and weighed the metal I had cut from sheet. I then calculated the weight... more
Here is another storage solution for your gemstones and findings 😍 from @love_beyond_the_moon -“I love these acrylic makeup drawers for easy access when working on a collection because I can easily see all of my stones, there's even room for points or... more
In this week’s @pepetools_usa Rolling Mill Mini Series post, I want to discuss some of the main uses and benefits of having a rolling mill in your studio (besides texturing sheet which I promise to cover in greater depth in a future post!) If you have... more
Here is a wonderful technique to sand your bezels from @dreamlandcreations “Tape some sandpaper down to your work surface. Apply light but even pressure on your bezel (you don't want to squish it!) and move in a figure 8 motion. This creates a flush... more
Here is a technique for soldering your bezels or smaller details to a piece without melting - focus your torch flame on your base and heat from below! You can even try a sweat solder (melt solder onto your base, pickle, sand slightly and then place... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m extremely excited to show off my new @whaleystudios sliding hammer 🔥 this was my first time setting with it (I probably should have waited a few weeks until I got really good at it so I could impress you all 😂)... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I want to talk about the @grstools Benchmate System (I have the Encore QCX) I often get asked about mine and I wanted to give those interested an opportunity to ask questions! I invested in mine years ago and have... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday we are going to build off of last week and discuss the @grstools pin vise attachment for the Benchmate, thank you @nurdleintherough for sharing your videos and thoughts! 🙌 - “ The GRS pin vise attachment for the bench... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show the Foredom® H.15D hammer handpiece. This model includes the “duplex spring” which provides extra flexibility, there is also the H.15 model but I have never used it so I can’t compare the two. I do... more
Here is a tip for making your own burnishers to cut silver (like the inside/outside of a bezel) from @jewelrymonk - “I took an inexpensive steel wax probe, or awl, and trimmed, sharpened, and polished it. One is a point and the other is sharpened to... more
If you need to make jump rings of all different sizes use this tip from @goudsmederijlamoon - “My knitting needles..Here are some of them, various sizes and materials. Bought from a thrift shop. I use both plastic and metal! I made a little video of... more
Here is a tip for when you need something lined up when soldering from @ckmetaldesigns - “After I file a spot in the ring shank flat, I mark the sides of the ring with Sharpie at the flat part. Then when I am placing it on the bezel plate to solder, I... more
Here is a tip for polishing some of those hard to reach spots: Dedeco Midgets! I received a few of these in last month’s @benchtooljunkies box and liked them so much I went ahead and bought enough to make a set! These polishing bits come in a wide... more
Here is a tip to keep your bezel settings and stones organized from @indigenousjewels - “This week I made a bunch of settings for stones I'm planning to use soon, but to keep them all safe and organized I just took a piece of cardboard, added some... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to (finally) chat about magnetic tumblers 😄🔥 I often get asked about them and I thought it would be a great topic to discuss! There are many options on the market, but I wanted to show the Arbe KMT-15V... more
Here is a tip to protect your piece while bezel setting from @brackendesigns - “I use my vinyl shape template to protect my pendant during stone setting.” We’ve shared a few methods for protecting your piece from a slip, I love this idea if your stone... more
Here is a great tip for shaping your bezels from @estona_sieraden - “I use 0.6 mm (22g) sterling silver for my bezel wire. After annealing the silver I stick my stone to my workbench. You can do this with a piece of tape (sticky side up). The silver... more
Here is an organization tip for smaller items in your studio from @shannonrusselljewelry - “I hung steel sheets on the wall and bought magnetic containers used for storing spices. The lids are see through and plexiglass, so it’s easy to spot... more
Here is a brilliant tip to keep patina from getting into certain areas from @drifting_gypsy_designs - “I tried rubber cement one day to prevent a patina in the silver bezel under a transparent stone. To my surprise it worked amazing! A couple layers... more
Here is a quick way to even out the bottom of your bezels prior to soldering from @persimmonpearl - “I use an Emory board! The grit takes off more metal than my fine sandpaper board, so it’s great when I’ve really got to get a bezel down to size. 😊” 🙌... more
