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
Here is a tip for organizing your drawers from @lsdjewellery - “I bought Magnetic Strip (Neodymium). You can buy it by the meter from hardware stores or online. it’s not great for heavy tools but great for small files, small hammers, burrs, saw... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show the extremely versatile Bench Anvil Ultimate Kit from @seattlefindings. This kit gives you two bench pins, a small flat anvil area for stamping, two bracelet mandrels (oval + circle), a standard ring... more
Here is a bezel setting tip from @fashionablyadorned - “An easy way for me to not mar my metal when setting is to wrap the end of my steel pusher in masking tape. I’m pretty detail oriented so finishing work for me is my struggle and this has helped a... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to show off my Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissors and talk about how I have found them useful in the studio. When I need to trim bezel wire or a thin backplate, these are my go-to scissors for the job! I have also... more
#sponsored Today is America Recycles Day! In honor of that I wanted to talk about something we can do in our jewelry making to help the environment, choosing to work with 100% recycled metals! At @stullerinc you can not only find recycled sheet, but... more
Here is a tip for those that want to experiment with tumbling a piece with a stone set from @kjs_heart -“ I tumbled this pendant and after tumbling I set the stone. Although I used some tape on my tools to protect the bezel it got a bit damaged by... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I’m showing off my #topnine2019 tool talk posts for this year! For a quick reference head over to my blog on metalsmithsociety.com where I linked all the original posts and places to purchase the items! 1️⃣ Luxi... more
Here is another use for alligator tape while setting bezels from @flameandstone - “Ok so the alligator tape trick is nice because it protects both the metal and the stone. It also provides a bit of slip resistance. I had leather on there but it... more
Here is tip for setting tall bezels from @anna.maria.designs - “One of my most favorite tools 🛠 is an agate burnisher. It helps me to smooth out and push down my bezels when setting stones that require a high bezel to come over the sides like the... more
Here is a fun way to lubricate your sawframe from @coloradocenterformetalarts - “If you eat Baby Bell cheeses, save the little wax wrappers. These make great saw lube and you can also use them to hold the stone while forming a bezel. They will stick... more
Here is another material to keep on hand to prevent your stone from getting stuck from @jpsrollingstones - “I had the floss break on a piece I was working on and couldn't get the stone out. 😥 A fisherman friend of mine said ‘why don't you use braided... more
Here is a tip for when you are soldering bezels to your baseplates from @sweetbellajewelry - “If you’ve ever soldered a bezel upside on your backplate you know the frustration (not that I ever have 😬). To avoid this simple mishap I mark the tops of my... more
Here is a tip for soldering a larger bezel onto a ring from @ladypearljewelry -“Head and shank tweezers: Ideal tool to hold settings and shanks together for accurate soldering. However, if you have a bigger setting, simply add a piece of cooper to... more
For this week’s #tooltalktuesday I wanted to discuss a basic tool, owned by most jewelers: a prong pusher! Prong pushers are definitely on my list of beginner’s tools as they work really well to push down bezels. The problem is they come with some... more
Here is a tip for creating bezels with points (pear shape for example) from @moonandforge - “Bezel setting stones with points can be challenging, and if you ask 12 smiths to do it, you’ll get 12 different ways to tackle it! Here is a way that I’ve... more
Here is a hexagon bezel making tip from @theloveleighlocket - “I bought hexagon diamond cabochons to make stud earrings a while back, they are pretty tiny. I needed a tiny mandrel to shape the bezels for them...but the one I had was too big at... more
Here is a work holding tip from @hendersonstudiosjewelry - “Use hot glue on a metal plate, peg vise, or engraving ball to hold your work temporarily for stone setting. First use just enough hot glue to secure your setting without completely swallowing... more
Here is a tip for when you are checking a stone in its bezel from @stonefruitsilver - “I love using this UHU tac for removing stones from bezels when checking fit (as long as they're not in too tight). There are different brands and types, which can... more
