Metalwork Jewelry Tutorials

This is a very simple and fast ring project to make if you have the 2 big disk cutters. The pyramid shaped head pin was made by pressing the hot glass into one half of a crystal shaped bead press. At the end of the ring tutorial you will find a mini tutorial and some tips to make these pyramid shaped headpins. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 17 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

In this tutorial we will be constructing a split bezel & tab setting for a straight sided, angular shape. The flat shape will be made out of a multicolored piece of polymer clay. As an alternative you can substitute the polymer piece for a torch fired enamel piece. The project can also be turned into a solder-less piece using "cold connections “. The instructions for a customized stainless steel cable necklace with matching clasp are also included in the step-by-step instructions. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 11 pages, 29 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.

There are many ways to texture metal; one of the easiest is to use hammers that have some design cut in to their faces. There are some available at jewelry suppliers or you can make your own. In this project we will use a commercially available hammer. Its one of my favorites; you get a surface covered with tiny overlapping squares. We will get a “reverse” texture on the silver by rolling it through the rolling mill. Obtaining a raised squares texture. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 16 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

Cold connections are a fun way to add lampwork glass to metal jewelry pieces. In this project we will be making a cuff bracelet in copper with riveted textured elements. The organic lampwork glass disks will be connected to the cuff with miniature hex screws and nuts. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 22 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.

4 in 1 Tutorial. Beautiful torch fired earrings. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 14 pages, 4 templates and 45 photos. Most of the projects are for beginners and intermediate skill students.

This is the third no-solder pendant project. In this project I experimented with the same pendant shape but used two different textures. I played with the use of liver of sulfur and changed the color of the lampwork bead. These changes gave each pendant a different feel; each one is a one-of- a-kind piece. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 16 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.

Beautiful setting for a pillow bead. It can be strung on a chain as described in the project. With the addition of a couple of jump rings it can be worn on a neck wire. In this project we will use another “cold connection” to attach the pillow bead to the metal base. This connecting element is called a “tab”. This type of setting can work for other bead shapes as well. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 17 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.

On this ring we will manipulate a piece of sheet metal onto a three dimensional ring. The use of tiny drill bits lets us cut inside lines on the piece with the Jeweler’s saw. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 14 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

Forging is a fast and satisfying way of giving texture to your metal pieces. This technique uses controlled hammering to shape metal. The thin end of a riveting hammer can give a very nice texture. Shaping and forging the thicker gauge wire before applying the glass eliminates the danger of damaging the glass drops. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 19 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

This project will guide you in the making of a simple yet striking reversible sterling silver and polymer clay one-of-a-kind pendant. This is a perfect beginners project. Is a good introduction to working with polymer clay. It covers basic instructions on: how to condition polymer clay, what tools to use, making a multicolored slab, cutting the clay and baking it in the oven. Also it goes over basic metal fabrication skills as cutting with a jeweler's saw, filing and sanding. Decorative stamping and patina application are also covered. The step-by-step instruction will walk you through the making of a simple polymer clay flat multicolored cabochon piece. Then go on to show you how to make a sterling silver frame, and tab-setting your cabochon. The final instructions will cover how to make a stainless steel cable necklace for your finished pendant. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file. It has 8 pages, 21 photos and life size template of all the components. For beginner skill students.

Cabochons can be set in a variety of ways, a bezel being the most common. Bezel setting, if not using a commercial made bezel cup, requires soldering. With this bracelet we will use a couple of non-soldering ways to set a cabochon. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 13 pages, 40 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner & intermediate skill students.

Having jewelry that lets you change the focal part of the piece according to your mood or wardrobe is a very good thing. When you are a bead maker, you have many options to choose from, and you can create more as inspiration strikes you. Need something purple and blue to go with that dress? Make a new bead and put it on the pendant. You’ll have the perfect complement for your dress! This pendant can be made as a stand-alone piece. It can be worn on a simple neck wire, a Viking knit chain or a rubber/leather necklace. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 21 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For intermediate to advanced skill students.

Fusing is a technique commonly used while working with fine silver in the making of woven ring chains and granulation. It can also be a very useful way to recycle sterling silver scraps. Fusing requires a good eye and some experience in the use of a torch. The main reason for this project is to give you confidence to go on to a bigger project. After fusing some scrap wire to a couple of small silver disks, you will have the confidence to fuse a ring or pendant. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 7 pages, 19 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

Large gauge wire can be forged, stamped, filed or cut to make beautiful neck wires and bangles. Forging flat such a thick wire will give it a rounded, very organic edge that cannot be obtained with a sheet metal strip. It will also give us a bigger area to show texture. This wide textured bangle will showcase your handmade lampwork head pins or disks beautifully. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 22 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner skill students.

Tabs are small tongues cut into sheet metal that when folded or wrapped around an object can attach it to the metal sheet. Tabs are one of the simplest “cold connections “. In this project we will use them to set a small cylindrical bead on to a wide textured ring band. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 5 pages, 14 photos, a template and plenty of tips. The tutorial is for beginners and intermediate students.

Master a new, very exiting and fast way to enamel copper. The fired enamel colors are beautifully vibrant and each piece will be unique. Torch firing is addictive, you can never make only one piece ! Using the same enamels in different proportion or sifting sequence can give you very different results. Check the picture!, these are the same blues and greens on both pieces! Learn to make an artisan sterling silver and enamel pendant. Inside tab settings are an easy way to set your beautiful torch fired cabochon. Fabricating this type of setting involves cutting and piercing with a jeweler’s saw, drilling pilot holes, filing ,sanding and soldering. The project can be modified to be solder-less, but after torch firing, who is going to be scared of a tiny bit of soldering? Texturing with stamps and the use of liver os sulfur patina on the silver gives you another way to personalize your project. This tutorial will guide you through all these steps with photos and many tips to make everything easier. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file. It has 10 pages, 29 photos and life size template of all the components. For intermediate skill students (torch use experience recommended)

I wanted a pair of stud earrings that where small enough to have some type of metal or beaded dangles. One of the ideas I had, was making some small “organic” element without having to cast from “live” plants. Experimenting to make these “twigs” was fun, and opened a whole new set of ideas to try out. Like using the “twigs” with foldformed copper leaves dangles. The metal leaves could be enameled or treated with colored patinas. The twig circles can also be used with lampwork drops, head pins with or without threaded beads. So if you have off-mandrel drops or glass head pins this is the project for you!

Most of the time cylindrical beads incorporated into a pendant, are set to hang vertically from a bail. I thought it would be fun to do a horizontal setting for a change. The bead is set at the bottom of the pendant and is free to move so you can enjoy every side. The texture on the pendant is the result of a handmade steel stamp, using the design in closely placed rows. This project includes a bonus mini-tutorial on how to make your own hand-cut stamps. The pendant can be worn on a plain neck cable, a silk ribbon, or a chain. But it looks especially well threaded onto a beaded Kumihimo cord made with matching glass beads. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 11 pages, 23 photos, a life size template of all the components, plenty of tips and a Bonus Mini-Tutorial ! For beginner skill students.

In this tutorial, we will be making a wonderful very versatile set of stud earrings, made with lots of interchangeable parts to play with!. This pair was designed in a way that permits the wearer to play mix-and-match with 5 different metal components. And as I love lampwork disk-type beads, you can add some of those to the mix as well!. They will add a lovely pop of color around the face. You will be able to assemble an all metal earring set or a metal and glass one to match your outfit or mood. Combine metals, texture and colored glass to make unique one of-a-kind earrings.

Big lampwork rings are beautiful. They are mostly used as pendants, but they can also be used as unique toggle clasps. We will be making soldered oval rings and hand stamped elements for the body of the bracelet. We will use a big lampwork glass ring lined with a split copper tube as the one-of-a-kind focal toggle. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 15 pages, 39 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! As an extra, It comes with a variant to make a Long Chain Necklace. For intermediate skill students.

Corrugation is a metalworking technique that lets you pleat a metal sheet. These pleated sheet can be used in many jewelry making projects as they are lightweight but strong. Torch fired enamels are a good alternative to try enameling without making the big investment of buying a kiln. You will need a gas burning torch, a steel tripod & mesh, a couple of metal trivets and of course copper enamels! If buying enamels for the first time get a sample pack of opaques, they will be easier to use than transparents (you can try those later). Learn a new set of skills. Combine the amazing texture of corrugation with colorful torch enameling and you will have an eye-catching pendant to wear. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file. It has 12 pages, 35 photos and life size template of all the components. For intermediate skill students (torch use experience recommended)

Anticlastic Raising is a way of shaping metal, curving it into different directions like the shape of a horse’s saddle. The shapes obtained with this method are very organic and beautiful. They are also very strong; this means that thinner gauge metal can be used to make lighter pieces. Our cuff will be shaped into an asymmetric anticlastic spiral. With one large lampwork wavy disk on the wide side, and a small disk in a contrasting color on the narrow side. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 8 pages, 16 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For intermediate skill students.

A texture-rich frame setting to complement a large lentil bead; easy and fast to make. This is a very versatile setting. Change the metal, the texture, or the edge, and you have a different, unique setting for another bead. For this project we will again use a “cold connection”: the tab This type of setting can be modified to work for other bead shapes as well. The tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file, it has 6 pages, 15 photos, a life size template of all the components and plenty of tips! For beginner to intermediate skill students.

Torch firing offers a cheap and fast way of trying your hand at enameling. There are many techniques to try out, the colors are bright and eye catching, the combinations infinite,what is not to like? Fabricate a simple and effective sterling silver prong setting for your torch-fired enamel piece. The result will be a one-of-a-kind conversation starter. Included you will find instruction for the Sgraffito enameling method used on the photo and how-to steps for the fabrication of the backing piece. The fabrication of the backing will cover texturing with hammers, making and soldering prongs, cutting jump rings and patina application. You will also learn how to make a cable neck wire for your pendant. This tutorial is an instant downloading PDF file. It has 12 pages, 33 photos and life size template of all the components. For intermediate skill students (torch use experience recommended)