New interest in jewelry making
Q.I'm a custom knifemaker who has recently gotten addicted to making silver jewelry i.e.: fabricated rings, ear rings, etc. I'm enjoying this greatly because the craft allows me to be creative (maybe a little artistic), yet I can finish the piece within a few hours, unlike making a knife, which takes many hours from start to finish. (instant gratification) I have the tools and equipment to allow me to make settings from shell, turquoise, and other relatively easy-to-work materials and I have a small supply of these things. I don't have any lapidary equipment. I realize there is more value in a gold or other precious metal piece than in silver, but I don't intend to make anything for profit. This is for my own enjoyment and maybe I can please my wife and relatives once in awhile. 8>D I'd like to find a good instructional manual or book of designs suitable for a rank beginner to teach himself the silver craft. I intend to do silver fabrication only. I don't want to go to the expense of trying casting or lapidary, though I'm sure I'd enjoy that if I had the equipment. I also lack the spare time to do more. I currently have Rio Grande's catalogs from which I've ordered supplies. Are there other suppliers who would be helpful?
A.start with the classics and move to modern. dover prints serveral instructional books from the Rhode Island School of Design. then get an indian silversmithing book. then find a book on classic silver work such as Paul Revier, the English Silversmiths etc. Its a great way to learn those secrets of the masters that you will not find in just one book. when i started 30 years ago, i bought about 20 books on just silver smithing. silver is complex to work with. i switched to gold because it was easier. i only needed one or two books on gold smithing to do what i wanted
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