QuestionI am just starting out (hobby to start) making jewelry. I am interested in attatching gold pieces to other gold pieces (settings to rings, learning to bend prings on gems I set, etc...)
Is there a good sorce (step by step) manual )pics would be nice) on basic gold jewelry making? I am so eager to make family gifts/heirlooms.
Thanks in advance
Gene
AnswerHello Gene,
What you need to learn then is soldering and cold connections- those two methods will allow you to connect any metal to another. I highly recommend Tim McCreight's "the COMPLETE METALSMITH" for a good all around manual. There is a forum on www.ganoksin.com , made of experienced jewelers answering novice's questions that anyone may join, their archives have a wealth of answers to all the things you are asking herein.
It is not a cheap hobby at all, but once you have a passion for making jewelry you are pretty much bound! You will need a good deal of equipment including a torch set up ( though a butane torch like found in a home supply- Bernzomatic's torch that mixes oxy and fuel in the handpiece starts around 50 dollars.Cheaper butane models are also effective there is one on sale at sci-plus .com that is called simply butane torch that is hot enough to melt gold and solder anything from silver to platinum at 16.95 plus taxes and shipping..cold connecting involves no heat and soldering irons are useless in gold jewelry you will need an oxy fuel or at least a butane torch to practice your skills with gold soldering ) to see if you're interested enough to invest about the $1000.00 it will take to set up a basic shop with a soldering station, pickling set-up and an assortment of metals, stones, and consumables like flux, and abrasives, basic pliers, and hammers, and avoiding things like stakes for forming and expensive pro grade tools, and possibly adding a a flex-shaft and/or a dremel tool to begin being able to do things correctly with some self teaching and trial and error melt downs, etc.
It is not a fool proof art as there are many variables, and with the gold market at its highest in years the best recommendation is to learn to solder with less expensive metals even though soldering gold is much easier than silver as the use of sterling with its copper content lends itself to the bain of the jeweler's bench :firescale- but a coating of methyl alcohol and boric acid (dissovled in it) and the piece dipped in that mixture will prevent foirescale from forming) .Do get TIM MCCREIGHT'S BOOK, THOUGH AND READ THROUGH IT. He even has plans for a basic bench ( although any surface can be modified)and many editions of the title are available including the newest that has dvd of demo's included in the pro edition ( Bryn Mawr Press). You do want to check out your city's laws if any about gas torches indoors. Many in New York are forced by building codes to use water torches that involve no compressed gasses in tanks stored indorrs, and in fact make their own gas with alcohol, electricity and electrolyte fluxes to yield a pinpoint flame for precision work or the spirflame that is twice as fucnctional as the hydroflux welder, but twice the cost as well..but gives one more flame control which is critical to soldering different metals.
Stone setting comes after learning to make connections though.Bending prongs requires a working knowledge of stones basics like altering a cast setting with burs to complement the curve on a given cut of a given stone and their relative hardnesses as some will break if included, etc. under too much force, and to modify pliers to making the stone settign easier is a skill that can save you 40 dollars when given a low budget. there are many things to consider when beginning the jewelry habit- at this point in the market's history it is at an all time high and there are new products ( metal clays) that are not, in my opinion worht the triple cost of the natural raw materials to get less actual metqal once fired- though for a simple band ring that can be fired on a gas stove with hard stones in place, metal clays are good for a sideline or occassional piece.Nonetheless, I recommend your checking out as many jewelry making books as you can find and availing yourself of all the web sites that pertain to novices:Orchid at ganoksin is a good place to start as you'll get a wide variety of responses from a wide range of experienced and inexperienced jewelry makers- the two will soon become evident!
I want to encourage you most wholeheartedly but do consider that it is not a cheap hobby to take on and requires some practice to become proficient in basics like soldering successfully and stone setting.Look for lapidary clubs in your area, often they have small shops available and would love to teach their members what they know of the art and sciences involved in jewelry making.Remeber that there is no one right way and everyone's idea of art differs, so accept constructive criticism and realize that it is all a learning process. I have one person that I have known for two years now. She began making jewelry only 2 years ago and is offended when anyone calls her a novice because she is able to make a few dollars at custom pieces and is enthusiastic about the new found hobby- but she is not abusiness and has not the experience to be considered anything more than a novice as two years in a garage studio is not a world of problem solving and experience and tests and materials handling and stone selections, and tools and equipment knowlwdge, but to some , once they have made a successful solder join or cold connection they think they have arrived. there is far more to making and sharing jewelry that holds up in daily wear than anyone can learn in under 2 years - ask any experienced art jeweler and they will tell you it is an ongoing process, with new methods and tools and materials being created always, some not worth the bottles they come in and some standards worth the cost for consistency's sake.
Using pre-cast findings is a way to go, and often cheaper but also the appearance is noticeably "cookie cutter" style, you can with the help of "McCreight's book get some valuable lessons and insight into crafting the heirlooms you want to produce. Good luck and if you need me to answer anything more feel free to contact me again.
Best Regards, Ari
