Home/Crafts/Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist/September/October 2020/In This Issue
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020A Good Time to Be CleverWE TEND TO BE HYPERVIGILANT right after an accident, but … Exactly. We shouldn’t wait for a scary or injurious event to goad us into being careful all the time. Unfortunately, it’s easy to grow complacent when we haven’t felt threatened for a while. Fortunately, we human beings are also pretty clever, capable of thinking ahead and foreseeing consequences.If you’re reading this magazine, you probably work with potentially dangerous tools and materials on a regular basis. Whenever you’re at your workspace is the time to be your clever, farsighted self. But safety’s been on everyone’s mind a lot lately, not just those who are drawn to sharp surfaces and open flames. The current pandemic also qualifies as one of those in-your-face threats, whether you’re considering a trip to a gallery,…2 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Social Distance MarketingTHIS YEAR HAS BEEN ONE CRAZY roller coaster ride. Even if your own studio time was unaffected, chances are, craft shows you registered for were cancelled and shops you sold through were shuttered.The shutdown has been a time when having an established online presence paid off. Virtual connection was the best we could do for much of the year.In the last issue, I mentioned a couple jewelry artists who opened brick-and-mortar galleries in the last few years, then had to close for three months during the Covid-19 shutdown. They had to pedal even faster than most of us to keep upright — and the journey left them with some new skills.One such artist is Jennifer Park, who had to close the Wear Ever Gallery she opened in Old Town Alexandria,…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Stamp It Out!METAL STAMPING IS ONE OF THOSE HIGHLY FOCUSED, low-cost techniques that help you achieve big bang for your jewelry-making buck. With minimal tools — like four — you can happily pass many hours in quiet contemplation while creating complex surface textures on a sheet of metal. Given the abundance of social isolation time I’ve recently had on my hands, I decided to revisit metal stamping as a foundation technique. It soothed my frazzled spirit and calmed my worried mind, and once I got started, I couldn’t stop. This was just the rabbit hole I needed to go down to get me through those days and weeks, and it did.Basic What and HowMetal stamps are struck with a hammer or brass mallet and their engraved pattern or design impresses the metal…6 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Nestled Among LeavesISN’T IT FUN WHEN you have an idea for a piece of jewelry — and then you find the perfect cabochon for it! I take designs for jewelry with me when I am fortunate enough to attend a gem and jewelry show. This time I saw a green and gold parrot wing chrysocolla cab that was made for my design! In it, leaves are pierced in the back plate, the bail has a leaf front and back, and there’s another leaf just for fun at the bottom of the cab.This piece started with a riff on Michael Boyd’s Wyoming jade earrings way back in 2014, when they were featured on the cover. I didn’t want to copy his pendant, so I used my design for the back of a pendant.…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020STRENGTH & PERSONALITYOFFERING A RICH narrative, Pantone’s fashion color palette for fall-winter 2020-21 is imbued with strength and personality, encouraged by our ongoing desire for unique self-expression through creative and unusual color statements. That’s how Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes the top color picks on the NY runways for fall-winter ready-to-wear.The leading fall-winter 2020-21 colors feature some traditional tones and surprising ones that offer room for experimentation. The idea of trying out new hues or blending them with more classic colors works in this time of genderless, seasonless, you-be-you fashion, WWD says of Pantone’s palette.Ten stand-out colors were popular with designers at the seasonal shows: two reds, an upbeat Samba and a strong Fired Brick; a hypnotic purple Magenta; a dusky pink Rose Tan; two peachy hues,…6 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Have a Slice of Pine ConeI WAS FASCINATED. The first time I saw resin incorporated with wood was on a Facebook video where they were making these crazy tabletops. Then a few years ago, on an all-girls “goddess” trip, I learned that Sheri Rozsonits, one of the ladies in the video, had also been using this technique to create components in her jewelry — mind blown!It’s a family affair. Refining techniques on resin use the couple first learned on YouTube, Sheri’s husband, John, now embeds resin into the voids of pieces of wood, producing blocks of the material. After the resin has cured, Sheri cuts the block into pieces for her jewelry, which she then fabricates.Recently I had the opportunity to visit their workshop where I was given a private tour and a quick tutorial…6 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Dash of Creepy FunWeird jewelry is not new. I first ran into Roger in 1995 when he and others were already featuring work with dark creatures most people would rather hit with a shoe than wear. These days, if you’ve opened more than three Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazines in the last six years, you’ve probably run across Roger Halas’s words and works. He’s pretty memorable, what with his Alien-esque motifs and H.R. Giger-influenced designs, scorpions, spiders, exobiological entities, etc.Roger not only pushes our “creep” buttons, but seriously messes with our notion of what constitutes jewelry. He takes the universal push/pull of fascination vs. repulsion and sticks it in your face. Literally. Halas is the creator of the face-hugger brooch, which, in case you have been marooned on a technologically backward planet for…9 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020STRENGTH & PERSONALITYOFFERING A RICH narrative, Pantone’s fashion color palette for fall-winter 2020-21 is imbued with strength and personality, encouraged by our ongoing desire for unique self-expression through creative and unusual color statements. That’s how Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, describes the top color picks on the NY runways for fall-winter ready-to-wear. The leading fall-winter 2020-21 colors feature some traditional tones and surprising ones that offer room for experimentation. The idea of trying out new hues or blending them with more classic colors works in this time of genderless, seasonless, you-be-you fashion, WWD says of Pantone’s palette. Ten stand-out colors were popular with designers at the seasonal shows: two reds, an upbeat Samba and a strong Fired Brick; a hypnotic purple Magenta; a dusky pink Rose Tan; two…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Yooperlite™ — rock that’s a glowing success storySally, Cheri and I giggle in the dark as we stumble along the rocky shores of Hubbard Lake, Michigan, where we live. Eons ago, glaciers inched across this area and we are hoping they dragged some Yooperlite all the way from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Using a single black UV flashlight, we hope to excite this stone’s electrons and cause it to reveal itself with a fiery glow.However, on this cold night, we have no luck, although we aren’t completely disappointed. We do come across a bunch of sandy pink rocks that seem to glow like lava, even under water. As a backup, we jump in the truck and drive to the Alcona County Road Commission gravel pit 20 minutes away, watching out for deer. There, we have official permission…4 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Gold PlatedThe cost of gold is astronomical — but there is nothing like that look. A thin layer of gold on the surface of a less expensive metal makes a much more affordable option for makers and customers. There are quite a few techniques for achieving this, some relatively low tech, inexpensive, and safe.This, however, is a detailed look at electroplating, the process widely used in the jewelry industry by experienced professionals. It is advanced, challenging, and potentially quite dangerous. If plating is a technique you think you might want to learn about, this will provide a good overview of it to help you decide. And of course, If you are familiar with the technique and use gold plating on some of your jewelry, always follow your manufacturer’s instructions precisely.“Plating” is…11 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Seahorse SummonsTHE OCEANS have always had an impact on my work as an artist. The colors, the shapes, even the dangers therein; it’s a world like no other. So of course, when I was hired to work on DC’s Aquaman, I could not have been happier. Designing for an iconic superhero was a dream come true, so I will pass that experience on to other metalsmiths through this marine-related project. I’ve always been fascinated by seahorses. Noble little beasts they are, with such poise and elegance. It’s no surprise we find them on everything from canvases, city murals, Steampunk machinations, and yes, even jewelry. So prepare yourself for an adventure, gather your tools, and get ready to create a ring fit for an Atlantean. IMAGE SET AT DEPTH 1 This ring…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Red Backpack FundThe Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation recently teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish the Red Backpack Fund. The Foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of Covid-19. The Fund planned to award grants to at least 1,000 women business owners through September 2020. The grant recipients were selected by a team of grant specialists, social workers, entrepreneurs, analysts, and monitoring and evaluation experts.Several female jewelry designers and business owners were among those selected for the grants. Kristen Baird® Jewelry of Savannah, Georgia, was one of the jewelry businesses chosen. Baird remarked, “It is an honor to be recognized for our unique jewelry designs, innovative practices, and our focus on giving back to our community, and I am overwhelmingly grateful for this boost of confidence in what…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Free Mokumé Gané BookMokumé gané artist Steve Midgett will provide free access online to the complete contents of his book, Mokumé Gané: A Comprehensive Study.In the 160-page book, Midgett shares the art of mokumé gané from its ancient beginnings in Japan to its resurgence in the digital age along with detailed how-to information for making mokumé by multiple methods and 5 step-by-step mokumé jewelry projects. Midgett hopes that metalsmithing and jewelry arts educational institutions will utilize his book as a resource for their students. (For a pictorial of mokumé gané jewelry, see “Beautiful Blends,” page 86.)More at www.mokume.com/book…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020educationBoulder Metalsmithing Association (BoMA)4919 Broadway, Unit 15Boulder, CO 80304(720) 346-3233info@bouldermetalsmiths.comwww.bouldermetalsmiths.comLocated in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, BoMA offers workshops taught by world-class instructors for all levels from beginners to professionals. We also offer a shared, open studio for experienced metalsmiths. Visit our website to learn more about BoMA and get recommendations for your visit to Boulder.William Holland School of Lapidary ArtsPO Box 980, 230 Lapidary Ln.Young Harris, GA 30582(706) 379-2126lapidary@windstream.netwww.lapidaryschool.orgPO Box 980, 230 Lapidary Ln. Young Harris, GA 30582 (706) 379-2126 lapidary@windstream.net www.lapidaryschool.orgStudio JSD219 N. 7th St., Suite 4Grand Haven, MI 49417(616) 607-2470www.studiojsd.comStudents at Studio JSD are encouraged to develop their unique style as they learn fundamentals in jewelry fabrication. Schedules include multi week class sessions, studio intensives, technical classes and special workshops with nationally known arists including Michael David Sturlin, Julie…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Jewelry Artist PodcastsIf you’ve ever wanted to learn from and about top jewelry makers and industry professionals from the comfort of your own home, now you can. In the spring of 2020, Interweave introduced a series of Jewelry Artist podcasts, hosted by Katie Hacker, that bring these professionals straight to your phone, computer, or other electronic device. Season 1 includes several fascinating interviews. Jewelry artist Christine Dhein discussed tips for green jewelry making. Rockhounds Alex and Keith Horst talked about cabbing, gem carving, and other lapidary work. Becky Nunn described the challenges faced by her jewelry findings business during the pandemic. Artist, teacher, and gallery owner Julie Sanford chatted about her path to a successful jewelry business. And Interweave’s Tammy Jones talked about her favorite passion — pearls. At this writing, Season…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Free Mokumé Gané BookMokumé gané artist Steve Midgett will provide free access online to the complete contents of his book, Mokumé Gané: A Comprehensive Study. In the 160-page book, Midgett shares the art of mokumé gané from its ancient beginnings in Japan to its resurgence in the digital age along with detailed how-to information for making mokumé by multiple methods and 5 step-by-step mokumé jewelry projects. Midgett hopes that metalsmithing and jewelry arts educational institutions will utilize his book as a resource for their students. (For a pictorial of mokumé gané jewelry, see “Beautiful Blends,” page 86.) More at www.mokume.com/book…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 20202021 SINTER ConferenceThe Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide will present SINTER™, a conference for the metal clay artist community. The conference will be held from May 12-18, 2021, and will include speakers, workshops, demonstrations, a vendor hall, and a “Show and Sell” event where artists can be from other artists. There will also be a special exhibit of outstanding metal clay work. The 2021 SINTER conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Check the AMCAW website for more details and registration information. www.amcaw.org/sinter Coming in November/December • Picasso stone • Collaboration piece for charity • Resin and wood jewelry • Grow and set bismuth crystals Follow Us On Instagram! @InterweaveJewelry InterweaveJewelry is your resource for free projects, videos, trends, and more. There’s always something new…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020A Good Time to Be CleverWE TEND TO BE HYPERVIGILANT right after an accident, but … Exactly. We shouldn’t wait for a scary or injurious event to goad us into being careful all the time. Unfortunately, it’s easy to grow complacent when we haven’t felt threatened for a while. Fortunately, we human beings are also pretty clever, capable of thinking ahead and foreseeing consequences. If you’re reading this magazine, you probably work with potentially dangerous tools and materials on a regular basis. Whenever you’re at your workspace is the time to be your clever, farsighted self. But safety’s been on everyone’s mind a lot lately, not just those who are drawn to sharp surfaces and open flames. The current pandemic also qualifies as one of those in-your-face threats, whether you’re considering a trip to a…2 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Social Distance MarketingTHIS YEAR HAS BEEN ONE CRAZY roller coaster ride. Even if your own studio time was unaffected, chances are, craft shows you registered for were cancelled and shops you sold through were shuttered. The shutdown has been a time when having an established online presence paid off. Virtual connection was the best we could do for much of the year. In the last issue, I mentioned a couple jewelry artists who opened brick-and-mortar galleries in the last few years, then had to close for three months during the Covid-19 shutdown. They had to pedal even faster than most of us to keep upright — and the journey left them with some new skills. One such artist is Jennifer Park, who had to close the Wear Ever Gallery she opened in…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Call of the TropicsYOU CAN PICTURE IT EASILY. Parrot wing is a stone that looks much like you would think: a mix of yellows, greens, and blues. Like many stones that produce this kind of blue, it’s a copper mineral. From that point on, things can get confusing.We talked to John Heusler of Slabs to Cabs, who often works with rare and unusual stones and has discovered and named a few of his own. First, although this is often called a jasper, Heusler says it really isn’t. It’s a mix of chrysocolla or shattuckite (a blue mineral from the Bisbee Shattuck shaft), malachite, magnetite, and/or tenorite, and may contain other minerals as well. It can be silicified (turned into a silicate, like chalcedony), which makes it harder and tougher. It can be, sometimes…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020CERF Is There for YouDisaster happens to other people. Until it happens to you. When it hits, disaster leaves you in shock and disbelief. What do you do first? Where do you get help? Who do you call? If you make your living as a craft artist, you call CERF+, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund. CERF is always prepared. CERF knows that disaster, for someone, somewhere, is inevitable. CERF was founded in 1985 by a group of farsighted craft artists to provide career artists with the safety net they might not otherwise have. Now when disaster happens — illness, accident, theft, fire, tornado, hurricane, or earthquake — artists have a place to turn to for help. The organization has been a lifeline for hundreds of artists in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These four…14 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Autumn SettingYES, I BROKE my own rule. I always tell my students at the beginning of the semester to learn each of the rules of jewelry making so they will know how to break them properly later. However, this time, I just totally ignored my #1 design rule: design the whole piece, front and back, and think out any construction problems which may arise. I was so excited about using leaves as prongs, and designing the back, that I completely forgot about the bail! There are not many steps in this project, but having to figure out that bail at the last minute still presented a challenge. Yep, I still make boo-boos, and still have to come up with solutions on the fly.LEAVES AND PRONGS1 Choose a leaf pattern you like.…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Jewelry Project NESTLED AMONG LEAVESMAKE THE EARRINGS After I finished the pendant, I wanted earrings to match. I found a short section of chain and beads that were left from another project and they matched the cabochon. It was meant to be! These earrings are easy to make using a saw or wire shears, and only take about an hour. To make them even simpler, just use more beads and skip the leaves. CUT THE CHAIN E1 I used three links of chain for each earring. Remember that one link will become waste when it is cut if the links are soldered. Don’t short yourself on the chain. MAKE AND ATTACH LEAVES E2 Sketch the leaf shape and allow 1¼" for the stem. I made the stem longer than necessary so bending would be…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Have a Slice of Pine ConeI WAS FASCINATED. The first time I saw resin incorporated with wood was on a Facebook video where they were making these crazy tabletops. Then a few years ago, on an all-girls “goddess” trip, I learned that Sheri Rozsonits, one of the ladies in the video, had also been using this technique to create components in her jewelry — mind blown! It’s a family affair. Refining techniques on resin use the couple first learned on YouTube, Sheri’s husband, John, now embeds resin into the voids of pieces of wood, producing blocks of the material. After the resin has cured, Sheri cuts the block into pieces for her jewelry, which she then fabricates. Recently I had the opportunity to visit their workshop where I was given a private tour and a…6 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Doublée: Gold on SilverGold surfaces justify a higher price point on a finished piece, and when gold gets expensive, goldsmiths get creative. In 1979 I was working in Pforzheim, in then West Germany, where I also studied at the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung with Klaus Ullrich. In the 1960s, he had done a lot of fusing of 18, 22, and 24 karat golds in his work. As the gold price rose at that time, he began making doublée material in order to retain the pure gold color on his work and still keep the work’s price down.At his workshop I watched him fuse a sheet of .3 mm 24K gold to a 1 mm sheet of sterling silver. He used a large propane/air blowtorch with the air supplied by a foot bellows. Then he…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Dash of Creepy FunWeird jewelry is not new. I first ran into Roger in 1995 when he and others were already featuring work with dark creatures most people would rather hit with a shoe than wear. These days, if you’ve opened more than three Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazines in the last six years, you’ve probably run across Roger Halas’s words and works. He’s pretty memorable, what with his Alien-esque motifs and H.R. Giger-influenced designs, scorpions, spiders, exobiological entities, etc. Roger not only pushes our “creep” buttons, but seriously messes with our notion of what constitutes jewelry. He takes the universal push/pull of fascination vs. repulsion and sticks it in your face. Literally. Halas is the creator of the face-hugger brooch, which, in case you have been marooned on a technologically backward planet…9 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Jewelry Artist PodcastsIf you’ve ever wanted to learn from and about top jewelry makers and industry professionals from the comfort of your own home, now you can. In the spring of 2020, Interweave introduced a series of Jewelry Artist podcasts, hosted by Katie Hacker, that bring these professionals straight to your phone, computer, or other electronic device.Season 1 includes several fascinating interviews. Jewelry artist Christine Dhein discussed tips for green jewelry making. Rockhounds Alex and Keith Horst talked about cabbing, gem carving, and other lapidary work. Becky Nunn described the challenges faced by her jewelry findings business during the pandemic. Artist, teacher, and gallery owner Julie Sanford chatted about her path to a successful jewelry business. And Interweave’s Tammy Jones talked about her favorite passion — pearls.At this writing, Season 2 is…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Yooperlite™ — rock that’s a glowing success storySally, Cheri and I giggle in the dark as we stumble along the rocky shores of Hubbard Lake, Michigan, where we live. Eons ago, glaciers inched across this area and we are hoping they dragged some Yooperlite all the way from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Using a single black UV flashlight, we hope to excite this stone’s electrons and cause it to reveal itself with a fiery glow. However, on this cold night, we have no luck, although we aren’t completely disappointed. We do come across a bunch of sandy pink rocks that seem to glow like lava, even under water. As a backup, we jump in the truck and drive to the Alcona County Road Commission gravel pit 20 minutes away, watching out for deer. There, we have official…4 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 20202021 SINTER ConferenceThe Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide will present SINTER™, a conference for the metal clay artist community. The conference will be held from May 12-18, 2021, and will include speakers, workshops, demonstrations, a vendor hall, and a “Show and Sell” event where artists can be from other artists. There will also be a special exhibit of outstanding metal clay work.The 2021 SINTER conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. Check the AMCAW website for more details and registration information.www.amcaw.org/sinterComingin November/December• Picasso stone• Collaboration piece for charity• Resin and wood jewelry• Grow and set bismuth crystalsFollow Us On Instagram!@InterweaveJewelryInterweaveJewelry is your resource for free projects, videos, trends, and more. There’s always something new to learn!News to Share?Facets accepts news and images Facets accepts news…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Natural vs. Lab-Grown DiamondsDiamondére, a custom fine jewelry firm, has recently published a comprehensive guide to the similarities and differences between natural diamonds, lab-created diamonds, moissanite, and cubic zirconia. For jewelry artists and customers, the guide includes information on what you can tell from “eye-balling” stones, considerations for everyday wear, pricing differences, and more. More at www.diamondere.com/blog/natural-dia-monds-vs-lab-diamonds-vs-moissanites-vs-cz-2.…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020educationBoulder Metalsmithing Association (BoMA) 4919 Broadway, Unit 15 Boulder, CO 80304 (720) 346-3233 info@bouldermetalsmiths.com www.bouldermetalsmiths.com Located in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, BoMA offers workshops taught by world-class instructors for all levels from beginners to professionals. We also offer a shared, open studio for experienced metalsmiths. Visit our website to learn more about BoMA and get recommendations for your visit to Boulder. William Holland School of Lapidary Arts PO Box 980, 230 Lapidary Ln. Young Harris, GA 30582 (706) 379-2126 lapidary@windstream.net www.lapidaryschool.org PO Box 980, 230 Lapidary Ln. Young Harris, GA 30582 (706) 379-2126 lapidary@windstream.net www.lapidaryschool.org Studio JSD 219 N. 7th St., Suite 4 Grand Haven, MI 49417 (616) 607-2470 www.studiojsd.com Students at Studio JSD are encouraged to develop their unique style as they learn fundamentals in jewelry fabrication. Schedules include multi…2 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Design ChallengesYour Design RiffsDesigns based on projects and jewelry shown in previous issues of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist.Your Settings…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Design ChallengesYour Design Riffs Designs based on projects and jewelry shown in previous issues of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Your Settings…1 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020CERF Is There for YouDisaster happens to other people. Until it happens to you.When it hits, disaster leaves you in shock and disbelief. What do you do first? Where do you get help? Who do you call? If you make your living as a craft artist, you call CERF+, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund. CERF is always prepared. CERF knows that disaster, for someone, somewhere, is inevitable.CERF was founded in 1985 by a group of farsighted craft artists to provide career artists with the safety net they might not otherwise have. Now when disaster happens — illness, accident, theft, fire, tornado, hurricane, or earthquake — artists have a place to turn to for help. The organization has been a lifeline for hundreds of artists in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These four jewelry artists,…14 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Stamp It Out!METAL STAMPING IS ONE OF THOSE HIGHLY FOCUSED, low-cost techniques that help you achieve big bang for your jewelry-making buck. With minimal tools — like four — you can happily pass many hours in quiet contemplation while creating complex surface textures on a sheet of metal. Given the abundance of social isolation time I’ve recently had on my hands, I decided to revisit metal stamping as a foundation technique. It soothed my frazzled spirit and calmed my worried mind, and once I got started, I couldn’t stop. This was just the rabbit hole I needed to go down to get me through those days and weeks, and it did. Basic What and How Metal stamps are struck with a hammer or brass mallet and their engraved pattern or design impresses…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Jewelry Project NESTLED AMONG LEAVESMAKE THE EARRINGSAfter I finished the pendant, I wanted earrings to match. I found a short section of chain and beads that were left from another project and they matched the cabochon. It was meant to be! These earrings are easy to make using a saw or wire shears, and only take about an hour. To make them even simpler, just use more beads and skip the leaves.CUT THE CHAINE1 I used three links of chain for each earring. Remember that one link will become waste when it is cut if the links are soldered. Don’t short yourself on the chain.MAKE AND ATTACH LEAVESE2 Sketch the leaf shape and allow 1¼" for the stem. I made the stem longer than necessary so bending would be easier. Glue the leaf in…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Call of the TropicsYOU CAN PICTURE IT EASILY. Parrot wing is a stone that looks much like you would think: a mix of yellows, greens, and blues. Like many stones that produce this kind of blue, it’s a copper mineral. From that point on, things can get confusing. We talked to John Heusler of Slabs to Cabs, who often works with rare and unusual stones and has discovered and named a few of his own. First, although this is often called a jasper, Heusler says it really isn’t. It’s a mix of chrysocolla or shattuckite (a blue mineral from the Bisbee Shattuck shaft), malachite, magnetite, and/or tenorite, and may contain other minerals as well. It can be silicified (turned into a silicate, like chalcedony), which makes it harder and tougher. It can be,…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Nestled Among LeavesISN’T IT FUN WHEN you have an idea for a piece of jewelry — and then you find the perfect cabochon for it! I take designs for jewelry with me when I am fortunate enough to attend a gem and jewelry show. This time I saw a green and gold parrot wing chrysocolla cab that was made for my design! In it, leaves are pierced in the back plate, the bail has a leaf front and back, and there’s another leaf just for fun at the bottom of the cab. This piece started with a riff on Michael Boyd’s Wyoming jade earrings way back in 2014, when they were featured on the cover. I didn’t want to copy his pendant, so I used my design for the back of a…5 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Seahorse SummonsTHE OCEANS have always had an impact on my work as an artist. The colors, the shapes, even the dangers therein; it’s a world like no other. So of course, when I was hired to work on DC’s Aquaman, I could not have been happier. Designing for an iconic superhero was a dream come true, so I will pass that experience on to other metalsmiths through this marine-related project.I’ve always been fascinated by seahorses. Noble little beasts they are, with such poise and elegance. It’s no surprise we find them on everything from canvases, city murals, Steampunk machinations, and yes, even jewelry. So prepare yourself for an adventure, gather your tools, and get ready to create a ring fit for an Atlantean.IMAGE SET AT DEPTH1 This ring is all about…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Yooper MagicIN THE NIGHTTIME DARKNESS of my studio, I shine a special flashlight across drawers of cabochons and beads, hunting for anything that glows in its purple beam. My goal is to dress up a Yooperlite pendant so that it looks good in all kinds of lights. By itself, Yooperlite — as in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where it was first found — is a dark gray stone with a smattering of white specs and orange smudges across its surface. Even a couple jots of silver. But not a lot of “wow.” So, I’ll add some vivid blue lapis, red rubies, and black-and-white striped beads, then toss in a special effect or two. Once worn, all I have to do is add a splash of black light to turn my necklace into…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Autumn SettingYES, I BROKE my own rule. I always tell my students at the beginning of the semester to learn each of the rules of jewelry making so they will know how to break them properly later. However, this time, I just totally ignored my #1 design rule: design the whole piece, front and back, and think out any construction problems which may arise. I was so excited about using leaves as prongs, and designing the back, that I completely forgot about the bail! There are not many steps in this project, but having to figure out that bail at the last minute still presented a challenge. Yep, I still make boo-boos, and still have to come up with solutions on the fly. LEAVES AND PRONGS 1 Choose a leaf pattern…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Beautiful Blends“I always knew my career would be somewhere in the arts,” says Canadian-born Lisa Krikawa, now of Tucson, Arizona. “But after doing sculpture and trying my hand at other artistic endeavors, I found myself in a jewelrymaking/metalsmithing class at Palomar Community College in San Diego. Within a week I was utterly hooked and I knew that would be it.” It’s a familiar route from one art form into another, but not every metals major hones in on such intricate work.Krikawa Jewelry’s specialty is mokumé gané, the Japanese metalsmithing technique that creates the appearance of wood grain, which is how the term is usually translated into English. It is created with layers of differently colored metal that are bonded together into a billet and then manipulated to create that grain-like patterning…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Yooper MagicIN THE NIGHTTIME DARKNESS of my studio, I shine a special flashlight across drawers of cabochons and beads, hunting for anything that glows in its purple beam. My goal is to dress up a Yooperlite pendant so that it looks good in all kinds of lights. By itself, Yooperlite — as in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where it was first found — is a dark gray stone with a smattering of white specs and orange smudges across its surface. Even a couple jots of silver. But not a lot of “wow.” So, I’ll add some vivid blue lapis, red rubies, and black-and-white striped beads, then toss in a special effect or two. Once worn, all I have to do is add a splash of black light to turn my necklace into…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Doublée: Gold on SilverGold surfaces justify a higher price point on a finished piece, and when gold gets expensive, goldsmiths get creative. In 1979 I was working in Pforzheim, in then West Germany, where I also studied at the Fachhochschule für Gestaltung with Klaus Ullrich. In the 1960s, he had done a lot of fusing of 18, 22, and 24 karat golds in his work. As the gold price rose at that time, he began making doublée material in order to retain the pure gold color on his work and still keep the work’s price down. At his workshop I watched him fuse a sheet of .3 mm 24K gold to a 1 mm sheet of sterling silver. He used a large propane/air blowtorch with the air supplied by a foot bellows. Then…8 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Gold PlatedThe cost of gold is astronomical — but there is nothing like that look. A thin layer of gold on the surface of a less expensive metal makes a much more affordable option for makers and customers. There are quite a few techniques for achieving this, some relatively low tech, inexpensive, and safe. This, however, is a detailed look at electroplating, the process widely used in the jewelry industry by experienced professionals. It is advanced, challenging, and potentially quite dangerous. If plating is a technique you think you might want to learn about, this will provide a good overview of it to help you decide. And of course, If you are familiar with the technique and use gold plating on some of your jewelry, always follow your manufacturer’s instructions precisely.…11 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Beautiful Blends“I always knew my career would be somewhere in the arts,” says Canadian-born Lisa Krikawa, now of Tucson, Arizona. “But after doing sculpture and trying my hand at other artistic endeavors, I found myself in a jewelrymaking/metalsmithing class at Palomar Community College in San Diego. Within a week I was utterly hooked and I knew that would be it.” It’s a familiar route from one art form into another, but not every metals major hones in on such intricate work. Krikawa Jewelry’s specialty is mokumé gané, the Japanese metalsmithing technique that creates the appearance of wood grain, which is how the term is usually translated into English. It is created with layers of differently colored metal that are bonded together into a billet and then manipulated to create that grain-like…3 min
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist|September/October 2020Red Backpack FundThe Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation recently teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish the Red Backpack Fund. The Foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of Covid-19. The Fund planned to award grants to at least 1,000 women business owners through September 2020. The grant recipients were selected by a team of grant specialists, social workers, entrepreneurs, analysts, and monitoring and evaluation experts. Several female jewelry designers and business owners were among those selected for the grants. Kristen Baird® Jewelry of Savannah, Georgia, was one of the jewelry businesses chosen. Baird remarked, “It is an honor to be recognized for our unique jewelry designs, innovative practices, and our focus on giving back to our community, and I am overwhelmingly grateful for this boost of confidence in…1 min
