Jewellery Making Supplies Blog

This is a guest project designed by Tansy Wilson. Tansy is a professional jeweller and runs her business from beautiful rural Somerset. She also teaches a jewellery evening class at her local college. Tansy has a BA in 3-D Design and has been in the design industry for 20 years.

You will need:

• 1 x fully annealed soft sterling silver sheet 1.2mm
• 2 x silver scrolls 110
• 2 x silver 5mm pegs and flat disc earring posts

STEP 1

The first crucial step in any design project is to plan your idea on paper first to ensure you have the right shapes and sizes of required material. This step avoids mistakes which can be costly if you cut straight into your silver sheet. I have used a 50mm x 50mm piece of 1.2mm thick sheet enabling me to plan 4 pieces the same size. All measure approximately 34mm x 16mm.

STEP 2

Mark these measurements onto your silver still keeping the protective film on. Use a piercing saw to cut out these 4 pieces. Remember to keep the blade at 90° to the sheet to allow the blade to cut smoothly and for you to keep control of the saw.

STEP 3

You should now have four pieces of silver sheet all the same size. Remove the protective film from one side only of two of these pieces. Using a ball nose or texturing hammer,  place one of these pieces onto a hard flat surface, protective film side down and hammer across the exposed side of sheet to reveal an evenly textured pattern. Repeat this for the other piece.

STEP 4

When both pieces are textured, using double sided sticky tape, stick one textured piece to a non textured piece ensuring that you leave the non textured piece on the top, so you can easily draw onto the protective film. Also ensure that the two pieces are aligned as closely as possible.

STEP 5

Again using the piercing saw, cut your shapes out. You will now be cutting through two sheets of metal at exactly the same time. Try and use as fine a piercing saw blade as possible at this stage. This is because the thickness of the blade will not remove too much silver when cutting, meaning that your opposite pieces will fit together as closely as possible.

STEP 6

When you have finished piercing out your shapes, pull the stuck pieces apart and remove all the protective film. You will now have positive and negative shapes that are textured and smooth. Place the best fitting opposite pieces together so you have a contrasting texture next to a smooth one.

STEP 7

When happy with your combination, place onto a piece of emery paper and rub all of the backs only of the shapes to remove any grease and then place face down onto a soldering block. Paint flux and place tiny squares (paillons) of hard silver solder along the joins of all the pieces. Soldering on the back means that solder will not run onto the textured fronts of your pieces. Heat slowly so the flux doesn’t bubble and continue heating so the solder melts and runs along the joins. Place in a mild pickle and wash.

STEP 8

When your pieces are clean, remove any blobs of solder from the back with a file and emery paper so it becomes a nice smooth flat surface again. Now you can draw a final shape onto each earring. Again plan this on paper before hand so you don’t make any mistakes when marking onto the silver.

STEP 9

File your earrings into their final shape. If you are removing a lot of material, it is advisable to cut excess away using the piercing saw. When you are happy with the final shape, polish both sides of each earring, ensuring you do not remove too much of the texture.

STEP 10

When all clean and polished, I have bent each earring over a former to add some shape. You will probably be able to bend your shape by hand but if not use a plastic ended hammer so you do not mark the surface of the earrings. Finally solder an earring post onto the back of each earring using easy solder. This enables you to solder the post on without melting any of the previously soldered joins. Pickle and rinse and polish up with a silver cloth.

This is a guest project designed by Jane Kharade. Jane is a craft designer who designs beautifully coloured pieces with the aid of clay, crystals and silver.

You will need:

• Rubber Stamp Mat – Fleur De Lis
• 7 x Silver jump rings   7mm heavy
• 2 x Silver jump rings   5mm heavy
• Silver curb chain 7”
• Silver 14.5mm plain Ring and Bar
• PMC3 – 25gm

Tools

• Scalpel 3 handle 10A blades
• 2 x Roller spacers
• Teflon mat
• Needle Files
• Hand held blow torch
• Soldering block
• Oxidising solution (Liver of Sulphur)
• Tweezers
• Pliers: round nosed, flat
• Emery paper fine, extra fine
• Wire brush/ metal burnisher

STEP 1

Carefully cut out four shapes from medium weight card. Use a 10A scalpel blade and a cutting mat then trim the card down on each one.

STEP 2

Roll out the PMC3 clay to approximately 1.5mm on a Teflon mat. Use a plastic roller, and two spacers to roll the clay to an even thickness. Lightly dust the Fleur De Lys rubber stamp with talcum powder and carefully but firmly press the PMC onto the stamp.
STEP 3

Carefully peel the PMC from the rubber stamp and lay it on the Teflon mat. Gently place the card template on top of the PMC and cut out the clay with a scalpel. Work quickly and cut out seven shapes in total, you may wish do make a couple of spares; choose the better ones for the bracelet and the spares can be made into pendants.

STEP 4

Use a 7mm Ø paintbrush protector and cut out a circle from the centre of each shape. Roll the clay into a ball and wrap it up immediately as it can be re-used.

STEP 5

Use a sharp instrument to make a hole in each charm for hanging.

STEP 6

Use a needle file to file all the rough edges on the charms, do this while the PMC is in its ‘dried out plaster’ state. The task will be time consuming once the PMC has been fired and is metal.

STEP 7

Fire the charms on a soldering block with a hand held blow torch. Make sure they glow steadily pale orange all over. Begin timing for 2.5 minutes – enough for pieces under 10g. This stage is known as ‘sintering’. Don’t worry if the charms become curved during firing. Simply leave them curved as I have or turn them over with tweezers and re-fire.

STEP 8

Oxidise the charms in a solution of Liver of Sulphur; use it in a well ventilated room as the fumes can be dangerous.

STEP 9

Polish the charms with emery paper, as the PMC is soft fine and extra fine will be sufficient to create a polished surface. Finish off by burnishing them with a metal burnisher.

STEP 10

Use pliers and add a 5mm jump ring to either end of a silver curb bracelet. Thread on the ring and bar and attach a 7mm jump ring to each charm and hang them from the bracelet. Make sure all of the jump rings are tightly closed. You have finished your Chunky Charm bracelet!

Designer Tip

Peel a little part of the clay away from the stamp and check that a good impression has been made in the clay. If the impression is weak simply apply more pressure to the clay with the fingers.

Make sure the holes made the charms for hanging will be big enough. As the charm shrinks during firing so will the holes.

Hope you enjoy the project and let us know what inspires you this summer!

This is a review written by Joanne Varney who holds a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing and is part of the Cooksongold team.

I first came across this book when I enrolled on my Jewellery and Silversmithing course many years ago. It was one of the texts recommended by the course tutors as a good introduction and guide to, what was then a totally new subject to me. I can remember opening the book and staring for ages at the image of the jewellers bench covered in tools, thinking to myself, how am I ever going to know what to do with all those tools!

As I began to read through the book, I soon found that my initial worries began to disappear. The book can loosely be divided into 3 parts.

1st Part

As with many jewellery books, the author begins with an outline of a basic tool kit and then goes on to explain how each tool is used and for what purpose. In what makes up the first section of the book she lists 7 “Basic Techniques”, which are all demonstrated via mini projects, illustrated with numerous photos:

1. Cutting
2. Drilling
3. Filing
4. Soldering
5. Bending
6. Hammering
7. Finishing

Although some of these photos are a little dated, the projects are easy to follow and very achievable for a beginner, which keeps you motivated.  As a student it was invaluable to have these basic techniques to refer back to again and again. Once mastered, these techniques provide the cornerstones of most jewellery design regardless of the materials you are using.

2nd Part

In the next chapter, jewellery design is explained. The author firstly explains the need for design and then goes on to describe the different stages involved with taking an idea from concept to fruition.  This is excellently written and really emphasises how vital good planning is when making jewellery. A helpful section is the one covering design presentation and illustration, which you can always refer to for ideas. The painting techniques shown on pages 58 and 59 are a brilliant guide for creating simple but effective representations of metal and stones suitable to show your customers – easy to understand and not over complicated!

3rd Part

The remaining sections of the book cover what are described as  “Special Techniques” and  “Advanced Techniques”, which become more relevant as you progress and begin to specialise in one of the many different areas of jewellery making. When viewed as a whole these chapters can seem a little daunting, but you will soon start to pick out projects which can be added to your basic arsenal of techniques; for example, Making a Rub-Over Collet with a Twist Wire Decoration and Cuttlefish Casting. I found both of these techniques easy to follow and convenient since they require a limited amount of tools.

Glossary

A useful glossary of terms is included at the back of the book along with information on hallmarking, diamond weights, and costing. There is also a stone chart detailing colour, cut and hardness, plus information on different metal properties  towards the front of the book, which basically tells you all you need to know before embarking on a trip to the bullion dealers or stone merchants.

I feel the ‘Jewellery Making Manual’  offers a rigorous but accessible introduction to jewellery making. It covers a wide range of topics, but in a clear and concise way making it easy to absorb. I would recommend it to anyone contemplating jewellery either as a hobby or a career and would hope that you get as much out of it as I have.

This is a guest project designed by Linda Jones. Linda Jones specialises in wirework and has written a number of books on the subject.

“These beautiful lustre beads look gorgeous when linked into pairs, while the wire units create a pleasing overall shape.”

This beautiful necklace, bracelet and earrings set looks so glamorous and intricate, made up from individual beaded wire units that provide their unique shape. Yet this project only takes a little practise to master and you won’t need much in the way of materials, just wire and a pack of glistening oval beads! Before long, you’ll have a set to treasure.

You will need:

Beads

• Lamp beads, mixed, lustre, oval, 1mm x 9mm

Findings

• Wire, silver, round, 0.8mm x 6ft
• Caribiner,heavy, 11mm, silver
• Ring and bar, 14.5mm, silver
• Earwires, fish hook, silver

Tools

• Pliers: round-nosed, chain-nosed, flatnosed
• Wire cutters

STEP 1

There are 7 beaded units in this necklace, however, if you wish to create a longer piece, just make more! To make each unit, you will need 8 beads and 10” (25.5cms) of 0.8mm silver wire. Once you have cut a 10” (25.5cms) of wire, place your round nosed pliers at the centre of the length and bring the wire around to form a loop. Wrap one wire around the other where they cross over and straighten out the projecting wires in a ‘V’ shape.

STEP 2

Thread each projecting wire with a bead and bring the wires together, crossing them over at the centre. Straighten the wires out on either side.

STEP 3

Thread two more beads onto the projecting wires and once again, bring the wires together, crossing them over at the centre as in step. Repeat with 2 more sets of beads until you have formed a unit with 4 pairs.

STEP 4

To complete the unit, secure one wire around the other and using your round nosed pliers, create a circular link at the end of the projecting wire. Cut off any excess wire and neaten the ends. Use your flat nosed pliers to twist this link so that it sits at right angles to the beaded unit.

Attach the trigger clasp at the end. To connect the beaded units together, open the end link of one unit and attach to the wrapped the loop of another, forming a continuous beaded chain.

You have completed the project. This is the finished Crossed Wires Necklace. You can get everything you need to design it by clicking here. Have fun making your own!

You could also try…

Earrings

STEP 1: Cut 20cm of 0.8mm round silver wire and form a unit with two pairs of beads in the same way as the bracelet. Before finishing, thread one more bead onto one of the projecting wires. Take the other wire and wrap it around the perimeter of the bead, framing the oval shape.

STEP 2: Secure at the top end and if you have any leftover wire, spiral the end and flatten at the reverse of the bead. Create a spiral with the other wire projecting from the bead and flatten this against the front as added detail and decoration. Suspend from an earwire, then repeat to make a pair.

Designer Tip

Try a few practise runs with the beaded units before starting the project, until you’re comfortable with shaping the wire. And why not add a pendant to the centre of the necklace for extra impact.

To see more of Linda Jones’s work visit www.wirejewellery.co.uk . How did you find  this project? Are you going to try it? If you like it, take a look at our other jewellery making projects here!

This is a guest project designed by Tansy Wilson. Tansy is a professional jeweller and runs her business from beautiful rural Somerset. She also teaches a jewellery evening class at her local college. Tansy has a BA in 3-D Design and has been in the design industry for 20 years.

“In this design I have used Cookson’s coloured glass mix of beads in turquoise to make this fabulous statement necklace. This will be your ultimate must have piece of jewellery for the summer and can be worn with just your swimsuit or dressed up for the evening. I just love the beautiful blues of these glass beads and feel they totally sum up the colours of summer!”

You will need:

STEP 1

Cut six 20cm lengths of turquoise round leather cord. Holding just three of the lengths together, place them inside a 4mm silver end cap and using flat nose pliers, squash the end cap’s walls down tightly to secure all the ends firmly in place. Add a drop of super glue for extra security.

STEP 2

Start plaiting the three leather cords nice and evenly and when you reach 12cm in length, take another 4mm end cap and trap these ends in place, cutting away any excess cord. Again add a drop of glue for extra security. Make sure your end caps have the eye loops facing out at both ends. Repeat step 1 and 2 for the other three lengths of cord.

STEP 3

Attach one 5mm jumpring to the loop of the end cap at the top of one of the sections and close. Then add another jumpring to the loop of the end cap on the other plaited section. Before closing this jumpring, add a bolt ring clasp and then close.

STEP 4

Take 20cm of silver chain, I have used Cookson’s flat round and polished oval link (10mm.) This means I have eleven large flat round links in the length. Attach one end of the chain to the loop at the bottom of the other end cap on the plaited cords by using a 5mm jumpring. Finally attach the other end of the chain to the other section with another 5mm jumpring so you now have a completed necklace shape.

STEP 5

You now need to attach the glass beads to the chain and to do that you need to make headpins. The size of the holes in your beads, determines the thickness of wire used to make your head pins. These beads have quite large holes so I have used 0.8mm round Sterling silver wire. Hold a length of the sterling silver wire vertical under a steady flame from a gas torch so that just the tip of the wire is being heated. As it glows to cherry red it will suddenly melt onto itself creating a small ball of molten silver. As soon as this happens remove from the heat, cut to approx. 8cm and leave to cool.

STEP 6

Repeat step 5 until you have made enough head pins to match the number of beads you are using. You may need to polish the end of your head pins to remove any fire-stain or discolouration. Place a headpin through a glass bead and make an eye loop as close to the top of the bead as possible. Spiral the remaining length of wire round the eye loop at the top of the bead to secure the loop and make a decorative feature.

STEP 7

Repeat step 6 making a spiralled eye loop at the top of all your beads except for one smaller bead. This smaller bead will attach to your central feature bead. To do this you need to make an eye pin. Make an eye loop at the very end of 6cm of 0.8mm wire. Thread the smaller bead onto this length and then make another spiral eye loop at the top of this bead. Link this small bead onto your feature bead by the bottom eye loop and close.

STEP 8

Attach your two feature beads onto the very central flat round link of your chain by using a 5mm jumpring.

STEP 9

Move on to the next flat round link and add another 5mm jumpring linking this to the spiralled eye loop at the top of another glass bead. Repeat this process until all the glass beads are secured to the round links. Finally taking the small silver stamped flower shapes, add these to the polished oval links in between all the glass beads by also linking them to the chain using 5mm jumprings.

STEP 10

You have completed the project. This is the finished Beautiful Blues necklace. You can get everything you need to design it by clicking here. Have fun making your own!You could also try…

Bracelet

When you buy a mix of beads and have chosen ones for the necklace you may have several left over. These can be used to make a matching bracelet. Plait another three lengths of leather cord together adding end caps at either end. A good size guide for a wrist length is between 7” and 8”. Then make more head pins as in step 5. Thread a head pin through a glass bead and onto one of the leather cords then spiral the wire round on itself, securing the bead into place. Continue adding beads and if you have any flower shapes left over add these as well using 5mm jumprings.

Designer Tip

Glass beads can be heavy when a lot are being used in one design. Sort out your beads so you can match similar sized ones to each other. Then when you are adding them to your chain they will balance evenly when being worn.

This project has also been featured in Making Jewellery Magazine.

You can see Tansy’s other project – Monochrome Magic - here. Have you tried it? What projects have you been doing lately to inspire others?

This is a guest project designed by Jane Kharade. Jane designs beautifully coloured pieces with the aid of clay, crystals and silver.

“Create unique accessories for your own wedding or a friend’s special occasion, with easy to use rubber moulds and precious metal clay.”

Mould pretty charms from silver clay to form Jane Kharade’s wedding gift jewellery.

Use a flexible rubber mould and precious metal clay to create these stunning keepsake gifts for a wedding, all of which can be worn after the special day has long gone. The mould features a selection of pretty elements, that can be used to create charms suitable for a number of occasions. Find out how to design a pretty pendant and stunning charm bracelet for the bridesmaids, embellished with glittering Swarovski crystals, plus striking cuff links for the best man.

You will need:

• Bicones, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, 6mm, light peach x 11
• Crystals, round, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, 6mm, Indian pink crystals x 11
• Chain: snake, sterling silver; plain curb, loose, silver
• Jump rings, silver: 5mm, light ; 7mm, heavy
• Head pins, 3 bead end, silver, 50mm
• Clasp, lobster clasp, 13mm
• Clay, precious metal, PMC 3 x 25g
• Cuff links, silver
• Mould, flexible rubber, Occasions
• Badger Balm
• Needle
• Pliers: round-nosed; flat-nosed
• Cutters, wire
• Mat, Teflon
• Blow torch, hand-held
• Soldering block
• Brush, wire
• Files, needle
• Burnisher, metal

STEP 1

Lightly coat a teacup, teapot, flower, shoe, bonnet, and dress moulds with a thin layer of Badger Balm, using your finger. This will stop the clay from sticking to the mould and damaging the pattern of the charm as it is being removed. You will need to make up six flowers and one shoe, dress, bonnet, teacup and teapot charm for this project. Form each one individually by pinching a piece of precious metal clay from the block, then wrapping the rest back up to stop it from drying out.

STEP 2

Roll the clay into a ball and press it into your chosen mould, then push a needle into the charm to create a large hole for attaching a jump ring. Bend the mould slightly and carefully release the charm out; if the clay doesn’t have a good impression, simply ball it up and re-mould. Lay the charms on a Teflon mat to dry out overnight; once they feel like plaster, use needle files to remove any rough edges and create a smooth finish.

STEP 3

Fire the charms on a soldering block with a blow torch until they glow orange, then maintain this glow for a minimum of two minutes. Alternatively, fire in a PMC kiln on the PMC3 fast programme or 700°C for 10 minutes. Quench in cold water, then brush the charms with a wire brush, front and back, and use a metal burnisher to polish the high points. Thread each charm onto a 5mm jump ring. Hang them from a 18cm curb chain at regular intervals so that the charms are balanced throughout the bracelet.

STEP 4

Thread 10 pink crystals and 10 peach crystals onto head pins. Use round-nosed pliers to form a neat loop. Wrap the end of the head pin around itself three times and trim the excess. Thread one pink and one peach crystal onto 5mm jump rings then hang them between each charm. Attach a lobster clasp to the bracelet with a 5mm jump ring to one end, and a 7mm jump ring to the other.

STEP 5

You have completed the project. This is the finished Special Occasion bracelet. You can get everything you need to design it by clicking here. Have fun making your own!

You could also try…

Pendant

Step 1: Lightly coat a teacup and a flower mould with a thin layer of Badger Balm. Pinch a piece of precious metal clay from the block, divide it in two and push each piece into the teacup and flower moulds. Make holes in the charms with a needle for the jump rings, then carefully ease them out of the mould.Leave the charms to dry out overnight, then remove any rough edges with needle files. Fire the charms with a hand-held blow torch, quench and brush with a wire brush, then use a metal burnisher to create a mirror finish on the high points.

Step 2: Add a 5mm jump ring to each of the charms. Thread one pink and one peach crystal onto individual head pins. Using round-nosed pliers, form a neat loop and wrap the end of each head pin around itself three times with the aid of flat-nosed pliers, then trim off the excess. Open up a 7mm jump ring with pliers and thread the two crystals onto the jump ring, add the teacup charm and close tightly, then slip it onto a snake chain. Add the flower next to this.

Cufflinks

Step 1: Coat the top hat mould with a light film of Badger Balm. Pinch a piece of precious metal clay from the block, roll into a ball and push it into the top hat mould. Carefully ease the charm out, lay on a Teflon mat and repeat to make a second charm. Once they have dried out overnight, remove any rough edges with needle files.

Step 2: Fire the charms on a soldering block, quench and brush with a wire brush, then use a metal burnisher to polish to a mirror shine. Mix up epoxy resin according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stick the top hats to cuff link findings and leave the resin to cure overnight.

Designer Tip

Take care when filing the charms after they have dried, as they can be fragile in this pre-fired state.

This is a guest design by Tansy Wilson. Tansy is a professional jeweller and runs her business from beautiful rural Somerset. She also teaches a jewellery evening class at her local college. Tansy has a BA in 3-D Design and has been in the design industry for 20 years.

“In this design I have used some Swarovski crystals to make these fabulous beaded balls in different sizes, they have then been threaded onto lengths of illusion wire to create this magical floating crystal ball necklet.”

What you need:

• 1 x roll of nylon coated wire medium 0.46mm
• 2 x silver end caps for cable wire 1.00mm
• 1 x 3mm heavy weight jumpring
• 5 x 5mm heavy weight jumprings
• 2 x silver hook wires with bead and loop
• 1 x 6mm silver bolt ring
• 1 x roll of nylon monofilament 0.3mm
• 1x packet of 6mm Jet Swarovski xilion beads
• 2 x packets of 6mm Crystal AB Swarovski xilion beads
• 2 x packets of 6mm Black Diamond Swarovski xilion beads
• 5 x packets of 4mm Jet Swarovski xilion beads
• 4 x packets of 4mm Crystal AB Swarovski xilion beads
• 2 x packets of 4mm Black Diamond Swarovski xilion beads

STEP 1

Thread 4 x 6mm Swarovski bicone crystals onto a 25cm length of 0.3mm nylon filament, centering them all in the middle of the length of nylon. Taking the right hand end of the nylon, thread it back through the hole of the far left crystal.

STEP 2

Thread 2 x 6mm crystal on the left hand length of nylon and 1 x 6mm crystal on the right hand length of nylon.

STEP 3

Take the right hand length of nylon and thread that back through the hole of the last crystal bead threaded on the left hand side.

STEP 4

Take the right hand length of nylon and thread that back through the hole of the last crystal bead threaded on the left hand side.

STEP 5

Again pull both ends of the nylon so that the crystals pull together to form two small circles at the centre of the length.

STEP 6

Add two more beads on the left and one on the right, so now when you pull the two nylon ends you will have three small circles of crystal beads in the centre of the length. Now add one more bead on each side.

STEP 7

You now need to thread the left hand end of nylon through the top bead of the first circle that you created. Also thread the right hand end of nylon through this same bead but going in the opposite direction.

STEP 8

When you pull these two nylon ends together the crystals will curl up into a perfect small geometric beaded ball.

STEP 9

Now you have your beaded ball but the ends of nylon are coming out of the same bead in different directions. So take one end of nylon (it doesn’t matter which) and pass it through all the beads in that circle until it comes round to meet the other end. Tie the two ends in a double knot and add a small drop of glue for extra security. Then pass the ends through any bead next to the know and cut off excess nylon as close to that bead as possible, this means you are not cutting the nylon close to the knot where it could eventually come undone. Repeat steps to create 11 x 4mm and 5 x 6mm balls.

STEP 10

Cut three lengths of nylon coated wire, 1 x 15.5″, 1 x 16″ and 1 x 16.6″. Arrange your different sized beaded balls in 3 rows so they nicely mix together in varying colours and size. Aim to have 4 or 5 beaded balls on each row. When happy with the layout, take the shortest length of wire and thread your beaded ball on so that the wire passes through the very centre of the bead, add a dab of glue to keep them in place. Continue to thread the other balls onto the remaining wires.

STEP 11

Place the three wires together and roughen the very tips either end with a piece of emery paper. This just textures the nylon coating of the wire to give good adhesion for the glue.

STEP 12

Using a drop of glue, place the three ends of wire into a cable wire silver end cap. You may need to add a few more drops of glue to secure further. Leave to dry fully, as advised on the glue packaging. Finally add a 3mm jumpring and blot ring to one end and a 5mm jumpring to the other end to finish the necklet.

STEP 13

You have completed the project. This is the finished Monochrome Magic necklet. You can get everything you need to design it by clicking here! Have fun making your own!

Designer Tip

If you want to make a really big statement why not make crystal balls using larger beads? This would look amazing! For larger crystal ball beads use memory wire to thread the balls onto instead of the nylon coated wire as it is stronger or check out the thicker size of nylon coated wire as it can take quite a heavy weight too.

This project has also been featured in Making Jewellery Magazine, a GMC publication where Tansy frequently contributes with projects .

This is a guest project designed by Carol Merkl. Carol runs the Coventry PMC Studio Accredited Training Centre where she offers a wide range of courses including PMC Certification. The article is part of our jewellery making projects collection and it is a step-by-step guide on how to make floral earrings using silver clay.

What you need:

• PMC3 6.3g silver
• Rose and calyx cutter
• Teflon or work mat
• Spacer and roller set
• Badger balm
• Rubber texture mat
• Plastic measuring spoon
• Paintbrush and cup of water
• Sandpaper
• Hand drill
• Earring wires
• Rubber block
• Stainless steel brush
• Burnisher or tumbler polisher
• Torch and block to fire or Kiln

Step 1 – Texture

Rub some badger balm on your hands, roller and on the rubber texture mat. Remove the clay from the pack and place on a piece of Teflon or work mat. Place a spacer either side of the clay and use the roller to roll the clay. Press the rubber texture mat into the clay.

Step 2 – Shape

Use the calyx cutter to cut a flower shape. (Put any left-over clay back into the pack to keep it fresh.) Smooth the edges using a damp paintbrush. Rub some badger balm on the inside of a plastic measuring spoon and use a damp paintbrush to position the flower in the centre of the measuring spoon. Leave to dry. Repeat step 2 to make the second flower.

Step 3 – Hole

Gently sand the edges of the flower using the sandpaper. Place the flowers on the rubber block and use a hand drill to drill a hole in the centre. Make the hole about 10 per cent larger to allow for the shrinkage of the clay during firing.

Fire the earrings using a butane gas torch (they should glow a pale, orange colour for at least 2 minutes) or fire in a kiln at 600C for 10 minutes.

Tip: you may wish to use some kiln pillow to support the flowers during firing. Once fired, quench in a cup of water and dry.

Step 4 – Polish and finish

Place on a rubber block and polish using a stainless steel brush. Continue using a burnisher or place in a tumbler to achieve a high shine finish. To complete your earrings use a pair of pliers to attach the earring wires.

For details about Carol Merkl please visit www.1offstudio.com.

Did you like this article? Find it useful? If you want  to see any particular projects featured please leave a comment below.

The festive season is almost upon us and with less than a month to Christmas Cooksongold is running a FIVE DAY FESTIVE FREEPOST* event.  Freepost starts today and ends on Tuesday 30th
at midnight!  Simply spend £50* or more and select ‘freepost’ in the delivery options menu.

Why not stock up now for the busy Christmas Season, grab that unusual present or even treat yourself ! Cooksongolds got the very best gift ideas, stocking fillers, and kits to make any jewellery makers heart beat that bit faster !

Why not take full advantage of the freepost and double-up on the savings with 10% OFF our ever-popular Soldering Kit, 10% off all Durston Rolling Mills, 10% off our Art Clay Starter Kit and�
15% off creative FIMO kits !

Don’t forget freepost is MULTI-USE, so go ahead and claim freepost as many times as you’d like!

It's freepost this weekend at Cooksongold.com

Get it while stock lasts!! When you spend £50 or more online at Cooksongold you get our Bear at the Bench for FREE! When you place your order, just enter “FREEBEAR” into the e-voucher code field to claim yours!! The 10″ cute bear loves soldering, hammering, polishing, can give good hugs and relax with you during weekends!! He is ideal as a Christmas present for your friends, family or even as a Christmas gift for your customers. He can also stay and help out in your own workshop! To learn more about taking him home for FREE click here!  Alternatively, you can also purchase our Bear at the Bench for ONLY £4.99 (Was £9.99) by clicking here!

Did you know that our little companion now also has a Facebook page? People are following him in his adventures and having fun with his give-aways! Last time he was playing “hide and seek” on the Cooksongold website. Find out what he will do next: Become a fan to be one of the jewellers to enjoy his experiences!

P.S. We also have a Facebook page: like Cooksongold for even more fun and competitions, hints and tips on jewellery tools, jewellery making techniques, share your artwork and see others jewellers’ designs and so many more!!