You will need:

• Badger Balm
• Spacer Roller Set
• Texture mat
• Circle cutters
• Oval cutters
• PMC3 Clay
• Work mat
• Teflon sheet
• Sandpaper
• Butane Torch
• Stainless Steel Brush
•  Burnisher
• Antiquing solution (optional)
• Stringing material – Cord or Leather thong

STEP 1

Roll out some Precious Metal Clay on a piece of Teflon sheet using a Spacer Roller set. Remember to lightly apply Badger Balm to your tools to prevent your clay sticking.

STEP 2

Use a texture mat to add texture to both sides of your Clay.

STEP 3

Cut out 2 circles that are the same size. Cut a large oval in the centre of 1 circle. Cut a small circle near the top of the second circle.

STEP 4

Leave the pieces to dry thoroughly and then use sandpaper to refine the edges.

STEP 5

Torch fire each piece. Torch fire for a minimum of 2 minutes, time this from after the binder has burnt off and the piece starts to glow orange.

STEP 6

Polish using a Stainless steel brush and Burnisher.

STEP 7

To bring out the depth in the piece use an antiquing solution such as Liver of Sulphur or Platinol. Use the agate burnisher when the solution is dry to bring up the highlights on the piece. Loop a piece of cord around the top of both circles and your pendant is ready to wear.

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.

To have a good start of the year we have organised our usual fantastic January Sale throughout the whole first month of 2011! Here’s what it’s all about: we are offering up to 60% OFF  for over 500 products!! Get an even better price than before with:

• up to 50% OFF Charm Beads
• up to 25% discounts on Tools and our fabulous range of Clay
• up to 35% discounts on Boxes and Packaging
• New Low Prices on Loose and Finished Chain

…and so many more!! Enter the sale NOW by clicking here! And remember to get a really great deal by visiting the HUGE DISCOUNTS category, which also contains products due to be discontinued – don’t miss the opportunity to grab a bargain before stocks run out!

Lastly, hurry up – this ENDS on the 31st of January! Enjoy this year with Cooksongold and we hope to hear from you soon!

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!!

Don’t forget FREEPOST is now even easier, simply spend £50 or more and select ‘freepost’ in the delivery options menu, and the P&P cost will be eliminated as you hit checkout.

If your order doesn’t reach £50 yet, find some of our scarily good suggestions here! We are offering 5% OFF Selected PMC& Art Clay, and tool prices that won’t scare your budget: Bench Peg& Anvil Was £9.95 NOW ONLY £8.96, our Workbench Hammer and Block Set Was £76, NOW ONLY £60.80, or our ever best selling Hand Torch for ONLY £17!

PS. We might have vampires and haunted houses but don’t be afraid to check out cooksongold.com: our cute Bear At The Bench is there too! You can check out his fun-filled adventure updates and competitions here!

If you never want to miss out on Freepost updates or our other competitions and offers, click here and you will receive alerts directly to your inbox!

So what did you think: Do you have any ideas on how we could improve our Freepost offer? We’d love to hear from you even if you just want to tell us how you’ll be spending this Halloween!

If we haven’t convinced you yet, check out the details about this offer here!  And the best part is yet to come: the offer ends on Monday, the 1st of November 2010 at midnight!!  For the rest of this month you don’t have to worry about finding a deal on sterling silver sheet, it’s right here for you!

In case this is not reason enough to order, we hope to entice you with some of our great offers:

• Gemstone Extravaganza: 10% off selected stones. We have over 400 gems in a beautiful multitude of sizes and shapes – you’re sure to get your eyes on something!
• 25% OFF Top 20 Essentials: some of you are going back to school and some of you will only look to renew your tools, kits & accessories collection, in any case the bigger this is, the better! We have great prices on our Hand Torch, the Student Starter Kit, Starter Soldering Unit and Solder Block, PMC, Silver Chains and more!
• Our NEW Reflections Collection:  our great NEW Silver alloy, which we think it might even inspire you for your new piece! In case you need help with it, our team is there to guide you so just try something new!
• Moreover, there are new products in our Art Clay and Creative Metals at Cooksongold and always a great variety of over 11,000 jewellery making products. Just one stop and your jewellery will get the best treatment!! You’ll get fabulous prices and FREE POST!! Free Post ends on the 3rd of October at midnight, but don’t forget you can claim it more than once: make the most of it!! Click here to check out some of the products we thought you’ like!

We’d love to hear what you thought or what you bought so don’t forget to leave a comment!

Gemstones are fun for both beginners and more experienced jewellers!  However, if this is your first encounter with gems here are a few facts and tips you might find useful before you start.

• When just starting to work with stones, it is recommended to use large stones (cabochons) since it will be easier to make settings for them.
• Beginners find it easier and more fun to work with the following stones:

1. Amber – is a low-priced stone that is known for its fragility. It can be cut or carved with steel blades or abrasives but you might find it difficult to drill into. In this case, practice on larger chunks before you go on to your design.  When you are satisfy with your design put it in hot water to remove the glue from the amber but beware that excessive heat causes amber to crack. Did you know amber has been around from Palaeolithic times (9500BC) and it is also used in perfumes?
2. Amethyst – can be found in various shades of purple. Did you know this stone was included in the most valuable stones up until the 18th century (along with rubies, sapphires or emerald)?  Nowadays it is one of the most easily obtained stones, making it widely popular with jewellery makers and lovers. This stone increases its price with the intensity of its colour (some of the deep amethysts can sometimes appear almost black) and it also fades when exposed to heat.
3. Garnet – include multiple shades of red but it can be also found in variations such as green or yellow brown. The rarest variety is the Blue Garnet found in the 90s in Madagascar. It is slightly more expensive than the other gems but also slightly more resistant.
4. Opal - is visually a very attractive stone but it contains an increased amount of water therefore it is easy to chip or scratch. Fire opal is the only variety that can be faceted since most of them are very transparent.
5. Quartz – is an extremely economical stone in terms of pricing. The most popular categories of Quartz are Citrine and Smoky Quartz. These stones are easily cracked and, similar to amber, they will change colour or fade when exposed to increased amounts of heat or sunlight.

We have them all at Cooksongold in great variety … and many more too! So hurry up and grab this great deal before it ends on Tuesday, the 28th of September at Midnight!!

And since you dropped by why not subscribe to our blog? Just hit the subscribe button at the bottom of this page and you’ll never miss another great deal again!! We will also make sure to offer you some great hints and tips and keep you up-to-date with the latest news!

We’ve just launched the 32-page Jewellery Guide for those of you who are going back to work, starting work or just looking for new pieces to buy for your workshop!!  It contains the essential products to every jewellery maker’s workshop: machinery, clay, starter kits, books, chains and bullion are amongst the many products you will find in this useful catalogue.  Our Top 20 Essentials at discounted prices -UP TO 25% OFF – will most likely catch your eye too! It’s sure you’ll find something you love or need for you next piece!!

and the best part…COOKSON TECHNICAL INFORMATION BOOKLET

What makes this guide even better is the booklet inside, which you can download here or order for FREE here (where you get the whole mini catalogue for a change). The booklet includes useful data sheets and answers frequently asked question on various techniques like soldering and polishing. It provides you with the best hints &tips you’ll want to know before starting to make an art piece.

We’ve been in the jewellery industry for quite a while and now you can benefit from Cooksongold’s resourcefulness even further by login onto http://www.cooksongold.com/technical/. Here you’ll find the jargon used in the trade explained, even more data sheets and instant conversion calculations. Our knowledge base is easily accessible: you can search specific words and you  can almost instantly view “Hot topics”, “Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions” or “Latest articles” .

If you have a question that hasn’t been answered already (or to which you simply cannot find the answer) you can always opt for “ask a question” and you’ll quickly receive a personal response!

So what do you think of it? Have you used it already? If so, is there anything else you would’ve wanted to see in it?