Jewellery Making Supplies Blog

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UPDATE: Starting the 15th of March until the 31st of March 2011 you can try Reflections Silver Wire and Sheet for the same price as Standard Silver*. Click here to learn more about this promotion and start browsing through our fabulous range of  fire scale, tarnish- resistant silver.  Still looking for reasons? Keep reading and find out why we’re all so enthusiastic about Reflections Silver.

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Today we have launched the NEW REFLECTIONS SILVER COLLECTION!! You might have seen it on our website, but I wanted to give you some more information on this great new alloy!

We have over 100 (117 to be more precise) products including: Reflections Sheet, Reflections Wire, Reflections Finished and Loose Chain.

Here are a few reasons why I think you should try Reflections:

• It has enhanced tarnish (the discolouration of metallic surfaces)  and fire-scale (dark coloured copper oxide – forms when sterling silver is heated in the air) resistance when compared to standard silver
• It is age harden-able up to 90-110 Hv
• It can be easily processed using standard existing jewellery manufacturing processes
• It has 925 purity
• It is excellent for stamping, drawing, spinning and rolling.

However, there are several processes that you should pay attention to when working with Reflections alloy: soldering should be done in a darkened area, test first when hot enamelling and do not use for fusing (although it is possible to produce a weak fuse joint). When remelting use at least 50% fresh 50% scrap mix.

If the new collection caught your eye,you can click here to download a PDF copy of the Reflections mini catalogue or altenatively go here and order a FREE brochure! It is all free, you might as well have a look! We have also added a Reflections Technical Centre to our Knowledge Base and we hope this will answer some of your questions regarding the new collection.

Are you already thinking of your first art piece you could design with reflections? Do you need more details to convince yourself? – if so, do not hesitate to call or email us:

Telephone : 0845 100 1122 or email Birmingham.sales@cooksongold.com

Enjoy our weekend promotion: 5% OFF all our PMC PRODUCTS and 10% off our fantastic ART CLAY range!!

For as little as £7.13 for PMC or £7.07 for Art Clay you can start modelling your great piece of art today!!  There are 30 products to choose from! Our range includes: Art Clay 650 Slow Dry for a more elastic feel, Art Clay Cooper, Precious Metal Clay + and Precious Metal Clay 3.

Free your imagination this weekend! This offer is only valid until Monday, the 13th of September 2010 at midnight so hurry up!! And if you stopped here, we would love to know what you thought of our products!

This Bank Holiday weekend we’re running a fantastic 5 DAY FREEPOST event at Cooksongold. All UK orders over £50* will be sent FREEPOST – helping you save £££’s! Freepost starts NOW and ends Midnight on Tuesday 31st August – so what are you waiting for? Place your order online NOW!

Don’t forget freepost is now even easier, simply spend £50 or more and select ‘freepost’ in the delivery options menu – it’s as easy as that!

Why not take full advantage of this Bank Holiday weekends freepost and double-up the savings with 10% OFF our ever-popular texturing hammers and our essential adjustable saw frame and blade set FROM ONLY £7.43! If that wasn’t enough we’ve also SLASHED £50 OFF the price of our bestselling Rc308 Pendant Drill, NOW priced at JUST £175!.

If your order doesn’t quite reach £50, click here for a few more suggestions which might just tempt you!

Freepost Bank Holiday weekend at Cooksongold.com

We’re ending July with a fantastic THREE DAY FREEPOST event at Cooksongold. All UK orders over £50* will be sent FREEPOST – helping you save you £££’s! Freepost starts NOW and ends Midnight on Sunday 1st August – so what are you waiting for? Pace your order online NOW!

Don’t forget freepost is now even easier, simply spend £50 or more and select ‘freepost’ in the delivery options menu – it’s as easy as that!

It's FREEPOST this weekend

Why not take full advantage of this weekends freepost and drop into our Hand Torch SALE with 10% OFF our 6 bestselling torches with prices starting at JUST £18. Click here  to enter the SALE NOW! 

10% OFF Hand Torches - ENDS Tuesday 3rd August

If your order doesn’t quite reach £50, click here for a few more suggestions which might just tempt you.

Save up to 18% OFF ALL sterling silver sheet this week ONLY at Cooksongold. This fantastic offer includes our full range of sterling silver sheet including bestsellers like our 0.8mm, 0.5mm and even our 1mm sheet. Click here to enter the Cooksongold silver sheet sale NOW!!!

Alternatively, click here to learn more about this incredible offer. Plus, don’t forget this offer cannot last and will expire on Tuesday 15th June, Midnight!

Save up to 18% OFF Sterling Silver Sheet

Feeling lucky this weekend?

If so, why not place an order online at Cooksongold and be in with a chance to WIN your order! To be entered, simply place your online order of any value anytime before Midnight Monday 7th June and you will be automatically entered to WIN your order. There will be 5 lucky winners chosen at random, so what are you waiting for? Click here to start shopping now.  Alternatively, click here to learn more about this fantastic competition.

WIN your order this weekend at Cooksongold

For PMC beginners the most confusing thing is, “What tools do I need?”, so here are a few suggestions to help you along the way:

PMC Suggested TOOLS:

A roller – used for rolling out the clay

A rolling surface – Non-stick as possible e.g. a glass board or polished tile

Spacers or playing cards – for getting the depth of the clay even

Cutting blade, scalpel – For getting straight edges and making your shapes.

A small lidded pot – to put filings & tiny offcuts into so you can save them for making silver clay paste or slip

Various grades of sanding pads - or get a 4 way nail filing block and strip the sides off.

Badger Balm or Olive Oil for stopping the clay sticking to your hands and tools.

Tools for Precious Metal Clay

FIRING METHODS:

For Hob firing, stainless steel mesh with protection net.

Torch firing – Handheld torch and a firing brick (asbestos substitute not a household brick )

Kiln – If you can get access to a kiln then use it, the metal is normally denser and the results more consistant.

Stainless steel or brass brush – for brushing off the white post firing and leaving you lovely silver.

Silver polish & Cloth – for getting the final buffed up shine.

Some Optional Extras:

For ring making – A sliding ring guage, A wooden ring mandrel, and ring papers (to stop clay sticking to the mandrel).

For Better finishes – A small set of metal files for neatening edges quicker than sanding them down.

Long Tweezers – For holding / moving the pieces when firing

Liver of Sulpher – For antiquing or bringing out fine detail

Burnishers & ultra fine sanding pads – Post firing for a REAL shine!

Cutters & Shapers – Using pre-shaped cutters e.g. hearts will same time and give you more consistant shapes

Tiny drill bits – you can twist them in your fingers to drill through the unfired clay & make jump ring holes & hanging points.

Texture Mats/plates – Roll the clay out on these and you’ll have fabulous patterns straight away!

Letter Stamp Set – For stamping words into unfired (rubber stamps) or fired clay (metal stamps).

Why not check out our ready-assembled Starter Precious Metal Clay kit packed with everything you could possibley need to get started with PMC. Alternatively, if your not a PMC novice click here to view our full range of silver clay kits including our Art Clay kit and complete silver clay accessories kit, tumbler kit and tool kit.

Starter Kit for Precious Metal Clay

Thanks to everyone who visited our stand at the recent NEC Spring Fair, and helped us celebrate the launch of the UK’s largest jewellery making catalogue – The Cook Book 2010

Richard Hill Stand manager said -

“It was great to see so many people, and we were pleased to  hand out a whopping 2,000 copies of the NEW Cook Book Catalogue, plus nearly 1,000 scrap pots ! So a BIG thanks to everyone who popped along”.

If you missed out, and still want a catalogue  they are free with orders over £75, or can be purchased for just £10.   Click here more information

Richard Hill at the Cook Book Jewellery Catalogue Launch at Spring Fair

Cooksongold’s BIGGEST EVER January SALE is now live online at Cooksongold.com with OVER 500 products available and savings of up to 75% OFF! Make sure you don’t miss out on these fantastic offers including up to 75% OFF jewellery books, 50% OFF selected jewellery tools, gems and jewellery and 40% OFF Cookson bestsellers featuring tools and kits as well as great savings available on silver and 9ct chain.

Make sure you don’t miss out on these fantastic savings at Cooksongold. Click here to enter the Cooksongold SALE NOW! Click here now to receive further updates and information direct to your inbox including our latest freepost offers, new mini catalogue release as well as new product launches.   

Welcome to the Cooksongold January Sale

Click here if you have a question for the Cooksongold team, alternatively post your comments here

This December has seen the launch of the Cooksongold  Deal of the Day event! Each day throughout the month during the build-up to Christmas Day Cooksongold will bring you a NEW fantastic daily offer. These offers will not only feature great savings on individually selected best selling products of up to 35%, but will also feature great savings on entire selected product categories up to 25% OFF, so make sure you stay in the know and visit www.cooksongold.com to be sure you don’t miss out! 

Cooksongold's Deal of the Day

If you missed Monday’s official Deal of the Day launch e-mail then click here to find out what fantastic offers we have in stall for you over these first 5 days. If you don’t already receive our weekly e-mails detailing all our daily offers, then click here to sign-up right away! Also, why not claim your FREE Christmas is Here mini catalogue packed with new products, perfect presents and stocking fillers!

FREE Mini Catalogue

Make sure you stay especially vigilant at the weekends as we will be hosting some suprise offers to make your Christmas online shopping that bit easier! Why not check out our first 5 days worth of daily deals below, but remember you’ll need to keep checking back to find out whats coming up for the remaining days before Christmas.

Fantastic Daily Offers

Monday 30th November  – 10-15% OFF Hobby Drill Kits
Tuesday 1st December – 15% OFF Starter Tool Kit
Wednesday 2nd December – 10% OFF ALL Gems
Thursday 3rd December – 10% OFF Art Clay & 5% OFF PMC
Friday 4th December – 35% OFF Starter Bench Pack
Saturday 5th – Christmas day – Remember, the offers just keep getting better in the build-up to the Big Day!
(Please notes these displayed offers will expire 04/12/2009)

In the meantime, why not check out our fantastic festive themed web pages full of incredible gift ideas including jewellery, kits, tools, clay, packaging and more…

Workshop Treats
Christmas Kits
Stocking Fillers Under a Tenner
Gifts Under £20
Top 10 Presents
Say it with Silver
Midas Touch
Finished Jewellery
Perfect Packaging
Creative Christmas
Christmas Reads
Tis the Season to be Red
They’ll be Green with Envy