At Cooksongold, we can understand that new jewellery makers may get very confused when visiting our website! From our endless range of jewellery tools, to bullion, chain and more, how do you know where to begin? We know that starting your jewellery making journey can be overwhelming which is why, as a part of our […]
The exact origins of Celtic design are somewhat impossible to determine, and are subject to wide and varied speculation. There are, however, certain facts that can be used to contextualise the characteristics and give them some bearing on what we understand to be ‘Celtic’ in style today. The History of Celtic Jewellery Design It is […]
Gold and jewellery making played an important part in Egyptian culture, with the Egyptian era essentially dominated by gold. The enduring image of the Tutankhamun’s Death mask quantifies that superbly (shown here). The impact of such a bold use of metal makes the mask memorable, and solidifies the wide association with gold and metals, which […]
By Joanna Varney Photographing jewellery is notoriously difficult and in the past I have resorted to paying a professional to get some decent shots of my work. So when I was asked to review ‘Photograph your Own Art and Craft’ I was quite excited at the prospect of gleaning as many tips as possible for […]
First and foremost, this is a book about cold fixing techniques or ‘cold connections’. Its focus is on what can be achieved without the use of heat and is therefore instantly suitable for beginners and hobbyists. Written in a ‘classroom style’ format, the text is concise but comprehensive and includes some valuable tips which are […]
This book has been reviewed by Joanna Varney. She holds a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing and is part of the Cooksongold team. (This book is available as either a student or professional edition. This review is based on the student edition.) Described as a ‘handbook’ this text is an excellent workshop companion to […]
This book has been reviewed by Joanna Varney. She holds a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing and is part of the Cooksongold team. My initial thoughts when first opening this book were: 1. It’s based on the American market 2. It is focusing on Bead Jewellery rather than Fine Jewellery […]
I have always been creative and interested in art and crafts. As a young child I could often be found hunched over a project invariably involving enormous amounts of glitter,beads and glue. After enjoying art and design so much at school; I then studied textiles and photography at college. This allowed me to start exploring […]