Having been surrounded by jewellery making for most of her life, jeweller Katherine favours traditional techniques and materials when creating her handmade jewellery pieces, and takes lots of inspiration from the countryside around her home in the South of England. Read the following interview to discover more about her background and her jewellery designs. Let us know a bit … [Read more...]
How To Cut A Hole In Sheet Metal
Piercing, cutting and drilling sheet metal is an integral part of metalsmithing. It may seem daunting at first – something as simple as learning how to cut a hole in sheet metal can seem like a tall order. But, once you get to know the tools (whatever your budget!) and how to use them, you can start creating holes in sheet metal quickly and accurately. In this guide, we’ll … [Read more...]
What Are Classic Parallel Action Pliers?
Classic parallel pliers are an essential bench item, and are often part of even the most basic tool kit for jewellers. Quite different in appearance from other pliers, parallel action pliers hold their position thanks to a compound box joint system, which means they provide an extremely strong grip and won’t spring back once pressure is released. Classic Parallel Action … [Read more...]
How To Make Hoop Earrings
Making hoop earrings is a great way to expand your jewellery making repertoire, even if you’re just starting out in the jewellery making industry and looking to broaden your designs. Not only can you experiment with different colours, but customised shapes can also make your hoop earrings stand out from the crowd. Find out how to make hoop earrings in four easy steps. We’ll … [Read more...]
How To Make Drop Earrings
If you’re starting out in the jewellery making industry, or you’re looking for something new and a little different to try your hand at, why not practice making drop earrings? Not only are they beautifully simple to create, but drop earrings are a great way to showcase your favourite beads of all shapes and colourways. We’ve come up with a step-by-step guide for those of you … [Read more...]
Professional Tools Focus: Tronex
Tronex Technology Inc. was founded in 1982 in Napa, California and has since gone on to become a world leader in the design and manufacture of precision hand cutting tools and pliers. Located near to Silicon Valley, Tronex initially started out supplying precision tools to the electronics industry. Over time their customer base has grown, and they now supply a variety of … [Read more...]
Designer of the Month: Isla Wishart
Ethical and eco-friendly materials are a big part of the jewellery pieces made by Isla Wishart, who creates a range of designs inspired by current trends as well as one off commissions. Read on to learn more about her design style, as well as her tips for those new to jewellery making based on what she has learnt from her time in the industry. Let us know a bit about … [Read more...]
How To Use A Bead Crimping Tool
Learning how to use a crimping tool for jewellery making is one of the basic skills you’ll need to perfect as you work with beads in your career. If you’re new to beading and want some step-by-step guidance, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s your complete guide on what crimp beads are and how to use jewellery crimping tools to finish your beaded pieces to a high … [Read more...]
Review: ImpressArt Bracelet Bending Pliers
By Lorraine Sanderson, Burning Gecko Advertised as a bracelet bending tool, these little pliers are so much more! I used the ImpressArt Bracelet Bending Pliers (product code 999 I123) as designed, to bend a sterling silver bracelet bar and they produce an extremely smooth and gentle bend, resulting in a cuff that fits an average size wrist. The handles of the pliers … [Read more...]
Brand New Professional Tools at Cooksongold
By Jo Varney Here at Cooksongold we are constantly updating and improving our range, to bring you the best and most innovative products available on the market today. Our selection of products changes continually, with new items popping up all the time so it can be difficult to keep up sometimes – so to save you some time here’s a round up of some of the newest additions to … [Read more...]