The Art and Craft of Making Jewelry

Joanna Gollberg

Lark Jewelry

Did you ever get the feeling that there was something pulling at you?
Many years ago when visiting a small gallery in LA, I experienced this visceral feeling. The exciting handcrafted jewelry displayed in the cases held me spell bound. I had made up my mind. Inasmuch as I was now a retired educator, I was ready to learned new skills. Taking workshops and college courses in the art and craft of making jewelry led me down a new path of self discovery. The flow and eventual control of the solder was mesmerizing. Sawing and texturing the various nonferrous metals presented many challenges. Designs were conceived and often reworked.

Joanna Gollberg’s book “The Art & Craft of Making Jewelry” gives each of us the vicarious pleasure of “making.” In the beginning we are introduced to a profusion of tools and equipment. Both the flex shaft machine and its attachments are discussed along with soldering tools and other materials. She furnishes the reader lists of the necessary tools that are a prerequisite for successful jewelry making. Pattern transfers, sawing, piercing, chasing, cold connections, tube riveting, hot techniques, finishing, forming, texturing, cuttlebone casting, reticulation, etc., are all presented in full color. We are then able to follow the beautiful illustrated step-by-step instruction to complete the specific projects.

This book is outstanding and the gallery pictures are awesome. As I stated, I have taken many workshops and classes through the years. Many of the processes I have learned are elucidated in this extremely informative book.

The winner of the "Lark 15 Series 500" book contest is Colleen White.  The winner of "Mastering Peyote Stitch" is Debbie Otto.  Congratulations to both of the lucky winners.

Bench Tips for Jewelry Making

101 Useful Tips from Brad Smith

Throughout the years, our metalsmithing guild, The Society for Midwest Metalsmiths, has published a newsletter.  Our membership has gleaned a great deal of valuable information that Brad Smith has shared.  How lucky we all are that these words of wisdom are now in a book form.

This small treasure covers a multitude of solutions to a myriad of issues facing the jewelry artisan.  A couple of years ago, during root canal surgery, a small piece of the drill broke in my husband’s tooth.  I don’t know if a solution of alum would have worked in this case, but I do know that it works, as Brad recommends, in removing a drill bit from a gemstone.

One doesn’t need a doctor’s prescription to cure these jewelry making maladies. Cutting a bolt, drilling a gemstone, sanding tight spots, modifying pliers, testing for silver, identifying solder, easier prong setting., etc., are all there at one’s finger tips.  The how-to topics go on and on.  The easy to understand text and very good photographic black and white images makes this book quite self-explanatory.

I would give Brad Smith a DM “Doctor of Metalsmithing” degree and top honors for his wonderful dissertation of “Bench Tips for Jewelry Making.”    

Mastering Peyote Stitch

Melinda Barta

Projects by the talented artists Jean Campbell, Lisa Kan,  Carole Ohl, Melanie Potter, Jean Power, Cynthia Rutledge, and Sherry Serafini are featured in this book published by Interweave.   It is amazing how busy individuals find time to contribute so much.  Their natural skills and consummate love of this medium is mind boggling.

As I reviewed the basics, nothing was overlooked.  We were led down the seed-bead laden path to numerous discoveries. No compass necessary to find your way. Technique after technique had been explored and presented in an easy to follow format.  The projects are photographed well and the arrow language is not spoken in a foreign tongue.

Flat, circular and tubular patterns are all there to savor and then can be reproduced by examining all the projects.  The colors and sizes of the seed beads are readily available.  No treasure hunt or map necessary to follow intriguing patterns.  If one doesn’t have a clue where to shop for the beads and findings, the resource section tells it all.

I was particularly drawn to the geometric shapes on page 81.  Although math wasn’t my strong suit, anyone can get an A for this project without being the “teacher’s pet.”  Invaluable skills introduced for making eye catching toggle clasps. 

The world of peyote stitch is now yours to explore in this exciting book.  Have a wonderful adventure.