The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques

This is a great reference book but also a practical guide in jewellery making.Every aspect of the process of designing and making your jewellery is covered in this book.

Extremely helpful for someone starting out in jewellery, it's excellent, full of helpful images and clearly explained.

This is a very informative book written so it makes easy reading with pictures and diagrams which helps even more. I wouldnt recommend it for people that had never had any experience with silver soldering etc, but once you have mastered that, the rest should make sense. I have only been on a 12 week evening course at the local College for one evening a week, so I am not an experienced jeweller by any means and I found it easy to try some of the techniques in the book. I have to say some of the things just ended up a mangled mess, but some I am quite proud of and I have also sold some to friends, which pays for the silver.

This was recommended to me by my jewellery tutor and I had an opportunity to look through a copy in a library before I bought it. It is a good practical guide to materials, tools, techniques and design, something I refer to regularly away from class. The presentation is very good with glossy pages and sumptuous photographs which enhance the clearly written text.

I had borrowed several library books on the subject before looking to buy my own. I am really pleased with this - it is well produced, comprehensive with great illustrations and guidance - better in fact than any that I had on loan.

Bought this because it was one of the stock books on my College Jewellery Course. Good clear instructions for the beginner and more advanced maker. A good all round guide to jewellery making techniques, but if you want to attempt some of the more complicated techniques further instruction will probably be needed.

As a student new to Silver smithing Jewellery I found this to be a comprehensive, easy to follow, well illustrated book. I am constantly dipping into the chapters to refresh my course learning & to prepare for new techniques.The chapter on workspace & tools is very informative

Useful addition to any jewellery makers book collection. Excellent explanations of the basic techniques required for jewellery making and then some great ideas for more complex pieces. Very useful descriptions of all equipment and tools required for jewellery making to identify what is needed and what it can be used for. Recommend

This is a well-organized encyclopedia of jewelry techniques. If you're looking for a book with "projects", this is not the book for you. What it does do is show specific steps of many different techniques in jewelry making. Many of the techniques covered lean more towards metal work (rings, bracelets, bezels, etc.), but has a lot of useful information, no matter what kind of jewelry artist you are. The techniques are shown, step-by step, with photos showing the process, as well, and it's a fantastic addition to my growing library. I highly recommend it. This book answered my questions about the differences between and the uses of various tools, metals, and they "whens", as well - when would I use this technique, and why this tool, or metal, or stone, as opposed to something else. I learned a ton just skimming through it, and it will be a go-to for years to come, I know.The book begins by going over the safety basics for protective equipment, using machines safely, working with heated metal, and using and storing chemicals. It goes on to give a brief history of jewelry.Next, the "meat" of the book:Chapter 1: "Work Space and Tools, and Materials": This chapter covers a wide range of tools and equipment, how to set up your workspace, health and safety equipment, and a section on materials like precious metals, base metals, other types of metals, natural materials, synthetic materials, and gemstones. I love that the author explains the differences between and the uses for the different types of metals, and why one would choose to use one over the other. She also shows pictures of each of the tools/machines she talks about, their function, and the techniques they are useful for. She reiterates the use of safety equipment; bringing awareness to what type of safety equipment is appropriate for what job. She takes you step by step through the process of the techniques she covers, with pictures to illustrate the steps. She covers steps for the technique, but doesn't present a "project" as a context for the technique - the author assumes you have a project in mind that you want to do, and shows how to do a lot of different techniques that could help you accomplish your project. This is very much an encyclopedia and a reference manual for someone who maybe hasn't taken a lot of classes or for someone who doesn't want to hunt down a technique on YouTube. It's also great for the serious beginner or hobbyist. It's well cross-referenced, too, so if you're looking at a tool, it's cross-referenced to a technique, and visa-versa.Chapter 2: "Techniques". This chapter mostly focuses on metalworking techniques (the core techniques used, construction, forming, steps to create mechanisms for catches, latches, chains, clasps, and hinges, etc., color and texture, and stone setting). At the end of the chapter, there is a section on stringing and knotting beads, and when to "outsource" your work for specific techniques or processes that require highly specialized skills.Chapter 3: "Design": This chapter covers inspiration, drawing (and the different kinds of drawing, from "life-studies" to design ideas, to technical drawing, and "presentation" drawing), and takes the reader through how to develop a design. it's a short, but very informative chapter.Chapter 4: "Going Into Business": This chapter covers photography & promotion of a finished piece. It also covers selling and exhibiting your work. For those who are considering selling their work, it is a helpful overview of going into business, determining cost and pricing, and what type of jewelry artist you are, and where you might want to show or exhibit your work, whether it be online, in a gallery setting, etc. It covers how to show your jewelry in various settings/situations, as well. (Again, a short chapter, but good info.)Chapter 5: "Reference": This chapter covers gemstones, metric and imperial conversions, tool shapes, standard sizes for rings in a chart that shows U.K., US, and Europe sizing. There's a glossary of terms, and a useful section on Suppliers and Services for some of the materials and tools used in the techniques covered in the book. There's also a "Further Reading" section, that lists books, magazines, websites, galleries, fairs and institutions as well as an index.In short, love this book, and I'm glad I made the investment!

Great resource, beautiful photos, and lots of great techniques.

Dies ist ein gutes Arbeitsbuch wenn man sich mit Schmuckherstellung befassen möchte. Zwar hätte ich lieber die deutsche Fassung gehabt, aber da diese doppelt so viel kostet wie die Englische habe ich hier zugegriffen. Für mein Hobby ist es sehr umfassend und die vorgestellten Modelle finde ich ansprechend. Da ich aus einem technischen Beruf komme viel es mir nicht schwer mit den Beschreibungen klar zu kommen. Es werden sehr viele Techniken beschrieben so das man sich reinarbeiten kann. Ich würde es empfehlen trotz des Preises weil es sehr umfassend ist.

載っているのはあくまで彫金技術基礎全般であり、既製品を活用する方法は載っていない。はんだづけ、穴あけ、ワックスモデリング、などの必要な用具と基本の手順の説明があるので、アーティストがイメージをデザインに落とし込む段階で参考にする本というところ。どれか一つを究めたいひとではなく、作るもののために必要な技術を都度選定し扱う人向け。選定したあとに別途詳しく調べるのは前提として。また、現代的な洗練されたジュエリーはハイスペックな3Dプリンタやそれなりに大掛かりな鑄造などを活用しているため、この本だけでなく彫金自体の守備範囲外。より高度な彫金や石留めの本ですら、それワックス使ったほうがはやいよね？と感じる技術がほとんど。19世紀くらいまでのジュエリーが作りたいなら、まあ入門くらいにはなるかもね。

Very detailed and informative.