Hello everyone,
I hope you are well!
I’m looking for suggestions regarding some staple books for the jewellery student. Any suggestions on any subject would be fantastic, however I am particularly interested in ring making and stone setting. I have recently enrolled in a jewellery design and manufacturing diploma and want to supplement my learning. The older the better… I remember in my engineering days the older gents were always fountains of knowledge.
Thanks in advance 
Welcome! I suggest getting familiar with the search function of the website as this question has been asked many times and there are fantastic threads addressing it.
Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight. There is a student and professional edition. I have been making jewelry for 50 years and still look at Tim’s books often. Otherwise, ask a question here, get an answer. There will always be someone out there who has the same question that you do, but they are unwilling or embarrassed to ask it. If you have an answer, offer it. Good luck…Rob
Welcome to Orchid!
Alan Revere has several excellent books. Unfortunately, they’re all out of print so are expensive via Amazon. If you’re on FB you may want to join Jewelry Tool Garage Sale. Someone posted two of his most popular books today for $70. They were snapped up pretty quickly, but you can post ISO (in search of) posts.
Alan has a FB group that follow along with the projects in one of his books. I believe Melissa Muir made videos to accompany the lessons.
Good luck with the hunt!
Pam
I got Alan Revere’s Professional Jewelry Making from Rio, and there’s another title available as well. Thriftbooks gets his books in now and then, probably for a lot less.
I have a few of Anastasia Young & John Cogswell’s books.
I second that! One thing that is really cool about Alan’s book, Professional Jewelrymaking is that the book is modeled after the curriculum in his jewelry school, the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in the SF Bay Area. (The school is now closed since Alan retired.) The book offers clear step by step instructions on how to make all of the projects, just like if you took a class at the Revere Academy. One of the concepts of the Revere Academy was to teach projects with core techniques that you can build off in your own practice.
https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Jewelry-Making-Alan-Revere/dp/1929565429
Creative Metal Forming by Betty Helen Longhi and Cynthia Eid is a great book about moving metal.
https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Metal-Forming-Betty-Longhi/dp/1929565496
Rob mentioned Tim McCreight’s The Complete Metalsmith, which is a fantastic resource! Tim eventually started his own publishing company Brynmorgen Press, that focuses exclusively on Jewelry and Metalsmithing books.
You should check out all of Brynmorgen’s books. There’s some real winners there!
I could go on and on, but that’s probably enough for now.
Yes, good luck with your search!
Jeff
Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone! I’ve actually found one of Tim McCreights books called the theory and practice of goldsmithing… I’ll add all of the others to my reading list
