I was touched by the case made for books and realized that despite 35
years of jewelry making, my library is pathetically small. There are
so many jewelry making books on the market, I was hoping that some of
you could recommend a small selection of the best - say ten books
which I could use as references for formulas, descriptions of
techniques, etc. I had planned on just emailing Alan Revere with
this question, but I thought the entire group might want to
participate.
Tom Kruskal
I vote for The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight. It has so much
in it -so beautifully presented. I have a dog eared 1st edition copy -
the one with the pithy little quotes and the hand lettering. I think
it is the favourite book I own in a house full of books! And I bought
it second hand. Karen
Books, Encyclopedia of Jewelry making (Tim Mc . … won’t attempt to
spell the rest) The latest of Alan Revere’s books, but If you really
want to learn, get his video tapes, they are GREAT. You feel as
though you’re looking over his shoulder. I think I have all the books
which have been written (and are still published) for the last 20
years or so. I look at pictures because I am better at the practical
stuff than at the intelectual stuff. Or perhaps, I am better at
figuring out how to solve a problem than at how to give instruction
in how do it. Maybe that’s the difference between a VISUAL artist
vs: Performing Artist
tom, I have said it before on this forum and I will say it again…
Oppi Untrecht…Jewelry Concepts and Technology. Or,
as I like to refer ot it…The Jeweler’s Bible. You want it, it’s in
there…from mokume to stone setting…from granulation to plating.
over 800 pages of ideas , concepts and executions. I love this book
and I don’t really know where jewelers would be without this man. I
have been a jeweler for over 10 years and at least once a month I
look in that book for mundane or just concepts and
history on jewelry. (my dad , who was the jeweler before me gave me
the book with the bench and the torch…it’s that integral 
Direct,
to the point, and well organized…(I hope there are other
Untrecht fans besides me!!!) -julia
I found out the two books I use mostly are The Complete Metalsmith by
Tim McCreight and the Oppi Untracht: Jewelry Concepts and
Technology.
I normally recommend my students to start with The Complete
Metalsmith by Tim McCreight and then Sylvia Wicks: Jewellery Making
Manual and Jinks McGrath: The Encyclopedia of Jewellery Making
Techniques. Then for the more sophisticaded there are Alan Revere’s
and Charles Lewton-Brain’s massive production of more specialized
literature.
Kind regards
Betty & Niels L?schal, Jyllinge, Denmark
@L_F8vschal
phone (+45) 46 78 89 94
Just wanted to add to this list… I just got my hands on one of the
early editions of Oppi Untrecht’s books, Metal Techniques for
Craftsmen. If you like smithing, and tools, and on what
can be done with metal, this book is great!! I have never been
happier with an “out of print” book in my life. I found it on line
doing book searches, and for those of you that go from store to store
looking for hard to find books I highly recommend trying a search on
line. ABE book sight lists book stores around the country, and I got
such a deal, that I actually have money left over for yet another
book. Now I just have to decide which of the many books I want, which
to buy. But Regardless, Oppi Utrecht is a great author for metal
books. So many people write on art and crafts with out first hand
knowledge, or a little and run with it, but his books
are heavily researched, and just a fountain of knowledge. I strongly
recommend, if you don’t have him in your library, to try to put him in
there.
A. Austin
Silversmith
Direct, to the point, and well organized.......(I hope there are other Untrecht fans besides me!!!!) -julia
Oh yeah. there are. Untracht doesn’t have quite everything, but it
comes closer than any other single book I know of. Pretty good when
you consider that the guy isn’t actually a jeweler, himself. His wife
is the jeweler, and he’s an enamelist… And to top it all off, he’s
a pretty fascinating man, too. He was a guest of honor at a recent
SNAG conference a few years ago, so many lucky attendees got to meet
the man in person…
Peter Rowe
Hi, I think Sylvia Wicks book?s is one of the best to understand the
theory of jewelry, the release in Spanish seems to be out of print.
Does anyone know if I can get someone in Spanish or English? Thanks a
lot Adriana Beniscelli from Santiago de Chile
Since the technical books have been suggested I will ad two good
inspirational books, Contemporary American Jewelry Design and
Reveres’ new book The Art of Jewelry Making.
Bill Wismar
wismargallery.com
If you want the list(s) of recommended books on jewelry I’ve
collected from previous Orchid threads and other sources, please email
me privately and I will send you the text file(s). (There are
separate files for books on Jewelry Technique, Design, Business and
History).
Colene
@colene
Hi, Adriana,
Try www.bibliofind.com. This is an excellent resource for
out-of-print books of any kind. There are booksellers from all over
the globe that list their books on this database. I’ve found quite a
few jewelry-related books through their service (search and ordering
is free to the buyer). Also great place to comparison-shop on titles.
Best of luck!
LollyJ
Dear Coleen, Could I ask for your threads also. Theis sounds great
to me… I have a big collection of books and want to put them on my
computor but can’t seem to fine a program to do so… I would want
also to put them in catagories like spoons enamels granulation
etc…any ideas how to do this??? You sound
all put together… calgang@aol.com