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Jewelry Discussion
621

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I’m in the Gallery!
by Barbara E Jones

I received a call last Wednesday inviting me (my company) to join
the 40 plus artists at Gallery East! After my initial shock and awe,
I realized not only do I have a fundraiser this month at my son’s
school (my company is supplying the jewelry) but I have a jewelry
show in 4 weeks! So I am working feverishly to create fabulous
pieces for two large events and one…

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Metal Clay a winning choice for MW instructor Michela Verani
by Metalwerx

Winning four awards in as many months has left Metalwerx instructor
Michela ‘Mikki’ Verani ecstatic: “It’s amazing. I’m shocked. On
cloud nine.” In April, Mikki won second prize in the Bead Dreams
Competition for her metal clay scatter pin, “Dragonfly Nymph”. One
month later, Mikki was awarded the Employee’s Choice Grand Prize in
the Fire Mountain Gems Competition for her two-part “Dragon’s Hoard”
pendant. Her winning streak continued into July with prizes in Art
Clay World’s North American Design Competition…

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Facets Sri Lanka 2011
by Robyn Hawk

Would you like to see your Jewelry, Gem or Mineral Show featured
here?

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electric blue
by k.obrien jewelry

Here are some electric blue finds from good old Pawtucket.There are
always some pretty neat bikes to discover in the basement. It is a
great shade of blue and looks perfect against the stone wall. happy
labor day!..

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622

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The Beauty of Portability: Working at the Beach
by Lillian Jones

My friend Iris was in town this week, to enjoy the hurricane in
Wilmington, NC. After it blew over, I joined her down at the Carolina
coast for a few days of jewelry talk, fancy food and beach. Because
this is our passion, we are both happiest while working. So she used
her new technology to complete a distance learning lesson. Meanwhile
I used my stone-age technology to make my earrings for the Betty
McKim Earring Challenge. I just put…

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623

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Repairing Broken Hearts and Broken Diamonds
by james l. sweaney cga fga. gg

Our client sadly thought this family heirloom .96 ct. Old European
cut diamond had little or no value-- after years of wear, it had been
cherished almost to death and looked like it had been through the
garbage disposal. Mardon to the rescue! A close inspection in our
gemological microscope revealed that while the stone was badly
chipped on 3 sides of the crown and pavilion, the heart of…

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rainy day flowers
by k.obrien jewelry

Callie and I went on a little adventure this morning to get some
illy coffee. We thought we would walk in the drizzle.Just as we took
the long way back to the car,it started to pour. We still enjoyed
Wayland Square. She sniffed and I snapped as we walked briskly back.
I found this one lonely blue hydrangea and had to put my coffee down
to capture it.It was in the prettiest of gardens still full of
color. And right around the bend were…

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Artwork for September
by rasmussengems

As the first day of autumn approaches, we realize that September has
come and in the Upstate of South Carolina it is by definition no
longer hot. August is hot, September is cooler. We will notice
Autumn about mid October when the leaves change to their fall
beauty. During this time, we continue to work in the shop. Debbie
makes about 20 pieces to my one. She does the bead work and I do the
lapidary and metalsmithing work. She…

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624

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Review: Treasures of Heaven - Saints, Relics and Devotion in
Medieval Europe

by Jamie Hall

This review was commissioned by the British Museum. An edited
version was used on their blog; this is the full version. When
someone talks about relics, the first thing we all think about is
religion. In the modern world, where atheism and agnosticism is
rife, you might ask how a collection of hair and bones could be
interesting. The answer to that is complex. First, it’s important to
realise that it isn’t really the relics themselves which are on
display,…

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Angela Fung Jewellery
by k.obrien jewelry

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the jewelry is what I noticed
most while at the New York International Gift Fair. Shiny objects
always catch my eye. Angela Fung had more than just shine in her
line of jewelry, she had movement. Angela creates simple yet
thoughtful jewelry. Her pieces look sophisticated and elegant but
she uses this sophistication to hide it’s playfulness. Her real
audience is the person who loves to fiddle but appreciates clean
lines and simplicity.These cufflinks…

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21st Annual MJSA Vision Awards OPEN
by Robyn Hawk

2011 1st Place Custom Design: Cynthia Zava, Cynthia Renee, Inc. 21st
Annual MJSA Vision Awards Competition is OPEN!Every year, the
association celebrates outstanding talent in the field of jewelry
design with our MJSA Vision Awards competition. The winning
designers and students represent the future of the jewelry
manufacturing industry–and the Vision Awards competition showcases
their creativity and boosts their careers.2011 1st Pl. Visionary
Technical Solution, Adam Neeley, Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry
Inc.MJSA ensures the Vision Award winners receive the
recognition…

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Celebrate the Equinox
by rasmussengems

The Autumnal Equinox has just occurred and the fall season has
officially begun. With the advent of this season my creative muse
has taken on a new vigor. Starting with the original form of silver
smithing – wire wrapping, I made a pendant with a cobalt colored
druzy agate in the center of the wire frame. In another working
idea, I took some 20 gauge square half hard copper wire and wound it
on a 3 mm mandrel to make…

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Eid/Longhi Anticlastic Stakes now available in England and U.S.
by Cynthia Eid

I am excited that Sutton Tools in Birmingham, England has sold out
of their first order of the delrin anticlastic stakes that I
designed with Betty Helen Longhi. The stakes are made by Brian Meek,
who works with Lee Marshall of Knew Concepts. The finish quality on
these tools are evidence of what a fine jeweler Brian Meek is. In
the United States…

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625

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3-1 kind of a weekend
by sako

I’m going to make this a short one and not a 1000 word blog. 3-1
kind of weekend? It’s a play on words title I chose. It’s
referencing my beloved San Francisco 49ers record into a young
season. Niner fans have been suffering for about 10 years and
milking it ‘while it lasts’ is one thing that I will be doing. I’m
also going to share with my readers 3 various jobs that I’ve done.
Hell, I’ll just include a…

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another thrifted before and after {plus a diy}
by k.obrien jewelry

Husband and I have been doing a lot of thrifting as of late. This
desk is another Salvation Army find. He decided that it would make
for the perfect tv stand. It wasn’t in the best of shape, some of
the drawers were cracked and he had to work some magic to fill it.
While he was finishing the desk up I got to making a table runner to
help protect the top. It was also the perfect reason to try out…

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October - Public Shows
by Robyn Hawk

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Spectrolite and Dragons
by michaeljohnson

Yep, if you came to this post expecting to learn something, better
your spiritual understandings, or just get an insight into the world
of jewelry, I apologize. I’m also sorry if you thought that maybe
you’d find a universal truth. But, all I’m posting today are these
two examples of jewelry made with only a ratchet and a hammer.
That’s it, just those two things, nothing more…

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626

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a knife from a nail
by Mario Cesari

Forging is fun. Steel needs to be hot forged but iron can be cold
forged, needing only to be annealed when hammering has hardened it.
Common nails are made of iron. Sometimes common nails can be of
mild steel, in which case you must anneal them (bringing the steel
to red-heath and letting it air-cool) when you notice they are
hardening. Any nail, around 3 inches long, can be turned into a
small…

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627

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Simplifying Granulation
by Lillian Jones

Lately I’ve been absorbed in making lots of earrings for the holiday
season, using my new granulation skills. I’ve found fusing to be an
easy and surprisingly speedy way to assemble things. Anyone who has
experimented with granulation knows that the main problem is making
the granules. My friend Iris solved this problem for me, with her
‘splash’ method, see this link for an explanation. Using this
method, you can make a nice tablespoon of shot quickly, using your
fine…

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628

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“Star-Cut” pattern! You are a “Star” if you can cut this!

On a rating of 10 of difficulty, I’d rate this process of cutting of
this ‘Star Shape setting’ at a definite 13+. Although it appears
infinitely difficult, it might be for the untrained and the novice.
There are many instances where the ‘hand and eye’ are used as “a
unit”. It is here, that I have finely given you, the reader as much
instruction as possible. Photographs do indeed greatly assist in
this essay…Gerry! This is one of the least…

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Pin-Vise a.k.a. “Mini, Setting-Clamp”

Instead of using shellac and its inherent cleaning problems, there
is another little item you can find in any jewellery supplier. It=B4s
a pin-vise; this essay details all of it=B4s many capabilities. As you
can see, I used a wooden handle for easier holding, or clamping of
items! Some time ago I was inundated with…

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Court Rules Harout R Can Compete In Bridal Market

Court ruling grants designer Harout R freedom to compete in the
bridal jewelry market…

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Summer 2012 Photo Diary: Eye Candy alert!

As a volunteer marketing coordinator for Metalwerx, I’ve become more
aware of how much our school has to offer. It is inspiring to see
the amount of preparation, logistical organization, and financial
calculation that goes into putting together twelve master workshops
and more than a dozen one-day classes, into a space of ten weeks.
This year, I’ve been fortunate to participate in more than just my
usual single summer workshop. It’s been my “Summer of the Hammer”,
as I’ve learned…

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Bead Stopper

As some of you may know, my adventures in jewelry making started
with simple beading. I wish I would have found something like the
Bead Stoppers I bought from Fire Mountain Gems back then. I say
like, because I was not happy with these. Sorry FM, but these are
going to be the first product that gets a thumbs down. While the
idea is good, the product doesn’t seem to be sturdy enough. The only
time it worked was if…

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What is a Diamond Setter?

What is a Diamond Setter? He is a skilled craftsperson who is aware
of the following disciplines. The composition of alloys, use of
levers, tension of metals, use of fulcrums, density of various
working metals. He should have some working knowledge of soldering
principles, uses of abrasive compounds

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