Orchid Circulation: 10,500 members!
Please welcome our newest members…
…
Richart Leaf
Berkeley, CA. USA
Retired metal arts instructor
…
Ryan Limbo
Davis, CA. USA
I’m a chemical engineering student with a passion for metalsmithing.
I’ve been lurking on this forum as long as I’ve been making jewelry
(about 2 years), and have finally decided to join. My formal
training is from the Craft Center in Davis, CA, along with a lot of
reading and self-teaching besides. I see jewelry as the most
eloquent form of self-expression, and hope to advance my technique
through my time here.
…
Jonathan Perez
Ottoway, SA. Australia
Hi! my uncle is a jewelry maker and he’s asked me to help him with
his business. I’ve constructed a small cnc lathe myself for my own
interests and we’re interested in combining the two to make better
jewelry.
…
Michael Imbimbo
Michael Imbimbo Inc.
San Antonio, TX. USA
I am a registered architect specializing in commercial and
institutional architecture. I also do coppersmithing, silkscreen
prints and pottery. I believe an architect should have real,
hands-on experience with at least one craft that relates to
architecture (and they all do).
…
Desiree T Castro
Mano y Metal: Handcrafted Jewelry
Chicago, Illinois. USA
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ManoyMeta
Hi! I am born and raised in Little Village, Chicago and have finally
gave in to my obsession with jewelry and started creating it. I am
loving the journey of materializing the designs I see in my mind and
having the creations shared with others as they purchase the pieces
and take a little bit of my spirit, energy and cretaive soul with
them in the pieces. I work with metals mostly, hand stamping words,
shaping and hammering metal wire, cutting, filing and shaping metal
discs and tubes and hand-painting steel. Recently, I began working
with resin and have a resin earring, ring and pin collection that I
enjoy producing for craft shows. The dive into jewelry making with
metals and resin has been absolutely addicting for me and I look
forward to running with the drive to create. On a personal note, I
am a single mother of a 4 year old, work full-time, am in grad
school-- and I playwright-- so yes, sleep is minimal but life is
short. Thanks! Desiree T. Castro, Mano y Metal.
…
Jennifer Wong
Titania’s Garden
Philadelphia, PA. USA
http://www.titanias-garden.com
Argentium wiresmith and chain maille weaver in Argentium, niobium
and enameled copper. I have been making jewelry since 1972. I am
self-taught and like experimenting with bronze in my non-existent
free time. I was primarily a fiber artist until my mother died in
March 2010, spurring me to pursue what I always wanted to do: become
a “real” jewelry artist and work in metal. My teachers and
inspiration are fellow SF Bay-Area denizens Ronda Coryell and
Spider, my mentors and suppliers are Curt Dunaway, Jon Daniels and
Rebeca Mojica. I’m currently tangling with lubricants for sawing
niobium and the intricacies of mass finishing.
…
Winston Stonemen
Winston Stonemen / Webb Jewelry
Chonburi, Thailand
American Born Craftsmen, lives and works in Asia 30 years Carved
Burmese Gemstone Jewelry, Rare Thailand and Burmese gems Nature-Als
Wildlife Creations :Carved Animal and floral Figural s, Rings,
Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, Brooches. Special stones/ Maw Sit
sit, Hackmanite, serpentine, Sodalite, Jadeite, Palawan, Angelic
Topaz, Emerine Sapphires, Beta Blue Sapphires, Caribbean Green
Sapphires.
…
Richard John Furrer
Sturgeon Bay, WI. USA
General blacksmith in rural Wisconsin with an interest in ancient
metalworking and steel making.
…
Jim G DeMian
Columbia, Missouri. USA
I have a lot to learn about jewelry making. Related interests are
electronics, computers, handicrafts, repairing, keyboard playing,
and exchange of ideas and methods from generation to generation and
country to country. Good luck.
…
Cecilia Leete
Nairobi, Kenya
I trained in London in the early 80’s but have been living and
working in kenya for the last 12 years. I build on my collection
over the years, endeavouring to create classic pieces that really
endure. Most of my pieces are in silver, very sculptural and
substantial, with a high quality finish, but I do do bespoke pieces
in more precious materials too. There are really no other
contemporary jewellery designers in Kenya, so I hope that this will
facilitate more contact with designers and makers.
…
Josh Riney
Denver, USA
I am a bench jeweler with 25 years experience interested in
expanding my knowledge base and sharing what I have learned if it
can be helpful to anyone.
…
Kate Cohen
Bella bijoux
Schenectady, NY. USA
Hi, my name is kate. I am a painter and a bead artist. I am 67 years
young and I love the surprise from artistic adventures. I love color
and texture. I am more abstract than concrete in my designs. I am
excited about learning all I can
…
Hendy Adi Saputra
PTS jewelry store
Cirebon, West Java. Indonesia
i like gold and silver finishing and plating
…
Warren Rees Woodward
Woodys Jewelry
Tallahassee, Florida. USA
Started with simple soldering with gold nugget jewelry in 1981,
moved to custom casting and repairs, produced custom cowboy silver
for several years, interested in many various fields of bench work
and custom metal work.
…
Kathleen Matte
Kat’s Elementals
Timmins, Ontario. Canada
http://artist.to/katselementals/
Self taught jewelry artist. Work mostly with Semi-precious, shell,
pearl, wood and hemp material. Started as a hobby, then expanded
into a small home business 
…
Monica Ruzansky
Brooklyn, NY. USA
I’m a beauty seeker, I find Jewelry an adorable medium. I’m excited
to be in a never ending creative world.
…
Suzanne Louise Pisano
SuzDesign Fine Jewelry & Crafts
Newtown, CT. USA
Raised in southern New York State, Suzanne Pisano has always been
interested in art. She holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in
computer science from Iona College where she also studied art. She
operates her studio in Newtown, Connecticut where she designs and
produces fine jewelry, photographs and other handcrafted items.
Suzanne studied silversmithing, lapidary, and glass manipulation
under some highly esteemed jewelers and glass artists including
Fredricka Kulicke, Lessley Burke, Joy Raskin, Linda Banks, Annemarie
Ciuffini, Stephanie Maddalena, and Kurt Patzlaff. Each piece is
handmade one at a time with great at tention to detail. Custom
designed jewelry is available by request.
Suzannes jewelry work includes fabricated silver, fused and
lampworked glass, and enamels. She takes inspiration from her
interests in nature photography, the Florida Keys, and music, and
incorporates those elements into her designs.
She also enjoys working on special requests for custom items and
giving classes to share her skills. All of her jewelry is made by
hand in her private studio using time honored fabrication methods
making each piece unique. Custom pieces are not identical to the
original because every piece of jewelry is individually handmade and
no two pieces are ever exactly alike. The design may be similar, the
overall size of the piece will be the same, and the colors will be
the same, but the shape or image may be slightly different.
Suzanne teaches Fused Glass at the Brookfield Craft Center in
Brookfield, CT and sells her work on eBay and at local craft fairs
and music stores.
…
Deborah Zelkowski
Dazzles Designs
Davisburg, MI. USA
I am a beginning metalsmither, but have had a jewelry design
business for 6 years mainly working with pearls, silver,
gold and beads. I am interested in what other people out there are
doing with this wonderful art form!
…
Bianca stewart
Millstone, KY. USA
Interested in jewelry making.
…
Rudi Diesvelt
Rarae Discovery Entp. Ltd
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Late silversmith, who came to “Silver Smithing” late in life via a
leather tooling route. My father, the son of a blacksmith, became a
silversmith via the European, “Tinsmith” to “Coppersmith” to
“Silversmith” whose accent to “Goldsmith” was interupted by WW11.
Being to young to learn from him, I only have memories of pumping
the bellows when he was at work at home.
My leather tooling was a path to Chasing and after several courses
in Ireland and the USA,I have found my way to engraving and
jewellery making.
Economics have restricted my work to silver, but an occasional foray
into 10 & 14kt have given me a taste of gold. A short course on
anticlastic work with Micheal Wood has exposed me to higher karat
work, but have found little demand for this.
Knowing of the hardship of obtaining a ‘mark’, I found that in
Canada a trade mark was relatively easy to obtain and I now have a
TM that is registered and I use that along with a tiny maple leaf to
denote that my work is made in my adopted country.
I owe a great deal to my tutors, Brian Clarke, Mike Dubber, Micheal
Wood and Valentin Yatkov as well as my father who showed me the
various colours of metal as they were heated.
…
Dana Cassara
Seattle, WA. USA
Dana Cassara is a metalsmith, instructor, and owner of Danaca
Design. Danaca Designs Metal Crafting Center is a jewelry and
small-scale metal working studio located in the University District
of Seattle. We offer classes for individuals seeking to gain skills
in the art of decorative metal working and jewelry design. Our
studio is a comfortable, well lit, and cheerful work space fully
equipped for small-scale fabrication, including hollow forming and
soldering, as well as enameling, precious metal clay and stone
setting. We house a small store-front gallery featuring local
artists, both professional and amateur, as well as a limited
selection of tools.
…
Sharon Ivy
Ivy Pottery
Mc Calla, AL. USA
http://www.ivypotteryandcrafts.blogspot.com
I have been interested in learning metalsmithing for many years, but
with no local classes available, I never got started. Finally
decided to use the internet and books to teach myself all I can and
just to jump in and get started. Buying a few quality tools along,
most recently a German-made saw and some sheet copper, brass, and
sterling. Next is a torch and flex shaft, after I work out some sort
of ventilation in my spot in the garage. Excited to get started!