Jewelry Making Tips

In this article I will provide you with a few tips which you will find helpful if you want to take up jewelry making as a hobby or a pastime.

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Go through the magazine and books I have listed here to get a few quick tips on jewelry making:

·        THE BEAD AND BUTTON MAGAZINE

·        THE ART OF JEWELRY DESIGN: FROM IDEA TO REALITY authored by Elizabeth Olver

·        THE ART OF MAKING JEWELRY written by Jessica Wrobel, Tammy Powley and Deborah Krupenia

·        THE BOOK OF BEADS: A PRACTICAL AND INSPIRATIONAL GUIDE TO BEADS AND JEWELRY MAKING authored by Robert Budwig and Janet Coles

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Helpful tips can also be found online from the free instructional videos and free jewelry making/designing websites/courses available in plenty over the internet. They are accompanied by photographs or video footages and step by step graphic illustrations and easy to follow guidelines. They are your best bets if you are a beginner.

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Another mind blowing tip is to become friends with the neighborhood jeweler, sit by his side and observe his techniques and methods of making jewelry. You can receive hands on training, secure some trade secrets and apply them. His years of experience in the related field will enrich your jewelry making knowledge base.

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Keep an eye open for television shows targeted at women and homemakers, usually telecast during the afternoon slot. They often feature jewelry making episodes. They bring in a jewelry making expert as their guest who gives quite a few demonstrations of and tips on jewelry making techniques, styles, patterns, materials, supplies etc.

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Ladies’ clubs, kitty party circles, jewelry malls/stores and NGOs often organize jewelry making sessions for women who want to take it up as a hobby. Enroll in these workshops.

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Start off with something easy, like making a necklace or a bracelet out of beads or corals or sea shells or wood. You will of course have to learn the techniques of beading by using a beading wire, stringing, soldering, applying glue, adding finishing touches, polishing etc.

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When you are thorough with the basics and the fundamentals you can graduate to working with metals like titanium, silver, steel or gold and precious or semi precious gemstones like rubies, pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, moonstones, garnets, cat’s eye etc.

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Try to know the composition and mixing ratios of metals and alloys, equip yourself with knowledge about terms like hardness, softness, carat, clarity, cut, weight, color of metals and gemstones, how to take care of them etc.

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Lastly, give a free run to your imagination and creativity when it comes to the designs and materials, have lots of patience and diligence and work with passion.