Metalsmith Newsletter

Hello cyber metalsmiths,

Festive days and a brand New Year are here again. A great time of the year!

It can be rewarding on the one hand and challenging on the other.

If you are making a present for someone over the Xmas period, it must be finished on time and that can be challenging, especially with the Xmas deadline.

On the other hand, if you got some time off over the season, then there is a good reason to do what you love most like being creative and making jewelry.

Learning at the bench is both a pleasure and brings with it a feeling of accomplishment. Check out our new tutorials.

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Something interesting came past us a little while ago.

We were shown this novelty antique pendant. It's a ball when it is closed up and when it is unlocked and unfurled, it becomes a cross.
It would be interesting to make a tutorial for this.

Here it is folded up and locked into a pendant.

Close up of the top

Then it opens into a cross with pyramid shapes that are made out of a pewter like material.

Ball unfurled into a Cross Pendant - back part

From the back.

Ball unfurled into a Cross Pendant - engraving

A close up of the pyramids. They were engraved with great skill.

Ball unfurled into a Cross Pendant - pyramid

Some of the faces were in pristine condition.

Our Jewelry Lesson on making a Ring in a Ring delves into a normally worn ring that has another ring inside it.... a hidden ring. It works on a hinge system.

Both rings can be worn separately.

This tutorial takes unusual to a new level.

Making a hidden Ring in a Ring - US$30

The Making of a Coin Ring was by special request.

In this jewelry making tutorial we show you two different approaches to make and set the coin ring.

Making a Coin Ring Two Ways - US$30

One sized for a dime (15 mm) and the other for a euro 1c piece (16mm).

And two different methods of setting the coins.

Then we added a tutorial on Making a Button Bayonet Catch which works very well with pearl or round bead necklaces.
It works on the bayonet principle and once it is closed, it cannot be accidentally opened.

Making a Button Bayonet Catch - US$20

Part of the ring in the ring tutorial.

The coin ring being punched to a round shape

Big projects are lined up for this coming year.

In addition to upcoming changes to the website, we will also place more focus on short videos / GIF Images to be an additional tool in conjunction with the PDF tutorials.

The aim of these very short jewelry making videos are to illustrate motion and technique.

On the Jewelry Tutorial of Making a Coin Ring page, you will see that the GIF image demonstrates the optimal way to position and prepare solder onto a flat round ring.

This technique is also used in both tutorials Making Ring a Ring and Making a Button Bayonet Catch.

For a longer clip of this soldering technique, watch the Jewelry Tutorial Making Coin Frame Video on our YouTube Jewelry Making Tutorial Channel.

We welcome tutorial requests, so if there is a design or technique you wish to learn about, let us know and we will slot it into the tutorial queue.

We look forward to hearing more from you in the coming year

Wishing you happy and relaxing festive holidays and a successful and memorable 2016.

Best regards,

Hans Meevis