Learn to make jewelry with the masters

Want to learn to make jewelry in a doable way?

Don’t know which smithing technique to use?

Look no further; here are the answers to all the metalsmithing techniques needed to make your jewelry.

This is a step-by-step guide to all the basic smithing techniques you’ll need. You won’t have to drill on piles of books or attend lengthy workshop hours. All you need is here.

Each smithing technique is fully explained and illustrated, showing you the basic result of each technique and how to take advantage of it for your jewelry projects.

You’ll learn how to tie together the jewelry design with the best material and the exact technique to use in order to produce your best creation.

You’ll also learn to make jewelry easily because we’ll dedicate a section to each and every metal technique.

Jewelry Technique: processing sheet metal

You can purchase sheet metal with any jewelry supplier but it is best to make it yourself, it saves you money and you avoid depending on suppliers.

Your cast ingots can be reduced to sheets and these can be compressed to the thickness you desire by using a rolling mill.

Sheet metal’s thickness can be reduced by means of tangential compression, using a rolling mill. The sheet metal is passed several times through the controlled space between the two rolls of the rolling mill in order to reduce its thickness.

Annealing often is vital because the sheet metal is hardened after several passes through the mill.

Once you anneal the metal, let it cool down, pickle it and keep rolling it until the desired thickness.

To make the sheet thinner, you have to turn the gears of the rolling mill in order to reduce the gap between the rolls, and this will compress your sheet more and reduce the thickness. Repeat this process until your metal sheet is at the required thickness.

Always pass your sheet through the center of the rolls.

When you reduce the thickness of your sheet metal, your steps to follow are: anneal, pass, reduce gap, pass, and measure, anneal, etc.

The metal sheet is best rolled cold because you achieve a smoother, more uniform surface. If your sheet starts curving, pass it through the other side and / or pass it the other way round. This will flatten it.

Texturing sheet metal

You can make any kind of impression on your sheet metal. You may use this option if its part of your design.

You can texture your sheet metal with wires, textured cloths, watercolor paper or even lace.

For best results you have to anneal very, very well your sheet before passing it through the rolling mill.

To make the impression, just place on top of your annealed metal sheet the material that has the texture you want to pass on, and on top of this place another metal sheet (this is to protect the rolls). Place this “sandwich” on the rolls, close the gears tight, and pass the sheets.

With practice you’ll learn how to calculate the sufficient pressure needed to transfer patterns. Meanwhile, practice with spare bits of metal sheet using an assortment of texturing materials, different pressures, etc.

Texturing sheet metal is a great option for all your jewelry designs. The best tip is to always anneal very well your sheet metal and keep annealing repeatedly throughout the time your using the rolling mill.

Annealing is very important to avoid cracks and flakes. Also make sure the surface of your metal sheet is clean and free of scale.

Now that your sheet metal is ready, learn to make jewelry with your sheet metal.

The possibilities are endless. You can pierce it, fold it, dome it, repoussage it, chase it and stamp it. Lets jump to the next technique.

Go from Learn To Make Jewelry back to Jewelry Techniques

References used in this section: Untracht (1985); McCreight (2004)