Interview with Jerry Scavezze

This week’s interview is with Jerry Scavezze a goldsmith living and working in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA.

1.How long have you had a website/blog?

My jewelry website www.scavezzegoldsmith.com has been up and running for 8 years. The School website www.ColoradoSchoolofJewelryandMetalArts.com for about 3 months, and my blogs http://coloradometalarts.ganoksin.com/blogs/  and   http://coloradoschoolofjewelryandmetalarts.wordpress.com/ for a few weeks. Very new to blogging. I’m much better with a hammer than a mouse.

 2.How did you get into jewellery making, as a business/hobby and how long have you been doing it?

I fell in love early, at the age of 20 or 21. Still love it today 38 years later. My jobs have changed, from bench repair jeweler to diamond setter, to designer, to retail store owner, to artist/craftsman, my current incarnation. My current work is anticlastic raising, made famous by Heikki Seppa and Michael Good.

3.Who are your favourite online jewellery designers?

Jacob Snow, Tom Herman, Toni Tischer, Samantha Freeman, and of course myself, Jerry Scavezze.

4.What is your favourite medium to work with?  Gold,14 K or above. It is a wonderful metal, very strong and versatile. Open design option up with very few limitations by the metal itself.

5.Are you self taught or have you studied jewellery making professionally?  A combination. I was initially self taught. Trial and error, just playing. I learned alot, but became frustrated with my slow progress and many struggles. I went to work for a trade shop doing jewelry repair and custom work. A great education. I got to learn from a master, they payed me, and I use their gold. What a Country! After I wanted to go out on my own and develop my own line I studied with both Heikki Seppa, and Michael Good. I love the forms and movement anticlastic raising produces. It also makes very lightweight and wearable pieces yet structurally very durable.

6.What has been your favourite creation?  Probably one of my Black Pearl Necklaces, it is style # 82 on my website under the necklace category.

7.What site do you use for selling your products on My own website, www.ScavezzeGoldsmith.com

8.What type of jewellery do you make

Anticlastic Raising is the technique I use. It is a technique using hammers and mallets to deform sheets of gold or silver into compound curves. A saddle shape rather than synclastic, a bowl shape. The pieces become very work hardened, which makes a very strong heirloom quality piece.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  9.Do you belong to any online jewellery making groups or forums?     www.ganoksin.com and http://www.jewelryartistsnetwork.com/

10.Which is your favourite jewellery making website/blog?  www.ganoksin.com because of both the forums and the many different blogs by some of the finest jewelers in the country. The amount of information, help and resources on this site is incredible.