Posts Tagged Jewellery making
Vintaj Natural Brass Jewellery Making Supplies
Vintaj 100% Natural Brass findings, filigree, beads, charms and chain.
They are not antique plated or chemically treated and are nickel-free;
with a rich, distinctive colour identical to vintage brass and have intricate detail,
fine-lined etching, and bold raised relief designs.
http://www.vintaj.com/wpblog
International suppliers:
http://www.vintaj.com/retail.asp
Jewellerymaking techniques:
Add comment September 18, 2009
Tierracast beads and jewellery components
TierraCast beads and jewelry components are made with Britannia pewter alloy which is certified lead-free culinary grade pewter.
This is then electroplated with various metals to create the finished piece. Ordinary plated jewelry components are notorious for wearing or rubbing off, leaving the base below exposed, electroplated finishes are much thicker and more durable, and will easily withstand reasonable wear and tear.
TierraCast beads, findings and jewelry components have antiqued finishes to bring out the detail. Some pieces are not antiqued and have a brighter appearance.
Antique Gold and Bright Gold finishes are electroplated with 22k quality Gold Plate. This finish will not tarnish.
Antique Copper finish are plated with genuine copper, topped with a tarnish stopping metals. This finish will not tarnish (or make your skin turn green).
Antique Rhodium and Bright Rhodium finishes are electroplated with Rhodium. Rhodium is a metal in the platinum family, and is scratch resistant and does not tarnish. These finishes are a slightly darker grey than the Antique and Bright Silver finishes, but they blend well with sterling components.
Antique Silver and Bright Silver finishes are electroplated with pure silver (also called “fine silver” or “.999silver”). These finishes look exactly like sterling silver. These finishes, like sterling silver components, are susceptible to tarnish. However, they can be cleaned with a soft jewelry cloth or with a gentle liquid cleaner. 
TierraCast
http://www.tierracast.com largeholebeads
UK
USA
Add comment September 4, 2009
How to use crimp covers
Crimp covers come in various sizes from 3mm to 5mm. 
1/ Add a crimp bead to fit the desired cord/wire.
2/ Use crimp pliers to close up crimp bead in usual 2 step procedure
(use inside jaws first,then fold crimp using front jaws to get crimp as compact as you can).
3/ Place crimp cover in front jaws of crimp pliers with the opening facing forwards.
4/ Place crimp cover over the folded crimp bead on your cord/wire and press gently with crimp pliers to close opening.
5/ Your crimp covers should now be tidy and round with only a fine slit visible when close up (as shown on the right side of the pearl bead).
Where to buy crimp covers online:
UK
Palmer metals.co.uk Sterling Silver Crimp Covers
Princess Jewellery Findings UK Sterling silver & gold filled
Silver Moon Beads.com UK Sterling silver & silver plated
crimp covers at CJ Beaders.co.ukGold plated, sterling silver ,silver plated, copper, fancy finish
Crimp Covers at Spellbound Beads UK Gold plated, sterling silver & silver plated
EJR Beads.co.uk Sterling silver & copper
thebeadstore.co.uk Copper, G/p & s/p
Just Beads.co.uk Sterling silver, gold filled, g/p & s/p
Spoiltrottenbeads.co.uk Sterling silver, gold filled & S/P
The Bead Shop.co.uk G/p, S/p, Copper plated, Black plated
Beadaddict.co.uk Sterling silver, gold filled & copper
Beadsunlimited.co.uk Sterling silver, s/p & g/p
Crimps Clasps – Beadsisters UK G/p, s/p & copper
Bluestreak Beads S/p
World of Beads G/p & S/p
AUS & NZ
Polymerclay.com.au Australia Sterling silver, ant copper, ant gold, ant silver, black plated, copper plated, g/p, s/p, gold filled.
AJMS.co.nz G/p, S/p
USA
Land of odds.com USA ***All types of crimp cover
Crimp covers at TheFind.com USA ***
Charmfactory.com USA Sterling silver & gold filled
You’ve GOT to be Beading.com USA G/f, Sterling silver & copper
Auntie’s Beads.com USA Sterling silver & gold filled
Bluesage Beads.com USA Sterling silver, gold filled & copper
Abeadstore.com USA Sterling silver & copper
Artbeads.com USA Sterling silver, gold filled & copper
JewelrySupply.com USA S/s, g/p, s/p, g/f, ant brass, ant copper, gunmetal
Inmcrystal.com USA S/s, G/f, g/p
Brightlingsbeads.com USA S/s & G/f
Add comment July 27, 2009
How to make viking knit chain
Good Viking Knit Tutorial Links
Check out the list of informative links below, 24 to 26 gauge soft wire seems to be the most popular type used.
Viking knit chain/trichinopoly history
http://www.fineartbyrocio.com/vikingknitdirections.html
http://www.janra-jewelry-designs.com/viking-knitting.html
Perfect Finish – Free Projects – Beading Daily
(You’ll need to register with Beading Daily)
Viking Knit Chain Video’s
YouTube – Viking Knit Chain Making
http://www.diynetwork.com/cr/cda/playerex/1,1979,DIY_45263,00.html
Add comment June 5, 2009
Find Beads.com
Find-Beads.com is an online beading portal and information resource for beads and jewellery making. It lists hundreds of exciting beads stores and jewellery designers with an emphasis on easy navigation, list YOUR Beads and Beaded Jewellery FREE!
There is also a handy bead show finder using GoogleMaps.
Add comment May 18, 2009
All about Argentium sterling silver
Argentium Sterling Silver is a modern sterling silver alloy which modifies the traditional alloy (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper) by replacing some of the copper with Germanium. As it retains the same 92.5% silver content, it is still sterling silver.
Germanium is a crystalline semi-metallic element which is found naturally in small amounts in silver, copper and zinc ores, as well as in the mineral, germanite. The germanium forms an invisible film on the surface of silver alloy. This film prevents oxygen from reaching any tarnishable metals, such as copper, employed to harden the pure silver.
Germanium was discovered to impart the following properties to sterling silver:
- High tarnish resistance(An excellent selling point for your silver jewellery)
- Firescale elimination
- Increased ductility
- Increased thermal and electrical resistance (making alloys suitable for welding and laser forming)
- Environmental advantages (associated with not having to remove or plate over firescale)
The absence of firescale eliminates time-consuming steps required by the silversmith when working with sterling silver
Argentium Silver is the result of research begun in 1990 and perfected in 1996 by Peter Johns at the School of Art & Design, Middlesex University, England. The University owns the patent and licenses its production. Argentium Silver is patented and trademarked by Argentium Silver Company, UK..
As for working with Argentium Sterling, artisans who forge and weld sterling need to be aware of certain differences between Argentium and traditional sterling silver (e.g. lower melting point), but those who merely incorporate Argentium findings or wire into their jewelry will not find it any different to work with.
Argentium wire it is a bit stiffer than sterling silver. So if you make wirework jewellery it is recommended you use dead soft Argentium wire.
Links about Argentium silver:
Official website:
- http://www.argentiumsilver.com/availability/suppliers
- http://www.argentiumsilver.com/availability
- http://www.argentiumsilver.info/index.php/questions-answers
- Email: info@argentiumsilver.com
Useful links:
5 comments May 12, 2009
How to make copper clay
Copper Clay Suppliers
Copper clay is very new and seems to be only available in US, Australia and New Zealand at the moment. Copper Clay comes in 100gm packs.
Both Copper and Bronze clay comes in powder form.
Metal Adventures, the company who brought you BronzClay, will be bringing out a copper clay version.
Watch this video clip for more info:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPER4UJvbmo
Here are the links where you can buy copper clay in powder form:
The Eclectic Studio – Australia
Hadar Jacobson – US http://www.artinsilver.com/blog)
http://www.silverclaycanada.com/ (soon to bring out copper clay in Canada)
Check out these links for more info:
http://dailyartmuse.com/?p=9720
http://gaillannum.blogspot.com/2009/02/did-someone-saycopper-metal-clay.html
http://gaillannum.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-on-copper-metal-clay.html
1 comment March 26, 2009
How to do Beadwork
This weeks feature is on Beadwork: find all about beadwork weaves
and stitches from Emma Warrillow, an Australian living in England
and has been beading for many years; as well as beadwork she has
dabbled in wirework and bead stringing.
Visit her Website/blog: http://glitterglowbeading.com/
Gallery: http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=389
Learn how to do netted beadwork, peyote stitch, brick, herringbone as well as
right and left angled weaves, (scroll down the page to ‘Learn Beadwork Links’ )
http://www.squidoo.com/learnbeadwork
Free Beading Tutorials http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=380
Beading Forums and Groups
http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=385
Beading Book Authors and Their Books
http://glitterglowbeading.com/?page_id=378
2 comments March 23, 2009
Precious Metal Clay findings suppliers
http://www.metalclayfindings.com/
Metal Clay Findings LLC was formed to provide .999 fine silver findings to the Metal Clay community including users of both PMC® and ArtClay®.Our entire product line is made in the U.S.A.
http://www.argentice.co.uk/shop/metal-clay-findings.html
Argentice has been supplying PMC and associated tools to metal clay artists since January 2005 and is one of the oldest Precious Metal Clay suppliers in the UK.
International Distributors:
Australia & New Zealand
Belgium, Netherlands, & Luxembourg
Add comment March 16, 2009
Bead pattern program
The best little free bead program for patterns on the net by Michael Hemphill!
http://www.easybeadpatterns.com/
Add comment March 12, 2009
<
