I've mentioned some of the different types of metal used in jewellery making, now let's discuss some of the different forms of metal you can use.
Foil, Sheet and Plate
Basically they're all the same thing, a flat piece of metal. The big difference between them is the thickness. Foil is the thinnest, like aluminum foil. Sheet is thicker than foil, but thinner than plate. I can't give exact dimensions, I've seen different definitions depending on where I look and on what metal is being discussed. A general rule of thumb, if you can tear it with your hands, it's likely foil. If it's thicker than about 6-7 mm (1/4”), it's likely plate. Anything in between is sheet!
Foil, Sheet and Plate
Basically they're all the same thing, a flat piece of metal. The big difference between them is the thickness. Foil is the thinnest, like aluminum foil. Sheet is thicker than foil, but thinner than plate. I can't give exact dimensions, I've seen different definitions depending on where I look and on what metal is being discussed. A general rule of thumb, if you can tear it with your hands, it's likely foil. If it's thicker than about 6-7 mm (1/4”), it's likely plate. Anything in between is sheet!
Wire, Cable and Tubing
Wire is a thin, flexible thread of metal.
Cable is a number of wires twisted and wrapped around each other.
Tubing is just like it sounds; a tube made of metal.
Casting Grain
Small, irregular globs of metal.
Ingot
Small block of metal.
Metal Clay
Very interesting stuff to work with. It is made of tiny particles of metal, mixed with a binder material (water and an organic substance). So when you've sculpted your piece, you fire it just like pottery. The binder burns away, and you're left with a solid metal item.
Very interesting stuff to work with. It is made of tiny particles of metal, mixed with a binder material (water and an organic substance). So when you've sculpted your piece, you fire it just like pottery. The binder burns away, and you're left with a solid metal item.
There are others but these are the most common ones in jewellery making. As we go, we'll talk about these forms in more depth. But right now, let's start in with the different techniques!
There are tons of different ways of making jewellery, all depending on the type of material you choose for your pieces. Eventually I'd like to talk about all of them, but right now, let's focus on metal.
Hot connections include soldering, fusing, welding, and kiln firing.
Cold connections have a wider range of choices. Rivets, screws, tabs, stitching, folds, weaving, wire wrapping, hinges, resin, glue and on and on.
Ah, but that's just the start! There are other jewellery making techniques to consider: fold forming, hot and cold forging, casting, electroforming, etching, stamping, engraving, reticulation, granulation, depletion gilding, chasing and repoussé , keum boo, mokume gane.... So much to learn, so little time!
If you're starting to feel overwhelmed, don't worry! I just wanted to let you know there are a lot of techniques to choose from, but for now, I want to start with the technique that I learned first. With that in mind, next week I'll post a tutorial on how to make a simple wire wrapped pendant!
There are tons of different ways of making jewellery, all depending on the type of material you choose for your pieces. Eventually I'd like to talk about all of them, but right now, let's focus on metal.
- Definitions
- Metal smithing - is the creation of an item through various methods of manipulating metal
- Cold connection - joining materials together without the use of heat or a torch
- Hot connection - joining materials together using a torch or other heat source
- Anneal - the process of heating and cooling metal to restore it's malleability
- Metal smithing - is the creation of an item through various methods of manipulating metal
Hot connections include soldering, fusing, welding, and kiln firing.
Cold connections have a wider range of choices. Rivets, screws, tabs, stitching, folds, weaving, wire wrapping, hinges, resin, glue and on and on.
Ah, but that's just the start! There are other jewellery making techniques to consider: fold forming, hot and cold forging, casting, electroforming, etching, stamping, engraving, reticulation, granulation, depletion gilding, chasing and repoussé , keum boo, mokume gane.... So much to learn, so little time!
If you're starting to feel overwhelmed, don't worry! I just wanted to let you know there are a lot of techniques to choose from, but for now, I want to start with the technique that I learned first. With that in mind, next week I'll post a tutorial on how to make a simple wire wrapped pendant!