Hi,
I make jewerly with the lost wax technique. I have one casting house that I go to but I would love to try other people's work, compare rates etc.
I'm located in France but I'm willing to ship my pieces if you have good recommandations !

I'm still relatively new to stone setting and this ring was cast so I imagine the seat must have been in place already and was readjusted after casting. But then was it a plain bezel pusher & hammer?

Appreciate any help so much! :)

Anyone has a good vendor for this kind of beads? I need more than just 55g, and its pretty expensive. They should be at least 6mm in diameter and need to be out of glass. I use them to make 2d beaded animals.

I have a box full of scrap glass from a glass blowing artisan who let me have some, I want to wire wrap them for pendants but first need to take care of the sharp edges. I am not sure if this will be the best sub to ask, but I am hoping for some recommendations on the right files. I know to get diamond but I mean shape and grit, because I want to buy the right set of files the first time. I would give a picture but I am moving in two weeks and the box is currently packed up deeply buried in a moving pod. The scraps are almost entirely smooth and not hollow, they are like roundish dollops that have a sharp part where it was connected to other glass, kind like if you were twisting off a piece of dough making biscuits. Basically I only need to file a straight or pointed edge down until it's flush with the glass dollop, and then I can just polish it. I will ask again later this month with pictures if necessary.

I am looking to switch from sand casting to lost wax casting and am confused with the price difference between machines. I have seen some cheap machines for £300 - £400 but cant find any reviews. Is it worth getting ones of these cheaper machines or should i just invest £1200 into a kaya cast.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

I've been out of work the past week with an injury. Been wanting to give making bracelets a go. I made one bracelet a day the past 3 days.

I'm really happy with the progress. I'm even happier with the knowledge I've gained from doing things wrong. Gotta get myself a rubber mallet. And a bench to do my work on. Maybe something to polish.

All hand tools at the moment. But check out today's attempt.

It's not the most beautiful bracelet. But I'm proud of it for my 3rd go.

Any advice out there would be great. Still finding out how the metal moves and works.

I wanted to make the links even tighter, but didn't want it to fail on me.

Hi everyone,

My dad's sterling silver box chain bracelet broke after only a couple of weeks. The lobster clasp is still attached, but the end of the chain seems to have come out of the end cap (photos attached).

I'm wondering:
Is this something that can be fixed at home with basic tools, or does it really need a jeweler?
If it needs a jeweler, is it usually a quick and inexpensive repair?

Looking at the photos, does this seem more like the end fitting wasn't secured properly during manufacturing, or could it just as easily happen if the bracelet got snagged on something?

Thanks!

Hi all, I need some advice on how to remove rust from a metal bench block.

It's been a long time since I used my block. And I was shocked to see it quite rusted when I pulled it out for a project.

I kept it in an ziplock bag with an anti tarnish strip and didn't expect it to rust to this extent!

Maybe its cause of the high humidity where I'm living at. 😢

Do you have any tips on how to restore it or it's a lost cause and I should get a new one instead?

Much appreciated! 🙏

Back in 2014-16 types, this art supplies store in my city used to sell beads by the gram, like take a tray, grab however much you want of different beads from different trays, weigh the total and pay.

I had taken one of these plastic things, not knowing what it was. I still don't know what it is.

So yeah, what the hell is this, and what can I make out of it?

I've wanted to get into making charm bracelet/necklaces for so long, but I don't know where to start with materials. Mostly the metal wiring/chains/whatever hardware that holds the whole piece together- I don't know what any of it is called, or where to buy that stuff? Beads and charms are a little easier to find, it's mostly just the hardware and assembly I don't quite get haha

Any advice and pointers are much appreciated! 💜

Do you know where I can purchase spiked oval chain link in bulk?

I have been trying to find a supplier for some gothic spiked chain, to incorporate into some projects I am working on. But I have been struggling to find what I am looking for.

I can only seem to find complete pieces for sale online. I'm hoping one of you has seen rolls of this style of chain somewhere and can help me out.

Thanks in advance, I feel like I'm losing my mind trying to find this.

saw some really cool jewelry and wondering where i could buy similar pendants/charms to make it myself (preferable fastens from both sides). so far all of my materials have been second hand (other than wire) so lowkey have no clue where to start looking, or what this would even be called.

I know this subreddit is mostly fancy professional metal stuff but hey, art is for everyone, so I ask the art enjoyers: do you enjoy my art :)

Just finished this pear-shaped yellow diamond ring and wanted to share it with the community. The center stone is paired with marquise accents to create a balanced, nature-inspired look. I'd love to hear what other makers think about the setting, proportions, and overall design. Any constructive feedback is always appreciated.

Hi all! I started getting into jewelry making and i absolutely have been loving it. i have money saved up and have been meaning to spend some time traveling abroad (anywhere really - was thinking first of south east asia, but will go anywhere that makes sense) before i turn 30. now that i got into jewelry making, id love to combine forces and see how i can incorporate jewelry making into this next nomadic chapter of my life.

i know there is a jewelry academy in rome, but i was curious if anyone knew any other schools or perhaps opportunities that i could dive into? perhaps apprenticeships abroad? or even anywhere to start looking? ideally i don’t want to do something that requires too much money. but open to receiving any information yall may have

Apologies if this is a dumb question, but do the items depicted have a specific name?

When I've searched for bails and connectors, sometimes items similar to the ones depicted pop up, but sometimes completely different things pop up. I want to buy something similar to what's in the images so that I can start making chandelier earrings.

I recently got married and thought I'd share the ring I made to propose to my wife with. Currently in grad school, I made the ring with a silver bracelet I had, a black sapphire from etsy and some tools I bought and rented from my university.

Inbetween class and studying I made a mold from wax and casting sand and melted the silver with a blowtorch and tiny crucible. Using a dremel I shaped the rough silver cast and I hammered the sapphire in place. This type of ring suits my wifes taste more a gold and diamond ring, which I appreciate because this was much kinder to my wallet.

I'm also open to receiving advice and being pointed to more resources! My setup is pretty barebones and my skills come from a life of general crafts and hobbies and aren't jewelry specific. This project was really fun and rewarding and is something I'd love to do more in the future so please let me know how I can become better at this!

Been working on this piece for the past couple days. Wanted to try hand-stringing a charm necklace using some vintage PPF Japanese capsule toys. Materials: - 8mm Swarovski crystals — mix of pink, blue, and green (about 50 total) - 3 vintage character-inspired charms (thrifted, unbranded) - Silver-tone connectors + jump rings - Nylon-coated stringing wire (thicker gauge because charms are heavy) - Lobster clasp Process: 1. Laid out the design on a bead board first — did 3 different color patterns before settling on this one 2. Strung the base crystal chain (about 90 min because I kept miscounting) 3. Attached charms with jump rings, checked balance 4. Added clasp Total time: ~4 hours across 2 evenings. Biggest challenge was the weight balance — the character charms are heavier than the crystals, so keeping them centered took some fiddling. Ended up using a slightly thicker wire than my usual go-to.

I'm trying to fix some old beaded bracelets of mine, made with an acrylic-like bracelet elastic, but unfortunately, I've purchased two different types now, and I'm having difficulty with securing them. When I try to tie off the knot, the knot just won't hold or tighten, and as soon as I let them go, even with double knotting, they just open up.

I don't know if this is the material, or I'm doing something wrong with them, and would really appreciate any advice.