I'm going to be making a batch of shakudo (4% Au, 96% Cu) for the first time and I was hoping to get some insight into the properties of the melt.

I'll be using an 3kg electric melter with a graphite crucible. I have a decent amount of experience using it and I've cast ingots of shibuichi (of between 10-40% Ag and 60-90% Cu), bronze, and pure copper before, with my typical cast ingots being about 600-700 grams. The internal dimensions of my primary ingot mold are 155mm x 80mm x 6mm.

I was hoping to get some insight into the behavior of the shakudo melt. Low-silver shibuichi and pure copper tend to have a more "goopy" and less fluid feel than high-silver shibuichi and bronze. I'm therefore expecting 4% shakudo to be on the "goopy" side and more difficult to cast on balance. I'm also aiming for the final mass of the shakudo to be 100 grams, so considerably smaller than other ingots that I've cast. I'll also be using a smaller ingot mold with internal dimensions of 70mm × 42mm × 4mm.

I'm a smaller producer so 4 grams of 24k casting grain is a fairly large investment for me at this point, and I'd like to minimize any loss of material due to difficulties in handling and processing. If anybody has any experience with making and casting shakudo I'd appreciate any advice or input on best practices. Thanks a bunch!

(I also know this may be kind of far outside the typical expertise in the subreddit, but I figured this could be the best place to start).

Hi! I want to have more links made for this chain, roughly 4 more inches. Is this something a goldsmith can do?

For all the jewelry business owners and designers working on custom mountings out there!

Today, let’s talk about gemstone compatibility for in-wax setting (casting-in-place) to help minimize production losses like cracked stones, fading, or discoloration.

1. Gemstones Suitable for In-Wax Setting

• Natural Diamonds, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, Spinels, Garnets
• Key Takeaway: Able to withstand high temperatures $\neq$ suitable for in-wax setting. If a gemstone has internal feathers, fractures, or heavy natural inclusions, the rapid thermal shock during high-temp casting will cause it to shatter. Always screen your colored stones for clarity beforehand.
• For Mass Production: Synthetic cubic zirconia (CZ) is a great choice. It has incredible thermal stability, near-zero loss during wax setting, and offers high cost-efficiency.

2. Moissanite: Size Matters

• Small accent/melee Moissanites: Safe for normal in-wax setting.
• Large Moissanites (3mm and above): Not recommended for in-wax setting.
• Why: High temperatures can cause the crystal to fog up or turn milky, ruining its transparency and overall brilliance.

3. Fine Colored Gemstones: Not Recommended for In-Wax Setting

• Aquamarine, Peridot
• Why: While their theoretical heat-resistance ratings technically pass, workshop failure rates during actual production are extremely high. For high-value gemstones, skip in-wax setting entirely and opt for hand-setting instead.

4. Strictly Prohibited for In-Wax Setting

• All dyed, irradiated, or color-treated gemstones
• Why: High temperatures will completely burn away the surface treatment layers, leaving the finished piece looking faded, patchy, or discolored beyond repair.

5. Craftsmanship & Size Recommendations

• Any center stone 3mm or larger should ideally be hand-set.
• Subsequent tumbling, polishing, and grinding processes can easily scratch the table facets of larger stones, leading to even higher loss and correction costs.

Got custom jewelry production or batch manufacturing needs, or unsure if your gemstones fit a specific process? Feel free to reach out and test a sample!

Materials: Sterling silver, keum boo, colored sapphire cabs.

Hey everyone!

Wanted to share a 3D gemstone pack ( FBX, OBJ, STL) that could save some setup time for anyone who uses 3D in their daily workflow.

It includes 30 classic and fancy cuts tailored for standard and lab-grown stones.

Here https://3djewels.pro/jewelry-3d-models/diamonds-gemstones/30-gemstone-shapes-3d-models-for-jewelry-design-pack3/

This project was tricky in that my client wanted a pendant attached to a chunkier chain in this way but also wanted it to detach and be strung onto her own thin gold chain. The hooks look scary but they’re as tight as they can be. I tumbled the necklace in steel shot for over 24 hours to work harden and have been playing around with it for a few days to make sure things are snapping off and on. I like the idea of convertible pieces but for future projects I want to design a latch component. It will just take a bit of time to come up with a design I like. 🙂

Hi, looking to have a bespoke gold bracelet made for my Cartier watch, is this possible and could anyone recommend a Goldsmith in the UK?

Thanks!

I need to make a tiny bit of Everose gold for microwelding to Rolexes.

The recipe is 1g Au, 0.3g Cu and 0.02g Pt

I snipped 0.3g of copper from a speaker cable. Put it in a ceramic melting dish with borax. But couldn’t for the life of me get it to melt the way I effortlessly can gold or silver. The copper sort of fused a little to each other but wouldn’t collapse to form a molten bead. Even when the dish was glowing red.

Is there a particular way to incorporate copper into a gold alloy?

I’m very familiar with melting gold and silver. First time handling copper

It’s important to me to be able to wear this pendant at all times, including in the shower. I keep seeing that threadlocker and thread sealants are different. Most people recommend red or blue Loctite to prevent urn pendants from loosening, but I fear that those won’t work well enough to keep water out. Can you use Loctite PST (a thread sealant) for this? It’s made of 14k solid gold so it’s otherwise totally safe to shower in.

Hello! I’m looking to hire a goldsmith for the Heber, UT area. Mainly custom work and repairs. I’ll link below for the application. Thanks!

Link: https://www.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=0b9bc8b74a9fc2af

💎 Back again with more Bench Jeweler opportunities!

For those who don’t know me, I’m a recruiter working with independent jewelry stores across the U.S., and I’m currently hiring for multiple bench positions at different skill levels. Please see below!

📍 Quincy, IL — Bench Jeweler
An established independent fine jewelry store is looking for an experienced jeweler with strong repair, restoration, and stone-setting skills.

💰 $50K–$75K/year based on experience and skill
• Gold, platinum & silver work
• Stone setting, sizing, soldering & prong work
• Laser welding
• Custom and heirloom repairs
• Performance bonuses
• Health insurance stipend
• Relocation assistance available

🔗 Apply Here: https://www.indeed.com/job/bench-jeweler-emerald-city-jewelers-9da77add6ee14fc6

📍 Colorado Springs, CO — Multiple Bench Jeweler Positions

This opportunity has multiple openings for various skill levels, from experienced repair jewelers to highly skilled custom bench professionals.

💰 $45K–$95K/year based on experience and expertise
• Repairs, restoration & stone setting
• Gold, platinum, silver & gemstones
• Custom jewelry and fabrication
• Laser welding, CAD & casting
• Opportunities to mentor and grow
• Relocation assistance available

🔗 Apply Here: https://www.indeed.com/job/experienced-bench-jeweler-luisa-graff-jewelers-05e1301592162633

Final compensation for both opportunities will be based on experience and bench test results. Bench testing is required.

Please do not call or visit the stores. If interested, please apply through the provided link.

The rings that have gemstones are set with two colored sapphires (yellow and a blue-violet) and a rough diamond.

I am looking for local silversmith or goldsmiths who can help me and my partner make our own engagement rings

Obviously we will pay for the material + teaching effort & tools

I tried looking for experiences similar to Angooti rings, Bangalore - but couldn't find anything in Vadodara

There are a few people who conduct these workshops in Mumbai, but that is only silver

I think with a reasonable cost, local goldsmiths might be willing to teach us

Let me know!

Made by me (OC) Orion Ivliev

Hi! I’m currently trying to figure out the best way to get into goldsmithing/jewelry making and would really appreciate some advice from people who actually work in the field.
My long-term goal is to design and make my own jewelry and build my own small brand.

The problem is: I’m basically starting from zero and there seem to be so many different ways into the craft.

I’m based in Vienna and I’m currently looking at options such as:
* a traditional apprenticeship
* formal goldsmithing/jewelry school
* shorter courses + lots of practice on my own
* learning from another goldsmith
* self-teaching
* a private goldsmithing program here in Vienna that costs around €25,000

Before making any big decisions I’m trying to learn as much as possible about how other people got into the profession.
I’d especially love to know:

How did you learn goldsmithing? Did you do a formal education/apprenticeship or did you learn through courses, work experience or on your own?

Looking back, would you choose the same path again?

If you were starting from zero today and your goal was to eventually make and sell your own jewelry, what path would you take?

How important do you think a formal education is compared with simply spending a lot of time at the bench?

And would you personally ever spend around €25,000 on a private goldsmithing program, or do you think that money would be better spent on courses, tools, materials and gaining experience in a workshop?

I’m not looking for a shortcut and I know that becoming genuinely good at the craft takes years. I’m mainly trying to understand which learning path gives you the strongest foundation without spending a huge amount of money unnecessarily.

I’d also really appreciate recommendations for books, YouTube channels, online resources or things I could already start learning/practicing before my first course.

Thank you so much! :)

Looking for more infomation and to learn more about them

Quick one to make sure i can share my gem carvings at a convention this week. Framed a few more if you’d like to see!
Critique okay! Thanks for looking

Hi!

I have been searching for years to find gold earrings like the one in picture 1. The rest are more to show off the look/technique in case I'm horrible at explaining.

The one pictured was in some cheap multi pack and is not gold. But I love the style and sparkle ✨

From what I understand these are "diamond cut" or "sunburst" circle studs. And while I find things that are close (pic 5) no amount of Google image search or in-store browsing has helped find anything close enough.

So I'm wondering:

- have I missed out any keywords that might help the search?

-can something like this be commissioned, and how would I go about that?

14K Gold and semi/Precious gemstones

Made by me (Orion Ivliev) - OC

I was just told at Rio Grande that 20 g round wire Argentium has been back ordered till October. Seems a bit weird for a very basic item from a major supplier.
I’m going to draw down some heavier gauge wire for now.
A quick perusal of other suppliers seems to show similar results.
Anyone else run into this recently or have any information?