Free Jewelry Making Lessons Archives

6Jan

By filigreebeNo Comments

Videos Page 2

Creating integrated bails for pendants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZMpsc7zQWo&feature=emb_logo Get ready for Fall now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZrC7RAHrA Tips for using E6000 glue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XCUonJ34K4 Mounting Antique Buttons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9VDoXRX8tE Visit our store web site VintageJewelrySupplies.com to shop for these and thousands more items.(NOTE: our website best viewed on desktop or tablet) We are so thankful for Susan Street! She is no longer the primary owner of Vintage Jewelry Supplies Inc., but she is forever the original heart and soul of the company. Sincerely,Regina JiltonOwner – VintageJewelrySupplies.com

8Sep

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons, Ideas

Videos

New to Jewelry Design? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8agjPgDAcfI Just Glue It! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwlzhv0r4bA Brass Stampings and Filigrees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXxEqPkPLc Necklace Ideas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQXrin9LK_c Visit our store web site VintageJewelrySupplies.com to shop for these and thousands more items.(NOTE: our website best viewed on desktop or tablet) We are so thankful for Susan Street! She is no longer the primary owner of Vintage Jewelry Supplies Inc., but she is forever the original heart and soul of the company. Sincerely,Regina JiltonOwner - VintageJewelrySupplies.com

1Oct

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons, Ideas

She’s copying me!

I share this experience with you in an attempt to help you cope with this frustrating event in the most positive way I know. From the first time a cave dweller made a mark on the wall with a piece of charcoal, I have a feeling there has been this claim of "She's copying me!" When I made jewelry full time, I was widely and blatantly copied. Each time I realized my work was being duplicated, I moved on to learn a new technique, try a new method and experiment with a different style. I didn't waste time and energy lamenting that someone was trying to copy me. It forced me to become a much more accomplished artist. I am in no way endorsing such actions, however if I had never had competition, I would still be living in a...

13Jul

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Brooch Pins

My deepest gratitude to good friend and very talented designer Willie Zuniga who submitted this lesson on how to make a brooch pin. She is kind enough to share some of her techniques with you so that you can use that knowledge to make designs of your own. This copyrighted design is intended for learning purposes only and should not be copied for resale, either whole or in part. Start with setting #L52. Using small wire cutters nip off the loop. Remember, the technique is what you are learning, so be sure to look at all the other pieces on the site which can be used in the same way. Push the two opposing prongs of setting #S193 through the openings in filigree #D51. Set an 18mm stone into the setting and push the prongs down. Glue the edges of the fi...

23Jun

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Filigree

This earring design was created using only jump rings to sandwich a buff top oval cabochon between two filigree triangles. I used the jet oval buff top cabochon #T38 with different sizes of jump rings to join the two filigrees around the stone. All items used to make the earrings are shown with their numbers in the second photo. (Note: #T8 is now item #T08) #T08, #AA68, #B105, #A252, #A164, #BB53, #R28, #A28 This is also a great little filigree to use as a fancy prong effect layered in collage jewelry. Keep scrolling for more ideas! I used this filigree triangle as the "setting" edges when I embellished the medallion pictured below in detail and also in a full view. It was easily molded to the sides of the stone which was first set into a plain setting. The secret ...

17Jun

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Natural Elements

In this design example, I will show you one way to use a gemstone pendant bead which might not be perfectly drilled or evenly cut. This happens quite often when using a natural element of any type. Shell cabochons, gemstones or handmade glass stones are not always perfectly even or smooth, but I always try to make use of them. When I bought this black agate druzy geode pendant bead, it looked good in the poor lighting of the bead show. However, as I started to work with it in better lighting, I discovered that the hole was lopsided making the pendant hang at an odd angle. Usher in plan B. When the holes are not drilled properly in an otherwise beautiful gemstone, the layering technique can be employed to salvage the stone. Here I covered the hole completely with other elements. I wi...

8May

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons, Ideas

More Layering Ideas

In this focal point piece,I gathered seemingly unrelated pieces of filigree, stampings and functional findings and then layered them together to create something out of the ordinary. Tip: Use a dot of E6000 glue between each layer of the pieces to hold everything together. After the project had time to set, I gently pushed the prongs onto the edge of the cameo to give the illusion that they are doing all the work. #A842, #A724, #R154, #B206, #BB43 The item numbers are shown below each piece used to make this pendant. Using a filigree piece like #B206 near the top of the pendant allows for necessary openings to attach chain, ribbon or bead strands. Some elements of this design technique include: 1. Framework - Adds textural interest and defines t...

4Nov

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Tool Tips

Many of you have written to me over the years to ask questions about how to get started designing jewelry. I started my design career in my mid-thirties with very little money (less than $10.00) and no training at all, while working another full time job. You can do it too! I'll give you a few pointers on this site and you can fill in the blanks with your own creative ideas. The most important thing to have in this business is imagination! Take a basic idea and make the design your own. Don't be afraid to cut pieces apart, bend or hammer them into different forms. The pieces you buy from me are brass which is a soft composite metal which can be manipulated easily. The only warning I can give is that the plating may "pop" off of items that have been plated bright gold or sterling silv...

8Sep

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Open-Back Turtle Setting

This page is a gift for you from Willie Zuniga. "I really love these settings, so I wanted to share a few ideas with you." writes Willie. Turtle settings and open backed turtle settings can be used with almost any stamping, drop or connector that has an opening in the center or not. That's why they are one of our top selling items. You can use them for any type of jewelry making, since they are so functional. Except for the earrings in the picture below, the following items are not finished pieces, but I'm sure you'll find some ideas there. Whether you glue the settings on top, or wrap them around the piece (as in the earrings) ... you've created a whole new "setting." These aqua earrings include 16mm size settings, wit...

1Aug

By filigreebeNo Comments

Free Jewelry Making Lessons

Unique Bails

A unique bail can make all the difference in the look of your finished project. Here are some ideas to help you create unique bails from which to hang your pendants. Try folding over a connector which is the correct size and shape then add a jump ring as in item A. You can also use one link of rollo chain as in item B in the first photo. Any unsoldered larger link chain which has the right size and shape links can be used as a bail. In this photo you see a bail made from our long bar filigree #B33. This technique combines settings of various sizes with the rings either nipped off or turned downward so that you can attach other items. You can also use any of our ring findings as a bail as shown in the photo below. ...