The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques
London: Thames & Hudson, 2010
Author: Anastasia Young
Technical data: Hardback, 25.40 x 21.5 cm, 320pp with over 850 colour illustrations
ISBN/ISSN: 9780500515143

“The Workbench Guide Brings together a vast range of skills, techniques and technical data in one volume, to provide an essential look-up resource for both students and professionals.

• Jewelry-making materials from precious metals and gemstones to ‘smart’ plastics, vintage textiles and found objects
• Clear instructions and step-by-step photography
• Examples of cutting-edge jewelry pieces made by designers from around the world
• Practical aspects of making a business out of making jewelry
• Approaches to the creative process of jewelry design, from initial sketch to prototype.
• Workshop safety and procedures for outsourcing work to specialist external suppliers
• Exhaustive directory of tools – from simple hand tools to advanced machinery
• What to buy for a ‘beginner’s kit’.

Engraving / Chasing and repoussé / Fusing / Riveting / Enamelling / Drilling / Piercing / Cutting / Filing Annealing / Fold forming / Bending metal / Soldering / Pickling / Wire work / Hammering / Mounting and setting stones / Polishing / Stamping / Doming and swaging / Forging / Anticlastic raising / Hydraulic press forming / Wax carving and modelling / Casting metal / Casting resin / Casting plaster / Precious metal clay / Carving metal / Carving natural materials / Bending acrylic / Stringing beads / Chain Hinges / Findings / Catches / Etching / Rolling mill textures / Tooling leather / Hammer textures Reticulation / Granulation / Patination / Anodizing / Plating / Laminating / Gold leaf / Inlay / Mokume gane / Bezel or tube settings / Collet settings / Claw settings / Flush settings / Pavé and grain settings Channel settings / Illusion settings / Spectacle settings / Fancy settings / Gemstones / Metallic powders Stone shapes / Forming / Outwork / Inspiration / Drawing / Design / Photographing jewelry / CAD/CAM.

I would really recommend this book to many jewelers. It’s very clear and up to date and contains many step by step pictures as well as works by practicing artists - like me!

Rui’s work is the three rings in the middle.

500 Gemstone Jewels
Paperback: 420 pages
Publisher: Lark Books; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1600593410
ISBN-13: 978-1600593413
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches

Introducing a book that shows my work that was published this year. Lark Books produce a really good series of jewellery books that focus on a particular type of jewellery. The variety is astounding, from high jewellery to contemporary which I hope means that it attracts people of all jewellery interests but at the same time exposes them to the different genres and styles.

Rui’s ring is the middle one. Freshwater pearl, silver and gold leaf. The shape is based on an aquatic insect egg.

Uncut diamonds, copper, silver and gold leaf. The sprouting elements are free moving but the attachment is invisible.

On Sunday I conducted a workshop at the Itami Museum of Arts and Crafts. I had help from two lovely volunteers who are currently studying at the Itami College of Jewellery. Thank you you lovelies! My students were children that came along with their siblings and parents. I hope they had a great time because I did!

The morning class was making pendants from PET bottles. First we cut the bottles using scissors and then dyed them and finished them off with cord.

I’ve hid their faces with lovely shapes.

This mother and child looks as though they are showing off medals or something.

The afternoon class was making brooches from bottle caps. The children used tools they have never seen before like jeweller’s piercing saws. They even set up the blade themselves which was fantastic, drilled holes (well, watched the volunteers drill for them) and then put in pins.

Couple of things Rui learnt: 1. Children will rise to a challenge. 2. Their little hands are so fast so bring lots of extra materials. 3. Doesn’t matter if the class gets a slightly out of hand. It’s all about balance.

One of the children said that he will like to come again so I’m hoping to hone in on my teaching skills. A great afternoon.

I taught a workshop at the Osaka Fashion Design College in June over four weeks about my PET bottle technique. The students were mostly 18-19 years old - ah so young!
I think they were a bit confused in the beginning because I wanted them to think for themselves a little bit, but then they got the hang of things and got more adventurous and confident.

One student though I am so proud of because he went absolutely overboard and even did homework between workshops! Here’s a selection of his pieces:

A little while ago now.

When this giant block arrived on my doorstep it was a bit daunting to open. Primarily because you can’t flip through the damn thing. You have to ‘move’ the pages. It’s great having my work in this book together with over 1000 other people, but I keep on forgetting which page I’ve already seen and the names of all the artists. The number doesn’t sound like much but it looks like lot in a 13.5kg book. Are there really 1000 of us? Actually there must be much more because there are many who do not appear.

It’s the most ambitious book project I’ve seen in the arts and I’m glad that Andy Lim went to the extreme (or overboard) for such a little known genre.

The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellery Makers
Cologne: Darling Publications, 2009
Technical data: 2 Volume Hardcover in the Lim-slipcase, 13,5 Kilo, 2400 pages
Price: from 560 €
Order Book

This 13,5 Kilo, 2400 pages Opus Maximus was released 14 March 2009 during the International Schmuck 2009 Fair in Munich and already nicknamed by many jewellers as “the Messiah” as it was eagerly awaited since a year and was expected to bring great relief in the sleepless nights of jewellers from 54 nations.

At the Compendium Party during the release, over 1000 visitors could catch a glance at the most rumoured and gossiped about publication of 2008, and managed to empty over 180 bottles with alcoholic content within a couple of hours (at daytime!).

132 lucky jewellers could carry their boxed copies home (although quite many of them somehow underestimated the physical weight of 14 kilos!). During the waiting time for the rest of the edition to be bound (by hand!) it is expected that the nickname “Messiah” will be still valid, although a big difference is that The Compendium did show up.

The Compendium will show on a never done before scale and manner what is happening in 2008 in the entire worldwide Contemporary Jewellery scene.
Jewellery Artists from 54 nations has been nominated by Jewellery Artists.

The 1st purpose of Andy Lim, the publisher and editor, is to try to establish Contemporary Jewellery as an equally respected art form in the Contemporary Art and to create a platform, not to be neglected, which will be reached already by its sheer volume and power of 1044 artists, united in one single publication. It is not only a book about 1000+ jewellers, it is a book created by 1000+ jewellers, as every jeweller have the full freedom of a 2-page presentation a person. The alphabetical order of presentation secures a non hierarchical and non political ranking. The publishers 2nd purpose is to discover beyond the already wellknown and established artists (ca. 300) interesting positions of contemporary jewellery. And who are better „talent scouts“ than the artists themselves? Who are more aware than anybody else of what collegues are doing? They are at the cradle of the work process. And as 3rd, but not least goal: to present an astonishing bibliophile book in an unsurpassed quality of the highest standards in the Art of Bookmaking.

- 2 Volume Hardcover in the Lim-slipcase with separate pull out system.
- Bound in the Final Edition of the stunning Techno Fabric.
- Print and handbinding entirely in Germany, as always with Darling Publications.
- A stunning book where you discover everything your heart desires and covets.
- An already legendary reference book, and that´s why a MUST for libraries, museums, galleries, design lovers and the serious art and book collectors.

The Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim is co-editor.