Isabel Designs

Over the winter I had the opportunity to take a jewelry making class. Yes, I already know how to make some jewelry, but there is a such a vast array of materials and techniques associated with this craft that a lesson or two here and there is essential. So Jewelry 101 taught me how to shape metals – silver, bronze and copper – using a jeweler’s saw with a tiny, delicate blade, along with files, grinders, and polishers. I also learned how to solder metals using a torch – the lesson here  being that I love playing with fire!

Have you ever wondered how they get those beautiful textures in the metal jewelry you wear? Well I have…and now I know. There is a machine called a ‘rolling mill’ that looks a little like Mom’s old ringer-washing machine, except it’s a tad more sophisticated. I was able to create an impression of a feather, and imbed the profile of a guitar string in metal. Simply a remarkable tool that I enjoyed experimenting with.

There are aspects of every trade that are mysterious until you get a chance to ‘tour the studio’. Once the curtain is pulled back, it shines light on a plethora of possibilities. Down the road, I hope to implement some of this new knowledge into pieces for Isabel Design. For now I leave you with photos of two items I made in class: a guitar string ring, and a musical wave broach with a bezel setting.