You can start with few tools. This basic kit lets you make simple rings, pendants and earrings.

The essentials

• Pliers: flat-nose, round-nose and flush cutters.
• Saw and blades.
• Needle files.
• Hammer and steel block.
• Ring mandrel.
• Caliper and ruler.

For soldering

A mini torch, firebrick, flux, solder and a pickle bath.

Materials

Copper or silver wire and sheet to practice.

Safety first

Glasses, natural-fiber apron, good ventilation and an extinguisher. See workshop safety.

Indicative budget

A mid-quality basic kit costs less than it seems if you buy individual tools and avoid low-quality “all-in-one” kits: in each category one good tool beats three mediocre ones. Prices vary greatly by country and supplier; compare first.

Order of purchase

1. Pliers, saw and files.
2. Mandrel, caliper and ruler.
3. Torch and soldering supplies.
4. Flex shaft and polishing.
5. Stone-setting tools.

What metal to practice with

Start with copper or brass and silver wire; they are cheap and behave almost like silver. When you master soldering and filing, move on to sterling silver (925 silver).

Learning

A short in-person course or an open workshop teaches you postures, safety and mistakes that books do not show. See jewelry techniques.

See also

• Jewelry pliers and tweezers: types and uses
• Jeweler's saw and saw blades
• Jeweler's torches: gas, oxygen and mini torch
• Mandrels and ring sizers

Silver tarnish is neither a defect nor a sign that it is fake: it is a normal chemical reaction in genuine silver.

What it is

Silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air, moisture, some foods (egg, onion), wool, rubber and certain cosmetics. It forms a layer of silver sulfide, dark gray to black.

How to prevent it

• Wear it: contact with skin keeps it bright.
• Store it dry and apart, in closed bags with anti-tarnish strips.
• Take it off before using perfume, lotion and cleaning products.
• Always dry it after it gets wet.

How to remove it

With a polishing cloth or with the baking soda and aluminum foil method in the guide to cleaning silver.

Silver that tarnishes faster than usual

It depends on the alloy and the climate. Sterling silver (925) contains copper, which darkens sooner. A rhodium plating delays tarnish a lot.

See also

• How to clean silver jewelry and remove tarnish
• How to store jewelry so it does not get damaged
• Jewelry that does not tarnish or stain: which materials to choose

The rolling mill is a machine with two steel rollers that reduce the thickness of metal as it passes between them. It is used to make sheet and, with grooved rollers, wire.

Types

• Manual: with a crank; the most common in the workshop.
• Electric: to work more metal with less effort.
• Flat and grooved rollers: grooved rollers make square, round and half-round wire.

How to use it

1. Anneal the metal (heat until red and cool) if it is hard.
2. Set the gap between the rollers.
3. Pass the metal through in successive passes, reducing gradually.
4. Anneal again when the metal hardens and gets stiff.

Textures

Paper or fabric can be passed through with the sheet of metal to imprint textures.

Care

Keep the rollers clean, dry and oiled, and do not pass hard metals or solder. Scratches transfer to the metal.

See also

• Metal ingots and casting grain
• Draw plate
• Forging and hammering metal

Costume jewelry usually has inexpensive metals with a thin plating, glues and glass or plastics. That is why it needs more careful cleaning than precious-metal jewelry.

Basic cleaning

Wipe with a soft cloth lightly dampened with water and a drop of mild soap, rinse with another damp cloth and dry right away. Avoid long soaking: water can loosen glue and rust the base metal.

If the plating is worn or there are green marks

Verdigris is copper oxide from the base metal. Remove it with a cotton swab and a little rubbing alcohol, then dry. Once the plating is gone the piece does not regain its color; a clear jewelry lacquer protects it.

Home remedies

Baking soda, vinegar, toothpaste and lemon can strip the plating, so they are a bad idea on costume jewelry. A dry cloth is usually enough.

Making it last

Put costume jewelry on last, after lotion and perfume, and take it off before showering, swimming or sleeping. Store it dry, apart and in closed bags.

See also

• Why jewelry turns your skin green
• Home remedies for cleaning jewelry: what works and what does not
• How to store jewelry so it does not get damaged

Vitreous enamel is finely ground glass applied to a metal base and fused in a kiln at around 750-850 °C. The result is a glossy, hard layer with intense colors that do not fade, used for centuries in jewelry and metalwork.

Properties

• Composition: powdered glass with metal oxides that give the color.
• Base: copper, silver, gold and other metals that withstand the firing temperature.
• Temperature: around 750-850 °C in a kiln or with a torch.
• Techniques: cloisonné, champlevé, basse-taille, plique-à-jour and painted enamel.
• Durability: hard and glossy, but it can chip with a hard knock.

Uses in jewelry

• Enameled rings, brooches and pendants.
• Art jewelry with painted motifs.
• More affordable enameled copper pieces.
• Color details in gold and silver jewelry.

Pros and cons

Advantages

• Intense colors that do not fade.
• Very resistant to light and water.
• Art-jewelry look.

Limitations

• It can chip if struck.
• It is a slow process that needs a kiln.
• Cold enamel (resin) is different and less durable.

Care and cleaning

• Avoid knocks.
• Clean with lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft cloth.
• Do not use ultrasonic cleaners or abrasives.

See also

• Copper
• Gold
• Glass and crystal

Long before Europeans arrived, the peoples of what is now Colombia developed gold metalwork of extraordinary technical quality. For many of them, gold was not wealth in the modern sense but a sacred material tied to the sun, fertility and ritual.

Who and where

Goldworking peoples include the Muisca (Cundiboyacense highlands), the Quimbaya (Cauca Valley and Quindío), the Tairona (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta), the Calima and the Zenú. The Gold Museum of the Banco de la República in Bogotá holds tens of thousands of pieces.

Materials and techniques

• Gold and tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper.
• Lost-wax casting, with wax models and wax threads for the designs (see lost-wax casting).
• Depletion gilding: copper is removed from the surface of the tumbaga so the piece looks like pure gold.
• Hammering and rolling.

Traditional pieces and their meaning

• Tunjos: Muisca votive figures offered to lakes and deities.
• Muisca raft: a small gold raft with figures, found in Pasca in 1969, linked to the chief's ceremony and to the origin of the El Dorado legend.
• Quimbaya poporo: a gold vessel for the lime chewed with coca leaf; today a symbol of Colombian goldwork.
• Pectorals and nose ornaments: ornaments that indicated rank, with bird and feline motifs and part-human, part-animal figures.

The tradition today

Contemporary Colombian goldwork draws on this heritage, and the filigree of Mompox, among others, is still alive. Because it is the heritage of specific peoples, it is important to know the origin of a piece and not to confuse replicas with originals, whose trade is regulated.

See also

• Gold
• Lost-wax casting
• Copper
• Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning

The draw plate is a hardened steel plate with a series of holes of decreasing size. Pulling wire through them thins and lengthens it.

Types

With round, square, oval and half-round holes, to give the wire the desired section.

Use

1. Taper the end of the wire.
2. Lubricate with beeswax.
3. Pass it through the hole and pull with draw tongs, straight and continuously.
4. Anneal the wire when it stiffens. See rolling and wire drawing.

Care

Keep the plate clean and rust-free; do not hit it.

Alternatives

The rolling mill with grooved rollers can produce sections without drawing.

What it achieves

A draw plate lets you thin a wire (from 1.5 mm to 0.8 mm, for example), change its section (round, square, half-round) and make wire from a strip of metal. It is done in several steps through ever smaller holes; reducing too much at once breaks the wire.

How many steps

Skip at most one hole and never jump to a much smaller one. When the wire feels like it is “biting” as you pull or stretches with difficulty, anneal it and continue.

Lubrication

Beeswax is the most usual. Without lubrication the wire seizes and gets scratched.

Safety

Clamp the plate in a bench vise or a holder; pull with draw tongs, not with your fingers, and keep your face away: a wire can come loose suddenly.

See also

• Rolling and wire drawing: sheet and wire
• Rolling mills: how to flatten metal
• Wire wrapping

Before the signature there was the seal: an object with a design cut in intaglio that was pressed into clay or wax. Many seals were also jewelry, because they were worn on a cord around the neck or on a ring.

Cylinder seals of Mesopotamia

For over five thousand years, stone cylinders were carved in Mesopotamia and rolled over soft clay to leave a relief scene. They were worn hung from a cord or a pin.

Egyptian scarabs

Seals in the form of the scarab were used as amulets and as seals. They were carved in stones such as carnelian, amethyst or lapis lazuli.

Greek and Roman intaglios

These were gems engraved in intaglio, mounted in rings, with portraits, gods and animals. They were used to seal letters and as jewelry.

Seals in East Asia

In China, Japan and Korea, the personal seal (the Chinese “chop” or the Japanese hanko) replaces the signature. It is carved in stone, jade, wood or ivory, and used in calligraphy and painting.

Today

Seals live on as rings (signet rings), pendants and collectibles.

See also

• Signet rings: history, engraving and how to wear them
• Jewelry and amulets of ancient Egypt
• Lapis lazuli

Diamond attracts grease (lotion, soap, skin oil), so it loses sparkle quickly. Cleaning it regularly brings it back to its original look.

Home method

1. Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap.
2. Soak the ring for 20-30 minutes.
3. Gently brush the back and sides of the stone, where dirt collects, with a soft-bristle brush.
4. Rinse in clean water and dry with a lint-free cloth.

What to avoid

• Bleach and chlorine products: they can damage the metals in the setting.
• Toothpaste and abrasives.
• Dropping the ring: a knock can loosen the stone even though diamond is very hard.

How often

Clean the ring at home every week or two if you wear it daily. Once a year, take it to a jeweler to check the prongs and setting; a loose stone shows as slight movement or a rattle when you shake the ring.

See also

• How to clean gold jewelry at home
• Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner: when to use it and when not to
• How to clean jewelry with gemstones
• Diamond

Knowing the parts of a jewel helps to describe it, buy it and repair it.

Ring

• Head: the part that holds the stone.
• Prongs or bezel: what fixes the stone (settings).
• Gallery: the space under the stone.
• Shoulders: the sides joining head and band.
• Shank: the band around the finger.
• Table: the flat top face (in a signet ring).

Earring

• Post or hook: what passes through the ear.
• Back: what holds it (clasps).
• Front: the visible part.

Necklace and bracelet

• Chain or cord.
• Clasp and extender.
• Bail: where the chain passes through a pendant.
• Links and connectors.

Gem

Table, crown, girdle, pavilion and culet. See types of cut.

Why it matters to know the parts

Knowing how to name the parts lets you ask for a repair precisely (“a prong needs rebuilding”, “an earring screw is missing”) and understand a sales description. Workshops and shops use this vocabulary.

Parts of a ring head

The head may be prong, bezel, channel or another type (see types of setting). Under the stone there is often a gallery, a small openwork support that decorates and lets light in.

See also

• Stone settings: types and how to choose
• Types of gem and diamond cuts
• Types of jewelry clasps (necklaces, bracelets and earrings)
• Ring styles: from solitaire to cocktail ring

Jade is the name for two different minerals, jadeite and nephrite, that share great toughness and a characteristic green color. It is one of the most revered stones in history, in China, Mesoamerica and New Zealand.

Properties

• Types: jadeite (rarer and more valuable) and nephrite (more common, used in Māori pounamu)
• Hardness: between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale, but with exceptional toughness.
• Color: green in all its shades; also lavender, white, yellow and black.
• Origins: Myanmar (jadeite), China, Guatemala, Russia and New Zealand (nephrite)
• Treatments: grades A (natural), B (bleached and polymer-impregnated) and C (dyed) indicate the level of treatment.

Uses in jewelry

• Bangles, beads, pendants and carvings.
• Amulets and traditional jewelry of China, Mesoamerica and New Zealand.
• Contemporary jewelry.

Pros and cons

Advantages

• Very tough: it resists knocks.
• Loaded with cultural meaning.
• Carved into very varied shapes.

Limitations

• Many imitations and treated pieces exist.
• Quality jadeite is very expensive.
• Impregnated (grade B) pieces deteriorate over time.

Care and cleaning

• Clean with lukewarm water, mild soap and a cloth.
• Avoid strong chemicals.
• For grade B jade, avoid ultrasonic and acids.

See also

• Mesoamerican jewelry: jade, gold and feathers
• Māori pounamu: hei-tiki, hei matau and koru
• Symbols in traditional jewelry and their meaning

An ultrasonic cleaner uses vibrations in a liquid to loosen dirt from the smallest crevices. It is very effective, but not suitable for all jewelry.

Safe for

Solid gold, silver and platinum, and untreated, unfractured diamonds, sapphires and rubies. It is very good for chains and settings with a lot of dirt.

Not safe for

• Pearls, opals, turquoise, coral, amber and ivory.
• Emeralds and other stones treated with oil or resin.
• Glued stones, costume jewelry and plated pieces.
• Pieces with cracks or loose settings: the vibrations can loosen the stone.

How to use it

Use lukewarm water with a little soap or the solution the device recommends. Leave the piece a few minutes (3-5 is enough in almost all cases), rinse and dry.

See also

• How to clean jewelry with gemstones
• Professional maintenance: what a jeweler checks and how often
• Ultrasonic machine for jewelry

Pavé (French for “paved”) is the setting in which many small stones are placed very close together so they look like a continuous surface of sparkle.

How it is done

1. Seats are drilled for each stone.
2. The stones are set.
3. With a graver, tiny beads of metal (“grains”) are raised to hold each stone.
4. They are refined and polished.

Variants

Traditional pavé, micro-pavé (with tiny stones seen under a loupe) and pavé with an open-work base.

Use

Rings, bands, pendants, earrings and watches.

Care

It is delicate: a small stone can come loose from a knock. Have it checked regularly.

Step by step

1. Drill. Make a seat per stone.
2. Raise beads. With a graver, lift a bead of metal next to each stone.
3. Seat. Place the stones.
4. Close. Push each bead toward the stone.
5. Shape. Round them with a beading tool.
6. Polish. Clean between stones.

Tools and materials

• Gravers and beading tools
• Calibrated stones
• Microscope or loupe (loupe)
• Setter's wax

Common mistakes

• Unequal stones.
• Beads too small to hold.
• Pushing without control: edges chip.
• Not checking after polishing.

See also

• Stone settings: types and how to choose
• Halo, cluster and three-stone settings
• Channel setting

That green or black mark on your finger or neck does not mean the jewelry is fake or that you have a health problem. It is a chemical reaction.

What happens

Copper and some alloy metals react with sweat, skin acids, lotions and water. They form green copper salts that deposit on the skin. It is most common with costume jewelry, brass, bronze and low-purity silver or gold.

It is harmless

The mark washes off with soap and water. If it itches, reddens or blisters, it may be an allergy, for example to nickel. In that case see the guide to hypoallergenic jewelry.

How to prevent it

• Choose materials that do not react: 14 or 18 karat gold, platinum, titanium, 316L stainless steel.
• Avoid wearing the piece with lotion, perfume or heavy sweat.
• On a piece that already leaves the mark, a clear jewelry lacquer makes a temporary barrier.

See also

• How to clean costume and fashion jewelry
• Hypoallergenic jewelry and nickel allergy
• Jewelry that does not tarnish or stain: which materials to choose

A tiara is a semicircular ornament worn at the front of the head, usually set with diamonds or pearls. Unlike a crown, it does not go all the way around the head.

Origin

The name comes from an ancient Persian headdress. The modern tiara became popular in the European courts of the 18th and 19th centuries and became usual at weddings and formal ceremonies. Some Victorian pieces are convertible: the tiara comes apart into a necklace or brooches.

Styles

• Halo: a band of gems that rises above the forehead.
• Kokoshnik: Russian-style, fan-shaped.
• Floral: with leaves and flowers in metal.
• Modern and minimalist: a fine line of crystals or pearls.

Materials

Historic tiaras are gold or silver with diamonds and pearls. Today there are crystal, cubic zirconia and plated-metal tiaras, more affordable for weddings and parties.

How to choose

• Match it to the hairstyle and the neckline of the dress.
• Choose a light tiara if you will wear it for many hours.
• Make sure it is comfortable: the combs and holding teeth should sit firmly.
• Care for it with a soft cloth and keep it in its box.

See also

• Crowns: history, types and materials
• Scepters and orbs: the jewelry of power
• Diamond

The 4Cs are the international system for describing and comparing diamonds. Understanding them helps you choose well and avoid overpaying.

Cut

It is not the shape, but the quality of the proportions, symmetry and polish, which determine sparkle. It is graded from Excellent to Poor. It is the most important C for brilliance.

Color

Graded from D (colorless) to Z (yellowish). D-F are colorless, G-J near colorless; many buyers choose G-I for good value.

Clarity

Measures inclusions: FL (flawless), IF, VVS1-2, VS1-2, SI1-2 and I1-3. A VS2 or SI1 is often “eye-clean” and cheaper.

Carat

It is weight: one carat equals 0.2 grams. More weight means a higher price, and price jumps at round sizes (1 carat, 2 carats).

How to balance them

Prioritize cut, be flexible on color and clarity, and choose carat weight to fit your budget. Always ask for a report from a reputable lab.

See also

• Lab-grown or natural diamond: differences, price and which to choose
• How to choose an engagement ring and how much to spend
• Diamond

Among the Emberá, who live in the rainforests of the Chocó (Colombia) and the Darién (Panama), working with chaquira is a women's art. With tiny glass beads they create wide collars, bracelets and richly colored ornaments.

Who and where

The Emberá are an Indigenous people of Colombia and Panama. Their neighbors the Wounaan are also known for tagua carving and for their baskets. Chaquira (glass beads) arrived with European trade and was fully absorbed into their culture.

Materials and techniques

• Chaquira: very small glass beads in many colors.
• Thread and needle, or simple looms, to string and weave the beads.
• Seeds, tagua and other materials from the surroundings in combined pieces.

Traditional pieces and their meaning

• Wide chaquira collars: woven with beads in colored bands and geometric patterns; worn in daily life and at celebrations.
• Beaded bracelets and ornaments: woven bands with repeated motifs.
• Designs: they are often inspired by the surroundings: rivers, animals, plants and the body, although the specific meaning depends on each artisan and community.

The tradition today

Emberá artisans sell their work in communities, fairs and cooperatives. Buying directly from them, or from organizations that pay fair prices, supports families and the continuity of the tradition.

See also

• Glass and crystal
• Seeds, tagua and nuts
• Rope and cord
• How to buy artisan and Indigenous jewelry ethically

In a chain, dirt hides between the links. With the right method it comes out clean without damage.

General method

1. Place the chain in a bowl of lukewarm water and mild soap for 10-15 minutes.
2. Brush the links with a soft brush.
3. Rinse in clean water.
4. Dry with a soft cloth and air-dry before storing.

Silver chains

If they are black, use the baking soda and aluminum foil method from the guide to cleaning silver. Then buff with a cloth.

Gold chains

The general method is enough. With fine chains, do not pull while brushing: they can break.

Stainless steel chains

Clean with water, soap and a microfiber cloth. Avoid abrasive scouring pads.

To avoid tangles

Clean them one at a time and lay them flat to dry. Store them fastened, hung up or in individual bags.

See also

• How to clean silver jewelry and remove tarnish
• How to clean gold jewelry at home
• How to fix a broken chain

To burnish is to rub metal with a smooth, hard tool (the burnisher), which compresses the surface instead of removing it. The result is a soft shine and slightly harder metal.

What for

To close a bezel or prongs over a stone, to smooth an edge and to shine an area without having to polish it.

Tools

Steel and agate burnishers, and the steel-shot tumbler (mass finishing).

Advantages

It removes no metal, makes no dust and hardens the surface.

Tips

Use soapy water as lubricant and press firmly, always with a clean tool.

Step by step

1. Clean. Remove grease and residue.
2. Moisten. Use soapy water.
3. Press. Rub the burnisher firmly.
4. Follow the edge. Close the bezel little by little.
5. Check. See whether the surface is smooth.
6. Rinse. Dry with a cloth.

Tools and materials

• Steel and agate burnishers
• Soapy water
• Steel-shot tumbler
• Soft cloth

Common mistakes

• Dirty or scratched burnisher.
• Uneven pressure.
• Burnishing without lubricating.
• Striking the stone.

See also

• Polishing and buffing metal
• Bezel setting
• Forging and hammering metal

Metal clay (PMC, Art Clay…) is a paste of silver, gold or copper particles with an organic binder and water. It is modeled like clay and, when fired, turns into metal.

How it is done

1. The paste is modeled by hand or with molds and left to dry.
2. It is filed and smoothed when dry.
3. It is fired in a kiln or with a torch: the binder burns away and the particles sinter into metal.
4. The piece is polished like any other.

Shrinkage

The piece shrinks when fired (between 8 and 30% depending on the brand); design it a little larger.

Origin

It was developed in Japan in the early 1990s and brought silver jewelry to people without a casting workshop.

Advantages

No soldering or casting is needed; it takes textures, stamps and molds.

Step by step

1. Knead. Keep the clay moist as you work.
2. Model. Shape by hand or with molds.
3. Dry. Let it dry completely.
4. Fire. Sinter in a kiln or with a torch.
5. Cool. Let it rest.
6. Finish. Brush, burnish and polish.

Tools and materials

• Metal clay (silver or copper)
• Kiln or torch
• Modeling tools
• Brass brush and burnisher

Common mistakes

• Poor drying: it cracks when fired.
• Not allowing for shrinkage (12-30%).
• Firing at the wrong temperature.
• Reusing clay that has already dried.

See also

• Jewelry oven
• Silver
• Metal ingots and casting grain