Online Articles

Color Code Using nail lacquer to color-code hand files for better organization By Helen I. Driggs My hands work hard—and they show it, so I have long found myself baffled at how my metalsmith friends can manage to keep a manicure intact for more than 30 seconds. One friend told me about gel polish—a really […]

Drawing a Bead Patience, precision, and practice are the keys to better bead-style settings By Shawna Kulpa Why do bead-style settings—from classic single-row “bead and bright” cuts to multi-row pavé—make even seasoned jewelers take a thoughtful pause? Let me count the reasons… First, there’s the equipment and steps involved. When you’re setting a solitaire in […]

Fuel the Fire An in-depth look at the six types of torch gases for your bench By Sharon Elaine Thompson (Originally Published September 2023) Quick Links: Natural Gas • Propane • Acetylene • Butane • MAPP Gas • Hydrogen • Safety A torch is a fundamental jewelry-making tool. But a torch is nothing without a […]

Easy Embossing Plates A step-by-step guide to creating your own custom printing plates By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published September 2023) I love to make my own tools, and creating custom positive/negative sheet metal for my rolling mill takes my work beyond what’s commercially available, giving my jewelry a unique look. All you need to […]

The Magic Touch Jewelers share their expertise on some of the most common jewelry finishes By Shawna Kulpa (Originally Published October 2023) Quick Links: High Polish • Satin • Brushed • Wire Brushed • Sandblasted • Hammered • Florentine • Stippled Have you ever wondered how a piece of metal becomes a masterpiece? It’s not […]

Tiny Tube Punches How to make your own set of tapered steel punches for riveting By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published October 2023) Rivets take center stage in most of my work, and hollow—or tube—rivets are tremendously useful cold connections for stone-on-stone pieces, hollow hinge pins, or any other open-centered cold connection. I often use […]

Double Duty How to create a punch from steel rod to create better rivet heads By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published August 2023) I make mixed material work and I rivet a lot. One of the biggest issues I face in cold-connected work is getting nicely rounded rivet heads within pieces that are curved, such […]

Post Earring Pliers Get efficient and clean bends on earring heads for round and faceted stones By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published July 2023) I had a pair of inexpensive, off-the-shelf setting pliers that were almost what I needed, but not perfect, so I decided to modify them to make them more useful. The issue […]

MJSA Tech Sheet 46 ISO Want a Good Casting: “The Devil in the Details”—and So Is Consistency

MJSA Tech Sheet 45 What’s Old Is New (Again): Working with Heirloom Jewelry at the Bench by Gary Dawson

MJSA Tech Sheet 44 Crystal Clear: Where the Water Goes in Gypsum Bonded Investments, and Why It Matters by J. Tyler Teague

MJSA Tech Sheet 43 Steps Toward a Shop Well Kept Minimizing Metal Losses When Casting Platinum

MJSA Tech Sheet 42 Investing Resin Models, Part 2 by J. Tyler Teague

MJSA Tech Sheet 41 Measuring Up: Accurately Determining Gem Dimensions and Sizing Rings by Arthur Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 40 Designing with Lasers How JJBückar Developed a “Light” Touch

MJSA Tech Sheet 39 Investing Resin Models: Tips for Increasing Mold Strength

MJSA Tech Sheet 38 Tips for Laser Marking and Engraving by Shannon L. Brown

MJSA Tech Sheet 37 Critical Equipment for Safer Casting by Shannon L. Brown

MJSA Tech Sheet 36 Tips for Laser Cutting and Monograms and Waxes by Shannon L. Brown

MJSA Tech Sheet 35 Tips for Laser Welding Silver by Shannon L. Brown

MJSA Tech Sheet 34 Get to the Point: Techniques for Pinpoint Setting by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 5 Tips for Casting CAD/CAM Models by Teresa Fryé and J. Tyler Teague

MJSA Tech Sheet 32 CAD Modeling Methods: A Primer by Steven Adler

MJSA Tech Sheet 31 Tips for Casting RP Materials by J. Tyler Teague

MJSA Tech Sheet 30 All Set: A Guide to Evaluating Gemstone Settings by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 29 Powder Power: Tips for Choosing Casting Investment

MJSA Tech Sheet 5 Buttons Are for Wimps: Debunking a Casting Superstition by J. Tyler Teague

MJSA Tech Sheet 27 More Casting Tips from The Experts

MJSA Tech Sheet 26 Tips for Handling Glass-Filled Rubies by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 25 Tips for Soldering Set-Up by Charles Lewton-Brain

MJSA Tech Sheet 24 Tools for Working with Findings by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 22 Fine Tuning Your Casting Alloys by Daniel Ballard

MJSA Tech Sheet 21 Solutions for the Workshop by Kate Wolf

MJSA Tech Sheet 20 Tips for Casting Challenging Metals by Linus Drogs III

MJSA Tech Sheet 19 Like a Brick House: Grading Quality by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz and Julie Nash

MJSA Tech Sheet 18 Tips for Precision Laser Welding by Bob Stanley

MJSA Tech Sheet 17 Don’t Throw Away that “Bonus” Metal by Arthur Anton Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 16 Tips for Soldering Findings by Mark Maxwell

MJSA Tech Sheet 15 Casting Tips: The Experts Weigh In

MJSA Tech Sheet 14 Turning Household Items into Bench Aids by Jurgen J. Maerz

MJSA Tech Sheet 13 Working with Hinges by Charles Lewton-Brain

MJSA Tech Sheet 12 Creating a Palladium Diamond Ring by Daniel Ballard

MJSA Tech Sheet 11 Tips for Buying Computer “Solutions” by Bill Kopelcheck

MJSA Tech Sheet 10 Polishing Tools & Tips by Charles Lewton-Brain

MJSA Tech Sheet 9 Preparing Your Scrap For Refining by Gary Dawson

MJSA Tech Sheet 8 Tips for Working with Findings by Daniel Grandi

MJSA Tech Sheet 7 Tips for Investing Flasks when Casting by Daniel Grandi

MJSA Tech Sheet 6 Tips for Ergonomic Bench Work by Charles Lewton-Brain

MJSA Tech Sheet 5 Tips for Preparing and Finishing Waxes by Kate Wolf

MJSA Tech Sheet 3 Bench Tips from Gregg Todd & Gregg Gilman

MJSA Tech Sheet 4 Tool Tips from Arthur Skuratowicz

MJSA Tech Sheet 2 Laser Welding Tips from Bob Stanley

MJSA Tech Sheet 1 Wax Carving Tips from Kate Wolf

Well-Dressed Pliers “Dressing” your pliers for a mar-proof finish By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published June 2023) No matter their price tags, most off-the-shelf pliers will need to be modified at some point during their work life. My convex/concave ring shank pliers are a good example because although they are 98 percent perfect for my […]

Tip Tips How to create round, tab, and claw prong tips By Joel McFadden (Originally Published June 2023) What exactly are prong tips? Tips are the parts of prongs that show on top of the table of a center stone. There are four primary types of prong tips: round, tab, claw, and petite claw. In some […]

Steel Spa Repair and rehab a vintage steel burnisher By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published May 2023) I inherited a few well-loved burnishers that are made from beautiful old, hard steel. Because they are vintage tools, I try to treat them with the care they deserve and recently decided to repair their loose handles and […]

Solder Savers Time-tested solder-saving tips for more efficient torch time By Helen I. Driggs (Originally Published April 2023) There are as many soldering tips and timesavers as there are jewelry makers who solder. I try to teach my beginner soldering students good work habits from the start, and I also find it’s sometimes a good […]

On Guard! Stop the unintentional marring of jewelry metals in your vise By Helen I. Driggs It’s inevitable that every tool you own will eventually need to be modified. Pliers, anvils, blocks, dies, punches, and hammers—basically anything steel—will at some point produce unintended marks on jewelry metal that will need to be removed, and you’ll […]

Capturing the Glow A primer on drawing in lifted and classic perspective By Rémy Rotenier Born from a defense mechanism of oysters, pearls have been a favorite of jewelry lovers for a very long time. Unlike gemstones, which can display many optical phenomena, pearls just quietly glow, as if animated from their core. Pearl rings […]

Perfect Pinstems How to create your own pinstems for brooches By Helen I. Driggs I make my own pinstems for brooches using durable brass, nickel, or steel piano wire. The downside of working with a durable metal is that it’s time-consuming to bring it to a fine, symmetrical, and sharp point. I normally swear by […]

Toolmaking for Texture Adding custom-design surface interest to sheet metal By Helen I. Driggs (Originally published October 2022) Surface texture is a guaranteed way to create design appeal on an ordinary flat sheet of metal. I try to avoid using the manufactured hydraulic plates, pre-textured metal sheets, and rolling mill plates that everyone else uses […]

Around the Bench A step-by-step guide to creating a double loop-in-loop chain right at the bench By Tony DeLuca (Originally published October 2022) Originating in the Middle East during the Bronze Age, loop-in-loop chain making is an ancient technique that is still practiced today by many goldsmiths around the world. Although fairly simple to make, […]

Wire Minders Repurpose old pliers to create sturdy wire holders By Helen I. Driggs Gripping short sections of wire to file the sharp or deformed ends caused by nippers can be a real chore. I regularly use 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-gauge wire and rod for hinge pins and rivets in my cold-connected work, so […]

Totally Tubular An alternative method for almost any tube setting situation By Joel McFadden Tube setting is a very modern looking setting style primarily used by hand fabricators. It’s a unique method because of the limited amount of metal wall with which you have to work. This means that traditional bezel setting techniques don’t usually […]

A Power Trip Exploring the electroforming process and its possibilities for use in jewelry making By Shawna Kulpa How often have you seen a leaf or a seashell and thought, “I’d like to turn that into a piece of jewelry”? Unfortunately, that’s often easier said than done. You could re-create the forms in wax or […]

What Jewelry Makers Need to Know About Mass Finishing with Judy Hoch Airdate: October 1, 2022 Judy Hoch of Marstal Smithy (author of Tumble Finishing for Handmade Jewelry) discusses the benefits of mass finishing, why it might be right for your shop, and why she considers it the safest most effective way to finish jewelry. Watch […]

A Riveting Finish Make this handy punch for perfectly hemispherical rivet heads By Helen I. Driggs I make a lot of wire rivets and I love the look of shiny and perfectly hemispherical rivet heads. However, achieving a perfectly shaped rivet head can be difficult with the cross peen of a standard riveting or goldsmith’s […]

Setting Helpers Discover new uses for two traditional burs By Joel McFadden Jewelers don’t often think about the smallest tools on their bench. However, those little tools make what we do possible. Two of my favorite tools are the Krause bur and the inverted cone bur. In addition to the traditional uses of these burs, […]

A Sticking Point Hold on to tiny parts with this waterproof, foolproof sanding solution By Helen I. Driggs How many times have you tried to hang on to a thin or tiny part to sand or file only to have that part fly across the studio or get lost forever in the dark, dusty wasteland […]

Need a Hand? A step-by-step guide to drawing an adjustable bracelet By Rémy Rotenier Every one of us has struggled at some point with putting on a bracelet.When I had a collection on Jewelry Television, I designed many bolo bracelets because of how versatile they were. The wearer would just slide the bracelet on and […]

Easy Bound How to combine joining techniques to achieve maximum holds By Fabio Penuela Soldering is an important part of what we do as bench jewelers. There are different degrees of difficulty when it comes to soldering, which is why some jewelers turn to laser welders. However, I’ve always found a laser weld to be […]

Details Matter Build a mini brass scratch brush for small-scale cleanups By Helen I. Driggs Sometimes, a commercial brass scratch brush is just too big, too clunky, or too work-hardened from repeated use to do an effective cleanup, especially in tiny spaces. When I noticed my old brass brush wasn’t getting my metal as clean […]

Smooth Sailing A guide to setting baguette stones into multidimensional curved surfaces By Joel McFadden Setting a baguette stone into a multidimensional curved surface such as a domed band can be a challenging process. How do you make the setting look smooth? Here I’ll demonstrate the technique I use that’s similar to channel setting in […]

Balancing Act Find a no-fail balance point on any pendant with this simple tweezer modification By Helen I. Driggs Sometimes I have a difficult time deciding exactly where on a pendant I want to solder on the mounting hardware, whether it’s a bail or jump ring. When it comes to heavy or asymmetrical pendants you […]

In a Tight Spot Create a DIY needle burnisher for finishing tiny spaces By Helen I. Driggs I love the shiny glint of burnished edges on my jewelry metals, but sometimes it’s quite difficult to fit a standard hand burnisher into sharp inner corners, complex fretwork, or in and around prongs, hinge knuckles, or clustered […]

In the Hot Seat How to minimize damage when unsetting a bezel-set gemstone By Jeanette K. Caines Unsetting a bezel-set gemstone is something that you might not do often, but it is more than likely to come up eventually. Potential reasons for unsetting are a cracked or damaged stone, correcting issues with an improperly set […]

In No Time Flat A solution to polishing small flat surfaces By Fabio Penuela Polishing is a crucial step in jewelry making. Here’s why: Let’s say that you have a custom design that calls for flat surfaces. You design it in CAD, print it, cast it, and clean it, respecting all the shapes and forms […]

Hold On Make these strips to secure your next join By Helen I. Driggs There is nothing worse than taking the time to set up an amazing feat of balance on your soldering block only to have it tumble down once the torch joins the act. I am not a huge fan of using third […]

Good As New A step-by-step guide to repairing a worn out prong By Joel McFadden Most often seen on rings, prong wear is probably one of the most common repairs bench jewelers will face. Bed sheets and other abrasives contact these high points on jewelry and wear the points until the gemstones become loose or […]

Sticky Solutions How to use sticky putty to build better bezels By Helen I. Driggs It’s not unusual for me to run into several common problems when fitting bezels for large or angular cabochons. Usually I have issues with holding a stone still as I struggle to fit the bezel stock tightly against the base […]

Better Bezels How to create a hand helper for fitting odd-shaped settings By Helen I. Driggs I often use as-found, recycled, or unconventional materials in my work, and it’s sometimes difficult to create a cleanly fabricated nonstandard bezel for them, especially when I use thick or hard stock such as sterling silver or if what […]

Looking Sharp How to make a bright-cut box around a bead-set stone By Joel McFadden Bright cutting is accomplished by making sharp, shiny, angled cuts with a graver in metal around set stones to further highlight the stones. This style of setting dates to the 1800s and was common before prongs or bezel settings. In […]

On the Ball Creating a handy measuring tool to guarantee same-size granules and shot By Helen I. Driggs It’s easy to create evenly sized granules or shot without the time-consuming hassle of measuring or weighing tiny pieces of metal. With a quick trip to the hardware store, you can create this handy measuring tool in […]

How the Welders Work The difference between pulse-arc and laser welding technologies Need help choosing between pulse-arc and laser welding technology? Click here for tips and advice on picking the best system to meet your needs. When deciding on the best type of welding system for your business, you should first get to know the […]

Beat the Heat How to protect gemstones when retipping prongs with a laser welder By Fabio Penuela Being a jeweler is a rewarding profession as we get to create jewels that people will wear and treasure for years to come. However, every piece we make will be exposed to wear and tear over those years, […]

Second Chances Ideas to help you reduce, reuse, and repurpose broken sawblades By Helen I. Driggs My parents grew up during the lean years following the Great Depression, so I learned not only Yankee ingenuity, but also their waste not, want not frugality and clever ways of using outdated, worn-out, or otherwise unwanted objects. These […]

The Passing of the Torch How to choose between pulse-arc welders and laser welders By Shawna Kulpa Tired of your torch? While torch soldering remains a great, low-cost and effective way to weld metals at the jeweler’s bench, you may be interested in upgrading to a faster method that requires less cleanup. As a jeweler, […]

Tips for Working with Gemstones with Joel McFadden Airdate: January 18, 2022 Breaking or damaging a gemstone is every stone setter’s worst nightmare. In this podcast, jeweler Joel McFadden, a renowned setter and frequent contributor to MJSA Journal, shares insights and techniques that can keep a gemstone intact and securely set—and a customer happy. Watch Video • Listen […]

No Pressure A guide to faux tension setting a colored gemstone By Joel McFadden (Originally published January 2022) Modern and eye-catching, tension settings are a popular choice among today’s consumers. While diamonds can usually be tension set without any problems, the same cannot be said for many colored gemstones as they simply cannot withstand the […]

De-Stressing Setting Expert advice on keeping cool when working with gems By Shawna Kulpa (Originally published January 2022) There’s an old saying in the jewelry industry that jewelers need to relax more—after all, even with the most nerve-wracking jobs, no one dies at the end of the day. It’s just jewelry, right? Well, kind of. […]

An Open and Shut Case How to create a jump ring vise for speedy chain making By Helen I. Driggs I’ve been making lots of chains of late, and this handy little portable jump ring vise makes opening and closing them a speedy snap, because you don’t have to put your pliers down to do […]

Bench Envy How Aaron Willoughby keeps things dry and nearby in his workspace By Aaron Willoughby Editor’s Note: Aaron Willoughby has been making, teaching, and designing jewelry and metal art for nearly 20 years. He relocated from San Diego to Sarasota, Florida, about a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave him time to get […]

A Little Place for Your Stuff Jewelers share their favorite organizational aids By Shawna Kulpa To quote the late comedian George Carlin, “All you need in life is a little place for your stuff.” Of course, he used that line to kick off a five-minute routine about how people have too much stuff, but he […]

Dutiful Dowels How wooden dowels can help bench jewelers By Helen I. Driggs I always keep a decent supply of wooden dowels, chopsticks, and skewers on hand and in as many diameters as I can find. I hunt for them in hardware stores, craft stores, and woodworking suppliers, and it’s amazing how many times a […]

Tool Up Jewelers share details about their tool buying habits Sponsored by: By Shawna Kulpa There’s no denying it: Jewelers love tools. But the process of filling a workshop with the tools and equipment needed to make jewelry day-in, day-out can be intimidating. How do you learn about the tools out there and what they […]

Making an mini anvil with standard hardware supplies By Helen I. Driggs My dad was a machinist, so I’ve had an inordinate fondness for hardware stores since my childhood. I spent many happy hours in his shop tinkering with nuts, bolts, switches, and wires, and these days, I find myself passing many hours in my […]

Building a dream studio from the ground up Jean Menden of J. Menden Silver in Clinton, Minnesota, had a small home studio that she had long outgrown. When she and her husband sold their home and moved to a lake cabin in 2019, she took advantage of the situation to construct her dream workspace. She […]

A guide to mastering wheat pattern engraving By Joel McFadden With its vintage, handmade look, the running wheat pattern is one of the most common ornamental engraving styles in jewelry, especially on rings. In addition to being popular, the pattern is also a great place to start when you’re learning to do engraving. To practice […]

Old School Casting A step-by-step guide to cuttlebone casting for beginners By Tony Deluca Cuttlebone casting is an ancient casting technique that can create unique textures using the calcified remains of the cuttlefish. It can be used to create both simple and complicated designs, but most jewelers use the technique for the wonderful wood grain […]

Soft metal setting punches for flushmounts By Helen I. Driggs Back when I was learning to make jewelry, flush setting, also known as gypsy setting, was the style of setting I wanted to learn the most. It seemed like a magical type of setting, with the stone sitting below the surface of the metal. Plus, […]