Cooksongold | Royal Jewelry Blog

If you’ve got the bug for making your own jewellery, there’s a good chance you’ll want to do it at home. You’ll be able to craft unique pieces of jewellery in the comfort of your own living space – it’s a win win! If this is something you’d like to try, there are a few key components you’ll have to sort out first – from getting the right equipment to understanding health and safety rules. Find out more about setting up a jewellery workshop at home below. Setting up a jewellery business from home Whether you’re a silversmith or you prefer working with gold, setting up a jewellery business from home is a great place to start. So what do you have to do before you can begin? The two most important things to consider are: having the right equipment and knowing how to go about jewellery making at home safely. To help you on your way, we’ve compiled a list of health and safety tips and an example of a jewellery making table setup for inspiration. Health and safety in a jewellery workshop ...

Clay in its various formats is a great medium to produce quick and varied designs. Fimo, PMC and modelling clay can all be utilised at this time of year to produce trinkets, charms and decorations that will give your Christmas that unique touch. When working with clay, the techniques used are fairly universal and can be applied, (for the most part), across the broad spectrum of products available. Moulding, sculpting, stamping and texturing are just some of the methods that I have used to make the examples above. These are techniques that anyone can try, regardless of age or skill. Fimo Professional True Red 85g Polymer Clay Block Fimo Colour Reference 200, ( 866 111) and Fimo Professional White 85g Polymer Clay Block Fimo Colour Reference 0, ( 866 100) I decided to experiment with Fimo as the colour gives instant impact and using just two, namely red and white, says Christmas quite clearly without the added cost of buying other colours. A little goes a long way, as so many item...

Kits can be a fun and cost-effective way to try something new without a huge outlay, but only if you utilise every component included. Here we take a look at a kit in depth and give you some tips on how to get the very most out of each and every item. Precious Metal Clay PMC3 Silver Clay Fingerprint Jewellery Kit (Product Code 855 053) Contents includes: PMC3 9g – great multi-purpose clay which is strong and has a long working time before it dries. 2 spacers – place either side of your clay when rolling out to ensure even depth. Roller – use like a rolling pin to roll out clay evenly. (Use with small amount of olive oil or badger balm to prevent sticking). Paintbrush – use with water to make slip (clay + water) to join pieces together or smooth shapes. Can also be used with water to rehydrate dried out clay. (Can also be used to paint on liver of sulphur). Work mat – allows you to work precisely which will help with calculating shrinkage and also firing methods and dry...

Sorting out your scrap metal can be a valuable way to boost the coffers when times are a little bit lean. We understand that it’s probably not one of those jobs that is high on your list of priorities, (particularly right now), so we aim to make the process as painless as possible for you. You may be pleasantly surprised at just how much hard cash is lying around in the workshop once you start to add it all up, so it’s a job well worth doing. We offer a 123-scrap deal which helps to make the whole process a breeze: Store your scrap in our free scrap pot, which is available to order online Get £10 off your first scrap consignment by printing off this voucher and returning it with your scrap metal. If you don’t have the voucher itself you can also quote “internet scrap discount” to receive £10 off your processing costs. Return your scrap to Cooksons for free by printing out the address label below, making sure you obtain proof of posting from the post office which will guarantee y...

Whether you’re just starting out in your jewellery making venture or looking for some inspiration for your designs, discover 8 types of stone settings in our blog. From flush setting to channel setting, we’ll talk you through how each technique looks, difficulty level and the basics of how to utilise each one. Learn more about the different stone settings in rings below. What are the different types of stone settings? 1. Channel setting Commonly used as a wedding ring design, channel setting is an ideal way to add something extra to your designs. Using two straight lines, an array of smaller stones are used to create a flush finish to the band. When trying out this technique, keep the seats small at first and gradually make them bigger to fit the stones in. This helps to ensure the fit is as accurate as possible. If you’d rather not set the channels yourself, you can buy a channel set ring to start the process. 2. Claw setting Secondly, we have one of the most recognisable types...

Are you using gemstones in your jewellery designs? Whether you’ve been working with diamonds for decades or you’re just starting to learn the stone setting basics , it’s useful to get to know the gemstones you’re working with, in more detail. That’s where Mohs hardness scale comes in. It may sound strange but Mohs hardness scale is a great asset to have in your back pocket. Or pinned to your jewellery studio wall for that matter! Read our guide below on Mohs hardness scale and learn how to use it to your advantage. What is Mohs hardness scale? Mohs hardness scale is a chart that measures how resistant a gemstone or mineral is to being scratched or damaged when exposed to general wear and tear. The higher the number on the scale, the harder the gemstone is. Mohs hardness scale   Mineral Scale of Hardness Common Object Comparison Diamond 10 (Hardest) Corundum 9 Masonry drill bit (8.5) Topaz 8 Quartz 7 Orthoclase 6 Steel tool(6.5) Apatite 5 F...

Looking to try your hand at etching or engraving? Both are great for creating unique, personal designs, but it can be tricky figuring out which is the best process for you. To help you understand the fundamentals of each technique, we’ll talk you through the difference between etching and engraving and what each involve so you can make a more informed decision. Learn more below. The difference between etching and engraving Etching A technique traditionally used in printmaking, etching is a process used to create designs on metal, dating back to the Middle Ages. Etching is typically performed on copper or zinc, but it can work on most other metals too. The sheet metal is prepped with an acid-resistant wax or ‘ground’ to draw the lines into, then once submerged in acid the exposed metal is ‘bitten’, leaving incised markings. As technologies have progressed, new forms of etching are available – such as laser etching. This process is significantly different to the traditional etching m...

Jewellery maker Anna, aka A Little Trinket specialises in lampworking. Although trained in other fields, it was a passion and love of the artform that led her to this particular type of jewellery making. View some of her work, read about where she gets her inspiration from and more, in this month’s Designer of the Month interview. Tell us a bit about yourself, detailing your background/study/training in the jewellery making industry I am a bit of an imposter when you look at my training. I have a degree but it’s in Molecular & Cellular Biology. I have work experience but it was in publishing. I have retail experience but that was in textile craft. I have always made things, it’s something my parents always encouraged in both myself and my sister (she does have a bona fide Art degree), and somehow the stars aligned – I found myself taking a jewellery making evening class to keep a friend company and organising a glass beadmaking taster session for the ladies in my family. Once I’d...

Wondering how to use silver clay? Whether it’s for a personal project or you’re looking to use it in the workshop, find out everything you need to know in our blog. Making jewellery with silver clay is pretty straightforward, you’ll just need to make sure you have the right tools and equipment to get started! Discover all the tools and equipment we’d recommend below. Silver Clay Jewellery Kit Before you learn how to use silver clay at home, it’s important that you have all the correct tools and equipment. So to the make the job a bit easier, we’ve put together a silver clay jewellery kit list. Here’s what you’ll need: Art clay silver A silver clay kiln or hand torch Sanding pads Badger balm Metal clay workmat Needle tool Metal clay roller Soldering block Brass brush   How To Make Silver Clay Jewellery   To get you started, we’ll walk you through the basics of making jewellery with silver clay: Flattening . Take a ball of silver clay and place it on the wo...