Cooksongold | Royal Jewelry Blog

September 22 nd marks the Autumn Equinox, signifying the beginning of Autumn. If, like me, you love the warm Autumn colours as the leaves start to change, you may feel inspired to make my simple but elegant leaf pendant, which incorporates a lovely copper glitter effect using low temperature enamel. I’ll talk you through how to make a necklace pendant suitable for the new season and everything you’ll need for the job, below. Tools needed for making an autumn leaf pendant necklace You will need: Silver sheet, 0.8mm (CSA 080) Round silver wire, 1.5mm (HAS 150) Hard silver solder (CTD 500) Flux (997 6418) Piercing saw (999 734) Files (999 3801) Buffsticks (973 0901) Half round pliers (999 699) Nylon mallet (997 3102) Small round mandrel (997 3619) Hand tools for polishing or a barrel polishing machine Efcolor Enamel Glitter Copper (861 354) How to make a leaf pendant necklace: step-by-step Draw out your leaf shape and transfer to the metal sheet, either drawing directly...

Although weddings have been off the cards recently, many couples have grown closer and some have started to think about getting engaged. And of course, the first port of call is the engagement ring. But with so many different types of engagement rings on the market, the process can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly. And that’s where we step in. We’ve created the ultimate engagement ring guide, covering all things from metal types and styles to gemstones and settings. So whether you’re buying or designing your own, it’s worth taking a look at the latest trends so you don’t miss out. Different trends and types of engagement rings Expanding your service offering? Want to learn more about the different types of engagement rings? We’ve got a rundown on the sorts of things you’ll need to take into account when designing or choosing an engagement ring. Setting  If you’re a newbie when it comes to jewellery, you might not be familiar with ‘settings’. To put it simply, the settin...

Get crafty this winter with our guide on how to make a mini wreath for Christmas. These versatile decorations can be hung anywhere from door handles to windows and can be made to fit in with just about any colour scheme you please. They come with a warning though as they are very addictive to make and you will quickly find that one simply isn’t enough! What you’ll need to make a mini Christmas wreath: Assorted Fimo Fimo Professional Colour Pack of 12 – 866 370 Fimo Kids Silver Glitter – 866 220 Fimo Kids Red Glitter – 866 205 Fimo Modelling Tools – 867 210 Baking parchment or greaseproof paper A straw Glitter Fimo Water Based Varnish – 867 217 Ribbon for hanging How to make a mini wreath: step-by-step Select four complimentary Fimo colours. It mixes beautifully just by kneading different colours together, so you needn’t be limited by what you have. Glitter and plain colours can be combined to great effect, so just experiment and see what happens. Roll out your base c...

National Online Learning Day falls on September 15 th each year and is a great opportunity to explore some of the innovative and alternative ways in which to learn a new skill. Avoiding all face to face contact, online learning is a particularly useful resource at the moment and we offer a range of different formats as well as a huge selection of topics so there is something to suit all tastes and skill levels. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cooksongold/videos We have our own YouTube channel which has scores of videos dealing with tools and techniques, so if you prefer to actually watch a demonstration of how to do something, this is the format for you. Some of my favourites include: A Beginners Guide on How to Pierce Metal by Christine Pearson, which is a full 19minutes of detailed instructions on saw piercing out a design. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRRrqrAfn_c Silver Clay Heart Tutorial for Beginners, which is short and sweet at only 1.40minutes but covers the enti...

If you’re a fresh face in the jewellery making industry, you’re probably still getting to grips with all the tools you’ll need for your projects. Got a lot of questions? Don’t worry. We’re here to talk you through one of the most versatile jewellery tools – the mandrel. Predominantly used with rings, discover what a mandrel is, how to use a mandrel and the different types available, below.   What is a mandrel? First things first, what is a mandrel exactly? A mandrel, or triblet , is a long, thin jewellery tool with a tapered end. This shape makes it ideal for using in a variety of different metal forming projects. However, mandrels come into their own when shaping or resizing rings. So whether you need a hand with creating rings from scratch or you’re looking to offer ring resizing as a service, you’ll need to pick up a mandrel. What is a mandrel used for? Next up, how to use a mandrel. There are a number of different ways you can use this tool, including: Measuring ring ...

Whether you’re looking to smarten up some pre-existing jewellery or you want to expand your service offering – silver plating jewellery is a great place to start. There are a number of techniques you can use when learning how to silver plate jewellery, but we’ll start with the most basic. For this technique, you’ll need to know how to make a silver plating solution. But don’t worry, we’ll talk you through each step. Want to find out more? Discover everything you need to know about silver plating jewellery using silver plating solution, from the necessary tools and equipment to what the process involves below. Tools and equipment for silver plating jewellery with solution Jewellery of choice. Whether you’re looking to transform some costume jewellery or give your old silver pieces a new lease of life, this silver plating solution for jewellery can work on brass, copper, bronze or nickel metals. Protective gloves . This is mainly to prevent the solution from staining your hands an...

Wire wrapping is a great creative technique when it comes to jewellery making. From wrapping beads and crystals to add extra detail, to forming ear wires and other unique jewellery shapes, there are plenty of ways to use this method. But before you get started, you need to know what the essential tools for wire wrapping are – and how to use them. What we love about this technique is that it only really requires a few tools, meaning anyone can give it a go. And it’s an inexpensive route into jewellery making, perfect for trying your hand at before moving on and advancing to other technical processes. Find out more about the jewellery wire wrapping tools you need to help get you started below. What jewellery wire wrapping tools do I need? While jewellers might argue that there are multiple wire wrapping tools that are all indispensable, there are a certain few wire wrapping tools that are absolutely necessary. That’s why we’ve outlined the top seven wire wrapping tools for beginners t...

Jewellery maker Trisha Wood takes her inspiration from the sea in her creations, which contain tiny gems, crystals, enamel and resin in a stylish and contemporary style. Learn more about this month’s Designer of the Month below Let us know a bit about yourself, detailing your background, study and training in the jewellery making industry. Hi my name is Trisha Wood and my background is in social care, Palliative Care. I am an Energy Healer too. I am a self taught artist which morphed into painting and making jewellery. I make memorial jewellery. I infuse loved one ashes and pet fur or hair into the enamel. Making them specially designed not ‘just’ an ashes jewellery piece. Tell us about your work – are there any particular materials or techniques that you favour? I work mainly with silver and I love working with enamel. I love the way it it lets you know how it wishes to finish! I use a lot of tiny gems and crystals to enhance the colours of the enamel, amethyst being the most pop...