Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist July/August 2020

SINCE SOCIAL DISTANCING became a household word and we’ve been adapting to the changing reality of Covid-19, it’s been anything but business as usual. If you sell jewelry or teach jewelry making, you’ve probably been setting up or expanding virtual offerings online, providing real-world delivery where needed as best you can. But the making of objects by hand is another story, one about following the traditions of an ancient craft and loving the process. Even when you add in newer developments, this kind of jewelry making still requires the usual assortment of real materials and real tools using tried-and-true techniques. It still draws on genuine talent and skill, time and effort, and a pinch of experimentation. With its need for intense concentration, jewelry making also provides a haven and a…

Your Design Riffs Designs based on projects and jewelry shown in previous issues of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Your Settings…

Riff on the design of any of these or other pieces within this issue, using a design feature such as color, texture, form, value, line, space, repetition, balance, contrast, unity, or variety for your sketch. Please indicate which piece your entry is based on. Sketch a setting for a Maligano jasper cabochon from Smokin’ Stones, page 18. DEADLINES: AUGUST 31, 2020 Email digital scans at 300 DPI or send photocopies of no more than three sketches per challenge, indicating the design factor that is your starting point. Sketches will not be returned. WRITE TO US ANYTIME: What do you think about what you’ve seen and read in Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist? SEND SKETCHES & LETTERS for possible print or online publication to: krosenbusch@goldenpeakmedia.com. Please include your name, city, and state,…

Bill Fretz’s Fluted Cuff Sterling silver → “TOOLING AROUND,” P.28 → “SPINNER PLAY,” P.32 Lexi Erickson’s The Lady of Callanish Pendant Marcasite, ammonite, silver, copper → “MAD FOR MALIGANO,” P.20 → DOER’S PROFILE, P.96 Noël Yovovich’s Hidden Catch Bracelet Sterling silver clay, rhodolite, hessonite garnets → “HANG LOOSE,” P.56 → “WISH LIST,” P.60 Betsy Lehndorff’s Ant Earrings Sterling silver → “THE CLOSER,” P.66 Michael Kosinski’s Butterfly Earrings → “GOTTA HAVE ’EM,” P.38 → “SETUP IS A GOOD THING,” P.44 → “BEAUTY AND THE BASICS,” P.50 Joe Silvera’s Koi Fish Bracelet Sterling silver, box clasp → “GOTTA HAVE ’EM,” P.38 → “SETUP IS A GOOD THING,” P.44 → “BEAUTY AND THE BASICS,” P.50 Become an LJJA Contributor! Contributors’ guidelines for print or online publication can be found at www.interweave.com/jewelry…

THIS ISSUE MARKS the 10th anniversary of this column. My plan was to mark the occasion by revisiting the theme I’ve covered most over the past decade: social media marketing. Then Covid-19 hit, and online marketing became more important than ever, but with an unexpected twist. When this column launched in August 2010, I had just launched my own site, The Jewelry Loupe, and was trying to build an audience. Jewelry designers were struggling with a recession and trying to master the transition to online sales. Most of us were focusing branding efforts on Facebook and Twitter, with Pinterest and Instagram about to take off. This year’s crisis feels eerily familiar. When the pandemic hit, we were leaning hard on Instagram. Small jewelry businesses were already using video in posts…

IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN to the uninitiated just how awesome it is to transform a flat sheet of metal into a beautiful 3D object. I’m proud of my work but sometimes the most satisfying part isn’t the finished piece but the hundreds of tiny victories along the way. They’re often accomplished with tools I’ve used for years, but it’s always nice to discover something I’ve never tried or didn’t know I needed. Check out these amazing new finds that will help you make the most of every bit of metal. Best Blade Holder Ever, that is. I truly adore sawing metal. It’s my motivation and island of calm in a churning sea, my Zen. So, when fellow contributor (and Tucson partner-in-crime) Betsy Lehndorff put the word in my ear about…