Edinburgh jeweller

Soldering on metal clay at the London Jewellery School Yesterday I taught a soldering on metal clay class at the London Jewellery School . It is quite a specialised class and it is only the second time I've run it . I had three lovely students with an enthusiasm for metal clay! We made stud earrings, cufflinks and a brooch. I've got some action shots (above) but we were quite rushed at the end so I didn't photograph their final pieces! Here are some examples of what we make during this class

I love trying out new jewellery techniques and this summer was no exception! I signed up for the beginners wax carving class at the London Jewellery School . The process of wax carving With wax carving (also know as lost wax casting) you start out with a lump of wax which you cut, carve, file and sand down until it is the shape you want. Once this is complete, the wax piece is sent to a caster. You choose the metal you would like the piece to be made into (for example brass, sterling silver, gold). The wax piece is attached to a wax tree, along with several others, so that many pieces can be cast at once. The tree is then encased in a plaster-like substance called investment. Once this has hardened the wax is burnt out leaving a cavity in the mould. Molten metal is then poured into the mould. Once the metal has cooled and hardened the jewellery pieces are cut from the ‘tree’. When you receive your piece back it will still need a bit of work to polish up. It will have a sprue, a...