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Custom Jewelry Findings
The possibilities for custom jewelry findings are endless! This one-day workshop is for anyone seeking to learn how to make their own findings for jewelry. If you love to bead, are looking to expand the overall aesthetic of your jewelry, or if you've been buying commercially designed higher cost findings, this course is the perfect solution!
Learn to make different styles of ear wires, wire clasps for bracelets or necklaces, pin backs, headpins, and even hairpins. In addition, this course will cover easy methods for cleaning and polishing metal, simple cold connections, as well as drilling and sawing with efficiency. Techniques covered don't require a lot of tools so students can repeat the process at home without a substantial investment.
Joy will additionally introduce an alternative to the traditional soldering torch as part of one of her demonstrations -- the hand held butane torch, commonly used for caramelizing crème brûlée. This low cost flame working method is superb for balling up wire for those who don’t have a torch at home.
Meet the instructor
Joy Raskin has been a silversmith since 1984 and has exhibits throughout the United States, Ireland and New Zealand, showcasing both her jewelry and flatware designs. Joy is a native of New Hampshire, having attended public schools in Manchester and Concord and was accepted as a member of the League of NH Craftsmen while still in high school. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Joy is an instructor at Metalwerx in Waltham, MA, The Craft Center in NH, Sharon Art Center, and many other schools.
Joy has received many awards for her work. She was commissioned by the NH State Council on the Arts to create the Cultural Access Award for the Governor’s Awards in the Arts in 2001. Her work is included in many collections, including the White House and Smithsonian Institution. Joy's work is found in multiple galleries throughout New England, including the League of NH Craftsmen Galleries, Boston Society of Arts & Crafts, Guilford Art Center, Millbrook Gallery, and others.
Materials & Tools
There is a$20 materials fee that is payable upon registration. It includes sterling silver wire in a variety of gauges (14g, 16g, 18g, 20g), as well as access to Metalwerx full supply of base metal wires to make findings based on demonstrations shown.
- Any beads, jewelry, components you want to make findings for and work with.
- Any wire or silver you already have and want to use.
- Any pliers you already have - make sure to mark them so you don't confuse them with other students' or Metalwerx's tools.
- Any pieces of jewelry you've made that you have questions about. This will be used to discuss and find new solutions for design problems
- Optivisors or magnifying glasses if needed.
- Closed toed shoes