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Positive & Negative: Making Two-Part Stamps
Explore ways to create 3-D stamped pattern to incorporate into your jewelry by making two-part stamps. During this demo-focused class we will learn how to carve a few positive stamps and then how to create their negative counterparts. Participants will learn heat treatments such as annealing, hardening, and tempering.
Meet the instructor
Matthieu moved from Paris to New-Mexico when he was 19, where for seven years he studied Navajo, Hopi and Zuni jewelry techniques. He was immediately drawn to stamping, making concho belts and bracelets. He then moved to Mali, West-Africa and worked for a few years with the Fulani, Tuareg and Bambara jewelers.
In 1999, Matthieu settled in Montreal Canada and continued his studies by going to a jewelry school and learning a more classical part of the trade. Over the years, Matthieu has returned to Africa regularly.
In 2014, Tim McCreight and Mattheiu Cheminee created the Toolbox Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps jewelers in West Africa through the gifts of donated tools.
“I have been stamping and making stamps since the beginning and have developed a form of stamping design by creating patterns that fill the entire piece of metal. This is called “tessellation”.
Matthieu has written two books, “Legacy, jewelry techniques of West Africa“, “The Art of Stamping", both published at Brynmorgen Press and Inadan, The Mastery of Tuareg artisans published at Schiffer publishing. A new book will come out in the spring 2025; Chain making for jewelers.
Visit Matthieu's website or instagram page for more info on his work.
Materials & Tools
The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.
Raw Materials/Consumables:
- 8pcs x 3" tool steel O1, 1/2 “ diameter (McMaster)
- 1 x 4"x4" 18ga copper sheet (Amazon)
- 1 x vermiculite (Amazon)
- 1 x mineral oil (Amazon)
Basic Hand Tools
1 x round nose pliers (RioGrande)
1 x chain nose pliers (RioGrande)
1 x flat nose pliers (RioGrande)
1 x snips / flush cutters (RioGrande)
1 x jewelers saw (RioGrande)
1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 (RioGrande)
1 x burlife / bee's wax (RioGrande)
1 x bench pin (RioGrande)
1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (RioGrande)
Basic Home Studio
1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (RioGrande)
1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (RioGrande)
1 x half round forming pliers (RioGrande)
1 x center punch (RioGrande)
1 x scribe (RioGrande)
1 x ring clamp (RioGrande)
1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (RioGrande)
1 x riveting hammer (RioGrande)
1 x chasing hammer (RioGrande)
1 x steel block / steel surface (RioGrande)
1 x small steel ruler (RioGrande)
1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Amazon)
1 x calipers - optional / nice to have (Amazon)
1 x dividers - optional / nice to have (RioGrande)
1 x sanding sticks - optional / nice to have (RioGrande)
1 x parallel pliers - optional / nice to have (RioGrande)
Basic Forming Tools
1 x ball peen hammer (RioGrande)
Basic Soldering/Torch Set-up
1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (RioGrande or RioGrande)
1 x compressed charcoal block - hard (RioGrande)
1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (RioGrande or RioGrande)
1 x #0 or #1 torch tip - if getting Silversmith (RioGrande)
1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (RioGrande)