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Ready, Set, Stone!
Metalwerx is partnering up with Halstead to bring you a unique virtual workshop! Check out all Halstead has to offer by clicking HERE and find quality jewelry supplies for all your metal-working needs! This class is taught by Halstead's own Sylvie Alusitz, who has exhibited work nationally and internationally in Texas, Massachusetts, Romania, and more.
Ready to streamline and expedited some of the more taxing aspects of producing bench jewelry? In this demo-focused virtual course, Sylvie will show you how to use 3 types of pre-made settings from Halstead. We'll cover creating rings with a tube setting, bezel setting, and prong setting. Pre-made settings are easy to use and save money by cutting down on construction time - they're prefect for a production line! Once we've mastered the basics, we'll move on to more advanced ring designs. Covering techniques for multiple settings on one band, V-bands, and more, we'll discuss techniques to add your own design voice.
Meet the instructor
Sylvie Alusitz received her Masters in Fine Arts from State University of New York at New Paltz in Metal in 2019 and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2015. Sylvie has exhibited nationally and internationally, having been selected for and participating in Autor Contemporary Jewelry Fair in Bucharest, Romania. She has been included in exhibitions at the Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX and the Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA and elsewhere. Sylvie has also received funding from the Tiffany and Co. Foundation and the Women’s Jewelry Association.
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.
Metal/raw materials:
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1 x pack of tube bezels - S502 series - 3mm or 4mm (Halstead)
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1 x pack of round bezel cups - SS7 Series - 3mm or 4mm (Halstead)
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5 x 6-prong setting head - SEF169 series - 4mm (Halstead)
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3 min. x ring bands - SR332 series - 3mm (Halstead)
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1 min. x cabochon stones - to match bezel cup settings (Halstead)
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10 min. x CZ stones - to match tube and prong settings (Halstead)
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3ft x 14g sterling silver wire - optional (Halstead)
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3ft x 16g sterling silver wire - optional (Halstead)
Torch setup:
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1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
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1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
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1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
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1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)
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1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
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1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)
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1 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
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1 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)
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1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
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1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)
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1 x 6” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)
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1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)
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1 x crock pot or lidded glass container (Rio Grande or Amazon)
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1 x small brush - for flux
Hand tools:
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1 x chain nose pliers (Rio Grande)
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1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)
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1 x ring clamp (Rio Grande)
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1 x setting punch (Gesswein)
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1 x burnisher - 3mm (Gesswein)
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1 x chasing hammer (Gesswein)
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1 x bezel setting tools (Otto Frei)
Other/miscellaneous items:
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hard work surface
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fan and open window - or ventilation system
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safety glasses
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pencil, Sharpie, notebook
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rags/towels
NOTES:
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Students should have the bezel setting tool set OR a chasing hammer and setting punch. All students should have a setting punch.
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Students can use pre-made rings or create their own out of wire they already have. There is no specific width of ring necessary. A variety will work.
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On day 2 students will learn how to create more elaborate rings – wire for this is optional, as listed above. Fancy wires like bead-wire or twisted wires can be used but are not required.