Silver Locket Construction
In this demo-focused virtual workshop students will build a silver locket with a functional soldered hinge and clasp. The demonstrations will be fabrication-intensive and will cover locket construction step-by-step from start to finish. Additionally, students will learn to customize their own unique design on the front face of the locket. Tube setting small stones will also be covered.
Meet the instructor
Charity Hall is an enamelist and metalsmith in Blacksburg, VA. Using metal, enamel, found objects and gemstones, she creates a diverse array of biologically inspired jewelry. As a former botanist, Hall is interested in the intricate relationships between art and science. She completed her MFA in Metal Design at East Carolina University in 2008 and taught Metalworking and Design at Pima Community College. In 2013, she moved to Blacksburg, VA and began a full time studio practice. The allure of science remains strong, influencing every piece she creates, and she still roams the forests and mountains, collecting specimens for natural history museums. Her work appears in American Craft Magazine, Behind the Brooch, Humor in Craft, New Rings: 500 Designs from Around the World, and 500 Enameled Objects, and she was a contributing author for Art Jewelry Magazine. Her work has been exhibited in a variety of juried and solo exhibitions. She teaches jewelry and enameling workshops at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, Penland School of Crafts, the Carpenter Enamel Art Foundation, and many other universities, craft schools, and guilds around the United States. She is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
Visit www.charityhall.com to see Charity's 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 (in red) 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 welcomed but not required - observers are welcome.
Metal/raw materials:
-
1"x6" x sterling sheet - 24g (Rio Grande)
-
12" x sterling heavy wall tubing - 3mm OD (Rio Grande)
-
12" x sterling tubing - 1.45mm OD (Rio Grande)
-
1" x sterling round wire - 18g (Rio Grande)
-
6" x sterling rectangular wire - 5mm x 1.25mm (Rio Grande)
-
5 x faceted machine-cut stones, cz or natural - 2.5mm (Rio Grande)
Hand tools:
-
1 x round nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x chain nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x flat nose pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x snips / flush cutters (Rio Grande)
-
1 x jewelers saw (Rio Grande)
-
1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 (Rio Grande)
-
1 x burlife / bee's wax (Rio Grande)
-
1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)
-
1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
-
1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (Rio Grande)
-
1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (Rio Grande)
-
1 x center punch (Rio Grande)
-
1 x scribe (Rio Grande)
-
1 x ring clamp (Rio Grande)
-
1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (Rio Grande)
-
1 x chasing hammer (Rio Grande)
-
1 x steel block / steel surface (Rio Grande)
-
1 x small steel ruler (Rio Grande)
-
1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Rio Grande)
-
1 x dividers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x ring mandrel (Rio Grande)
-
1 x forming pliers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x setting bur - 2.5mm (Rio Grande)
-
1 x round bur - 2.3mm (Rio Grande)
-
1 x drill bit - #55 (Rio Grande)
-
1 x hand shears (Amazon)
-
1 x burnisher (Rio Grande)
-
1 x stone setting punches (Rio Grande)
-
1 x vise (Rio Grande)
-
1 x miter jig (Rio Grande)
Torch setup:
-
1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)
-
1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)
-
1 x torch - acetylene-air or similar wit #2 torch tip (Rio Grande)
-
1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)
-
1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)
-
1 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)
-
1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)
-
1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - hard (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)
-
1 x 6” silver solder - easy (Rio Grande)
-
1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)
-
1 x brass bristle brush (Rio Grande)
-
1 x crock pot or lidded glass container (Rio Grande or Amazon)
-
1 x tempered glass container or sink - for quenching and rinsing
-
1 x small brush - for flux
-
1 x liquid hand soap - for cleaning metal
Other/miscellaneous items:
-
safety glasses
-
fan and open window, ventilation, or out door area
-
ruler - with mm markings
-
mark making tools - chasing, stamps, gravers - optional
-
label paper - 1 piece
-
scissors
-
ultra fine point Sharpie marker