April 07, 2020

The 9 Best Creative Live Classes For Metalsmiths and Jewelry Designers

April 07, 2020/ Brittany Witt

Learning metalsmithing can be pretty hard, especially when you’ve never held a torch before in your life.

And the mediums of learning can give you a different experience. For example, I have readers of Maker Monologues tell me all the time they love the written format because they don’t have to stop, pause a video, rewind, etc. and I’m totally the same way. But, there are others who need to see the way the hand moves when creating jewelry.

February 18, 2020

Simple Hammered Silver Stud Earrings Tutorial

February 18, 2020/ Brittany Witt

This tutorial came out of a personal need for some simple, everyday earrings that will spice up my casual outfits and add just a glimmer of sparkle. I was grabbing all my supplies to make them and decided to also grab my camera and document the process to share with you all!

This is an intermediate-level tutorial, we are going to be soldering so be sure to check out my complete guide to soldering silver jewelry if you’re not yet educated on this skill.

December 13, 2019

Friday Favorites: 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for the Aspiring Jewelry Maker

December 13, 2019/ Brittany Witt

The holidays are here! If you are shopping for the perfect gift for a crafty family member or yourself, this holiday gift guide for aspiring jewelers has ideas for every budget. Whether it’s copper electroforming, being or silversmithing these are the items on every jeweler’s wish list! I would consider myself an expert on all things jewelry making, so rest assured I’ve included items I personally own, use, and absolutely love.

September 30, 2019

Gemstone Prong Ear Jackets Tutorial

September 30, 2019/ Brittany Witt

I began this project months ago, I was initially just going to make some simple double circle ear jackets. So I made the silver circles and they just sat in my studio. The other day I found them and got re-inspired to step up the initial design. And, I just really wanted to play with some gemstones!

September 07, 2019

How To Make Silver Sphere Embellishments for Silversmithing

September 07, 2019/ Brittany Witt

Embellishments can elevate the look of your jewelry designs! My favorite silver embellishment, though, is the silver sphere (can you tell I’m trying to not use the phrase “silver balls”?). This is probably the easiest thing you make. It literally takes less than a minute to make and only 4 steps!

April 30, 2018

How to Make Any Shape Out of Metal

April 30, 2018/ Brittany Witt

In this post, I teach you how to saw out any shape out of sheet metal. You’ll need to print out a template of the shape you want. Then glue it to your sheet metal so you can saw it out with a jewelers saw. I tell you the best glue to use and saw blades so you can get the best results!

February 27, 2018

Your Complete Guide to Soldering Silver Jewelry

February 27, 2018/ Brittany Witt

Silversmithing can become very technical and involve math and science but once you get started soldering it can become like second nature. I ran a poll to see what you all wanted to learn and “soldering basics” was on that list.

September 28, 2017

How To Make A Prong Setting Ring

September 28, 2017/ Brittany Witt

I've been wanting to create this tutorial for a while and I've finally got around to it. If you're new to silversmithing then I highly suggest you check out my other tutorials; How to Make A Silver Ring Band and How To Make A Bezel Setting first because prong settings, although they look easier to make, are actually quite difficult.

August 10, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

August 10, 2017/ Brittany Witt

Find answers to questions such as:

How often do you change the bath?
Am I able to electroform with metals other than copper? Specifically gold or silver? Or would it be better to gold/silver plate over a copper electroformed piece?
Since I'm just starting out should I invest in a 5-amp rectifier or get a 3-amp one?
I am getting a kind of putty-ish salmon color. What's wrong?
What would you recommend sealing opals with?

March 30, 2017

How To Make A Bezel Setting

March 30, 2017/ Brittany Witt

When I first started silversmithing I thought for sure a prong setting would be easier to tackle before trying to make a bezel setting. I was told over and over by my smithing friends that I should master bezel making before attempting a prong setting.

November 02, 2016

What Do You Want To Learn?

November 02, 2016/ Brittany Witt

I thought it'd be fun to keep a running list of blog post topics that you want to read. Often times I feel like I've covered the basics of electroforming but some of you may want to know more about polishing, how to get different finishes, how to filter your solution, etc.

September 22, 2016

Basic Silversmithing: How To Make A Silver Ring Band

September 22, 2016/ Brittany Witt

Last week I wrote a supplies guide leading up to this basic silversmithing tutorial ‘How To Make A Silver Ring Band.’ In my opinion, if you’re wanting to get into silversmithing then the easiest thing to learn is how to make a simple ring band. So if you haven’t yet seen that then go check that out first. But, if you already have your supplies then let’s get into the tutorial!

September 05, 2016

Basic Silversmithing: What You Need To Get Started

September 05, 2016/ Brittany Witt

In this guide I'm going to list the basic tools and materials you'll need to just get started with silversmithing. Since I started jewelry making using silver and joined the metalsmithing Facebook groups I've done my fair share of asking what tools others use and scouring the internet comparing tools and prices. I'm going to share only what I've found to be popular within the community or use myself.

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