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Custom tuition in the Titirangi Bush
This page documents in pictures what was studied, practiced and achieved in individual
private tuition sessions under my tutoring at Bush Jewellery Studio.
change maria to K
In May 2013 Maria arrived with a strong desire to begin learning how to make jewellery.
She started individual tuition with custom sessions here at Bush Jewellery Studio.
It became a comprehensive study of jewellery-making skills and materials.
Weekly or fortnightly sessions were scheduled and we paused/restarted them for any
time spent away, or any other reason. This way no sessions were lost.
Here I will try to show the range of work she achieved.
Maria also aimed to work from home and over the time she was here she built up a
collection of tools and equipment for her home-based workbench.
During the early sessions, the basics, she proved to be a careful and accurate maker;
repeating exercises to develop her skills. This page shows her progressing quite quickly to
complex rings and multi-bezel necklaces both I think inspired by her own sources of historical jewellery.
Some Basic Instruction
Metal and processes. Fold-forming, forging, texturing.
Fold-formed leaf-shape, when thin sheet is strengthened and a 3D object is made simply by folding/forging/opening.
We get outside and take a core-sample of a thick pearl shell ...
... make a ring
... and a bezel for the pearlshell disc.
always a delight making a first big ring
Making sterling silver from scrap
Togging up to melt silver (over 850degC) and hammering the ingot, then rolling it into nice new sheet.
sterling silver sheet rolled out
making wire by pulling a thick strip through a drawplate, through a sequence of smaller holes til we get a selection of round wires
A multi bezel necklace
Making several bezels and attaching loops.
Stones (bought in) are set and the whole piece is connected up
ring with triple balls
First make your balls, melting measured pieces of sterling silver on charcoal til each rolls off and into a bucket of cold water.
Here's the ring after the bezel and ring shank is made, balls attached.
Now a stone is set into the bezel.
This was seen in a book and we wondered how that edge was done ...
I had an idea it was made from wax rod, squished to make the balls. Probably not, we thought.
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Lapidary
Gemstone work was a natural progression. In fact she inspired me by the high polish she got
with my simple lapidary equipment.
Drilling a hole in quartz and extracting the core ...
an 8mm plug of gemstone
Mounted on a dopping stick it can be spun and shaped to a cabochon dome.
Sand casting
Delft clay makes a fine casting 'sand' and a shape is pressed into it, plus air vents.
Brass melted and poured in
this was made to replicate a gemstone and to help force metal to become a housing for the gem.
here is the 'housing' getting a loop attached
and the inside is gold leafed.
Lapis lazuli cabochons
a lot of settings require loops attached
Lapis is cut and mounted on dopping sticks, spun with an electric drill to get a nice smooth dome top.
Like so.
a finished lapis necklace
The lapis ring is finished
an earlier ring project is now completed with w new gemstone
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A task
In mid-2015 I introduced a task: to design earrings which can be made quickly.
I hoped she would see the benefit of designing out techniques that take time,
using joins which reduce impact on materials, and to produce variations.
To develop a range of simple, attractive and saleable jewellery.
She began with toolmaking: cast unique bronze stamps, brazed stainless bolts to them
and pressed high-relief textures onto a variety of metal shapes. The shaped she
cut with tool steel pancake dies. Anodised titanium and niobium became the
colours and silver the contrast.
stamping a shape with a unique brass stamp
Cutting shapes with a pancake die
Heat-hardening steel
and quenching into oil
Sand-casting shapes in bronze and brass
Brazing steel bolts to each one
a variety of bronze shape-makers
Anodised niobium components made.
Another melt-up for fine silver sheet
the ingot poured into a mild steel mold
Task completed: Earring project
Earring project (2)
titanium works
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Now Maria is a self-employed designer/maker, photographing and promoting
her jewellery with growing success.
She says, "Setting up a home work shop was a joint family effort".
About Bush Jewellery Studio
I teach individuals in custom one-to-one sessions, and small classes by arrangement.
The main benefit of one-to-one is accelerated and intensive learning. When you come
here you'll see it's a functioning jewellery studio with teaching facilities added in.
Outside the class modules we're both available for discussion, to talk about
any other aspects of a small jewellery-making business. If you're interested in providing
yourself with a kick-start, or boosting your practice with advanced bench tips and tricks,
please call and arrange a visit to see the studio.
Brian Adam
silver and gold jeweller
Bush Jewellery Studio (est.1995)
Independent tuition, ancient, modern
low-tech, hand-tech, lateral,
all ages even post-grad
Titirangi, Auckland, New Zealand
By the end of 2018 Maria graduated from her sessions at Bush Jewellery Studio.
She was an agreeable part of our studio for quite a few years; we enjoyed her company
as did our bench hands and other students. This page shows the enormous progress she
has made.
Maria's media images (a selection)
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