Month: August 2023

Class Project Pictures

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All these images are student projects that were made in either an 8 week or 1 day class at Jewel Envy! Scroll through to see the amazing pieces our students have made and to check on upcoming dates for our Fall classes.

Sterling silver band rings. These beauties are variations that can be made in either our 8 Week Introductory Fabrication or the One Day Band Ring class.

Upcoming class dates:

Sunday September 10th – One Day Band Ring

Monday September 18th – 8 Week Introductory Fabrication

Cuttlefish castings. These can be made in our 8 Introductory Casting Class

Upcoming class date:

Wednesday September 20th – 8 Week Intro/Intermediate Casting

Textured pendant, roller printed pendant, textured earrings. These projects can be made in our 8 Week Introductory Fabrication Class, or the pendants can be made in our 1/2 Day Pendant Class.

Upcoming Class Dates:

Monday September 18th – 8 Week Introductory Fabrication

Sunday October 22nd, 2-6 pm – 1/2 Day Pendant Class

Cast ring, which can be made in either or 8 Week Intro/Intermediate Casting or the 2 Day Casting. Stacking rings, which can be made in either our 8 Week Introductory Fabrication or One Day Stacking Rings. Bezel set gemstone, which can be made in either our 8 Week Intermediate Fabrication or 2 Day Gem cutting and Gem Setting

Upcoming classes:

Wednesday September 20th – 8 Week Intro/Intermediate Casting

Sunday November 5th & Sunday November 12th – 2 Day Casting

Monday September 18th – 8 Week Introductory Fabrication

Saturday October 28th – Stacking Rings

Thursday October 5th – Intermediate Fabrication

Saturday and Sunday September 23rd and 24th – 2 Day Gem Cutting and Gem Setting

The Basics of Jewellery Cleaning

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Caring for Costume Jewellery

A different set of rules applies to caring for costume jewellery and they really start with “if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it”.

Costume jewellery is put together using a variety of commercial techniques that include spot soldering, welding, casting, gluing, and plating. When costume jewellery breaks it cannot usually be repaired to look the same as before as a goldsmith cannot use the same procedure for soldering on softer metals as they are often toxic. Soft solder can be used in some cases, but it is never a permanent solution. The piece is most often fixed with a glue or cement, but it is only a matter of time before the piece will break again.

Costume jewellery is not made to last in most cases and is intended for disposal once it has broken. Inventive jewellery can often redesign a piece or come up with ingenious ways to reattach parts, but you must be willing to let go at a certain point or expense.

A goldsmith will do their best to save your sentimental pieces but as they were not only made in a way that allows for many traditional repairs, some pieces will have to be let go while others may be salvageable.

Consider having your goldsmith remake a design in materials that can last over time and that can be repaired as part of their natural cycle of wear and use.

These inherited costume clip on earrings had a broken clasp. The customer chose to remake these into 2 pairs of earrings in order to share with another family member

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013

New Series from House of Cassady now available!

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I’m adding new work to my bubbles at the studio this week, and I’m pretty stoked about it. These are a series of pieces designed around the red blood cell (yes, it’s my ongoing obsession with the immune system coming out again!).

electron micrograph of field of red blood cells- round red circles with a depression in the middle.

This is an picture of a field of red blood cells. Essential carriers of iron, among other things, did you know they don’t have a nucleus (brain of the cell!), giving them that characteristic “donut” look.

These are the base series (all done in sterling silver!): a short and longer element done as: bracelet, pendants, ring and 3 earring styles. (backdrop postcard done by Leonie Schoen– don’t you love it??)

I have plans for some other, slightly more elaborate pieces in the future, but these first pieces will be available in the studio from next week. I’ve decided to call them “Rolling”, since I feel like I can see them rolling along a blood vessel.

Wondering how big they are? Here’s some scale photos:

My favourite are the half hoops, I think–how about you?

Visit the studio to see them in person, and try them on! With their simple elegance, and undulating curves, they’re sure to be a new favourite!

Happy Saturday!



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