Back from Mexico City!
Author: Jewel Envy
Recycling Metal
Ever wondered what the process of recycling metal looks like? Here at Jewel Envy we can take your old jewellery and turn it into something new by melting it down and reusing the metal to create new pieces! Take a look at the photo process captured by of one of our resident goldsmiths Jamie Rosario pouring a wire ingot from her scrap silver to make a ring.
Approximately 25 grams of scrap silver is cleaned and cut up into small pieces and melted in a crucible. The steel mould is prepped and ready for molten silver to be poured into. The metal is heated until glowing red and must be poured in one swift motion into the wire mould!
This is what the metal looks like immediately after it has been poured into the mould and cooled in water.
The ingot is then reduced in size and squared off with a hammer before is gets rolled through a wire mill by hand, where it can be reduced to your desired thickness.
The wire must be annealed (heated) every so often while being rolled through the mill so that the metal does not crack and stays pliable during the reduction process.
Making two different thicknesses of wire.
Here, the wire has been flattened and texture has been added with a ball pein hammer for a custom ring order.
The Difference between Handmade and Manufactured Jewellery
Photo of Edna Milevsky’s work. Handmade by her.
In my line of work as a handmade jewellery maker, I get asked by some when attending shows why the price of my work is that high.
Ever since the influx of cheap, shiny and very affordable jewellery has swept in from many jewellery factories in China through aliexpress/ alibaba and temu to name a few, it is readily available anywhere you go.
Handmade jewellery is made by skilled artisans using traditional methods. The results are unique and often intricate. Custom orders are common, making it one-of-a-kind and also allows for more customization opportunities. With handmade jewellery, we use intricate techniques and details, resulting in pieces with greater artistry and craftsmanship. With handmade jewellery, the metal is often made with higher quality materials and specially sourced stones to ensure durability and longevity. Since it is handmade, it is slower production. Sometimes a piece can be time-consuming since each piece is crafted by hand. Therefore it can impact the price and availability. Handmade jewellery is priced fairly to offer the artist a living wage. Last but not least, buying handmade jewellery supports small businesses and individual artists who put their passion and skills into their work.
For mass produced jewellery, they are less expensive and more readily available. They are usually very consistent in design and size because they are mass produced in an automated production process. To make it more cost effective, it may lead to cheaper materials or processes, impacting quality and longevity. Also, mass produced are usually based outside of Canada where they do not pay their workers a fair wage.
Take your jewellery off before you go to sleep!
Take your jewellery off before you go to sleep!
It may sound obvious, but many people are in the habit of sleeping with their rings on.
So why does this matter? Your hands often swell at night and if you are wearing a ring all the time you may become so accustomed to it that you might not realize it has drastically reduced the circulation to your finger, which can cause nerve damage.
Another problem may occur over time is that your hands can change around the ring, so that it no longer comes off at any point.
Both situations can lead to a trip to the hospital and end with a surgeon cutting off your ring.
If you like your ring, protect it and take it off at night.
’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013
End of March round up
Photos from a few bits and bobs being worked on by moi, Alexis Kostuk:
Thinking Spring at Jewel Envy
Although it is still slightly cold outside we are warming our spirits at the thought of budding leaves, plants, and vibrant colours!
Earrings by Eunice Lin
Ring & bracelet by Jerell Reichart – Urban Metal.
Necklace & Earrings by Jamie Rosario
1/2 Day Cuff Workshop
Looking for a short and fun weekend activity with the chance to craft your own custom made jewellery? Our 1/2 day workshops might be a great match for you!
This Saturday at Jewel Envy we ran our 1/2 day cuff-making class where students learn to texture metal in a variety of techniques and apply them to their own hand-forged cuff. You can make your cuffs using a combination of silver, copper, and brass.
Today both of our students applied a ball pein hammered texture and used stamps for their cuff designs.
Snippets of the process:
Looking at metal selections and sample textures. Students have the chance to test out a few textures before deciding which one(s) to apply to their cuff!
Testing out different stamps.
Using the rolling mill to emboss textures and/or imagery. Textures can be imparted from several different materials such as textiles, metals, sandpaper, and even dried leaves! Your choice of texturing material is layered on top of your metal and are rolled through the mill together. The pressure of the mill imprints the texture from the material.
Touching up the form of the cuff using a soft mallet to prevent damaging the design on the cuff.
March in Aquamarine
It is finally time for one of the most recognizable, admired and swoon-inspiring gemstones.
Aquamarine is that gorgeous light blue sparkler often set with white gold and surrounded by white diamonds. Just stunning, and the bigger the better for this beauty.
March is a perfect match for Aquamarine. It is the stone of mariners and happy marriages. Whether you know someone preparing to brave the waters as a sailor or a betrothed, this gemstone is a wonderful way to carry your wish for their success and happiness.
Reach out to us at info@jewelenvy.ca and let’s get started on a custom gift that means the world.
Class Rings
While taking stock of our class pics I compiled some of the rings students have made in our classes. I included a description of what class(es) were took to create the rings (there’s more then one way to make a ring;o)
Check out our class descriptions
Micro Mosaic Jewellery
Resident goldsmith and studio Manager Alexis Kostuk has been on a creative kick as of lately! After dipping her toes into some micro mosaic she recently dove back in, using more glass colours and experimenting with different background colours, take a look!
