MetalCyberspace is a very cool site that is loaded with metal jewelry information, and that includes lots of jewelry schools.
This site has lots and lots and lots of links, so be prepared to stay awhile once you get there. You may want to get a cup of coffee or glass of wine before you start cruising around it.

b5media’s Tangled Thread blogger, Chloe, has a contest going on and jewelry makers might want to get in on the action. You may win the cool metal tag above.

I just got this way cool DVD to review from Victoria Lansford who a well-known master of the Russian Filigree technique. I’ve been waiting to enjoy it with my husband who I know is going to flip over this. He is really into more metal work, especially soldering, and has actually managed to get our garage in almost working order, including an A/C so we don’t die fo the heat out there. He’s got his workbench all ready to go, and so I knew he’d want to see this with me. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to actually spend some …read more

Someone told me about this excellent tutorial over at MSN Fine Wire Group for making head pins using wire. Actually, this is very similar to what I’ve heard other jewelry makers do, but they would just hold the wire over the flame to allow the metal to ball up before pulling it away from the flame. This metal worker takes a little different approach, and I suspect the head pins come out a little more consistent because of it.
My husband has finally managed to get out in the garage and start organizing our metal jewelry bench out there. We’ve ordered …read more

 Finally! I have finished creating my first, of what I hope will at least be a few, metal jewelry making e-course at my About.com site. This is a 14 week class, so you’ll get one lesson emailed to you every week. I will promo it in my Nov. 1st Jewelry Making newsletter, but I wanted my blog buddies over here to get first crack at it.
Here’s the scoop – like I said 14 classes, 14 weeks – and I cover all kinds of metal information in relation to metal fabrication. You’d be amazed at the jewelry you can make with …read more

 One of the great things about being a jewelry journalist of sorts is writing about other jewelry designers and their accomplishments.
I’ve been lucky enough to know Jeanne Rhodes-Moen as one of my on-line friends for a number of years now, and I’ve always been amazed at her fabulous filigree jewelry techniques. She truly is a metal artist.
After recently moving back to the States from Norway, Jeanne finally got a chance to publish her first (and I’m sure there will be more) book on filigree jewelry making called Silver Threads: Making Wire Filigree Jewelry.
You can read a complete book review of …read more

A critical element to making metal and wire jewelry that looks finished is filing. For fabricating metal, you might use a file to help shape a piece of metal or fit two pieces of metal together without any gaps.
For wire, filing is important to do so that you don’t have any rough areas when wire might stick out. Obviously, this can scratch the wearer. Filing is one of the tasks I hate the most. Whenever my husband and I take metal classes together, we always split up the chores. He’s great at filing, and I prefer to polish.
If you …read more

One issue with making metal jewelry, especially if you fabricate or solder, is the fact that you need to clean and polish it after you make it. I recently received an email from a novice metal worker who was concerned about how to clean her metal jewelry. Polishing wheels are not cheap, running any where from about $300 to $500.
So what do you do if you don’t want to spend the big buck?
One alternative is to go with a flexable shaft, aka flex-shaft, aka Dremel, and then use polishing attachements.
For example, here’s a kit from Rio Grande.
I have a …read more

While it’s nice to be able to brag about making every single component of a jewelry piece, that’s not always practical. This project, Hammered Dangle Earrings, is a compromise between using pre-fabricated components and metal pieces that you make yourself.

Beadshop.com is having a charm and pendant sale right now up through July 21st. Get 35% off a large selection of precious metal and base metal and even some gemstone and glass jewelry components as well.
I especially like these large gemstone pendants they have.