The 2012 Tools & Equipment catalog is out! We hope you’ve enjoyed flipping through it and you’re finding everything you hoped to see and more. We’ve polled the Rio Product Managers who select our tools, and now present the top ten Tools & Equipment catalog pages you should NOT miss!
Rio Grande is proud to once again be a sponsor of the MJSA Expo in New York. MJSA is the show dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design. We’d like to see you there! Read on to unveil the Top 10 Reasons You Should Go to MJSA. . .
In 2006, Lauren Tobey opened Meltdown Studio here in Albuquerque, NM. Meltdown is a jewelry school/studio that not only offers jewelry classes, but provides an open studio and workspace for other artists to use. In today’s post, Spencer interviews Lauren about Meltdown Studio and about the mesmerizing and fantastic cuff bracelets she recently made using Swanstrom Disc Cutters.
PMC Sterling™: It’s metal clay, and it’s sterling—what more is there to know? Lots!
There are some fantastic jewelers out there that have been putting this new metal clay through its paces and blogging about what they’ve learned. Here are a few posts you’ll definitely want to check out. . .
Metal stamping can be used to add a quality mark to your piece, but you can also stamp your work with an endless array of letters and symbols, or give it memorable flair with your very own signature stamp. In this video, Mark demonstrates stamping techniques and talks about many of the ways stamping can be used to enhance your work. Enjoy!
Rio is a huge supporter of education in the jewelry industry and we’re overjoyed to announce the opening of Jewelry Studies International (JSI) in Austin, TX, by long-time friends of Rio, Ronda Coryell and Vasken Tanielian. JSI is focused on state of the art jewelry classes, certifications in 3Design CAD/CAM jewelry design and Jewelry Arts featuring Argentium® Sterling Silver. Check out our latest post on The Studio to learn more!
Since their worldwide debut at the 2007 Catalog in Motion Show, Fretz Hammers have become a staple of the industry, and the hammer of choice for those who are doing traditional forming on a jewelry-sized scale. Thousands of Fretz Hammers are out in the world now, each of them with 420 stainless heads, oil-finished padauk handles, and a perfect, almost magical balance in the hand when you pick them up. And all of those many hammers can trace their roots back to this one, the very First Fretz Hammer. . .
Here at Rio, we’ve created an empowered workplace operating within a common set of principles. So we’ve got a challenging yet supportive environment sharing a common set of values, but what about the tools that make our culture work? Effective feedback is among our most useful (and most used) tools around here. In today’s post, Mark shares 11 framing techniques for giving feedback. Try them and tell us what you think!
Would you like to win a little extra cash to spend at Rio? In a new series of blog posts called “What are You Working on Now?”, The Studio asks readers to share photos and descriptions of their works-in-progress. Each month we’ll choose a winner from among our entries add $10 credit to their Rio account! Take a look at this month’s winner and then share something special from your own bench.
We just finished up our 2nd annual Rio In Motion education event! Couldn’t make it this year? See what you missed!
Is your jeweler’s bench overflowing with bits and pieces that you aren’t sure how to utilize? Last week at Rio In Motion, Tim Sheriff of Swanstrom Tools made inspired use of some demo room scraps with the Swanstrom Spiral Forming Pliers, the Heart-Shaped Disc Cutter, and the Bonny Doon Hydraulic Press. Check out the results and then show us some of your most ingenious scrap-busting projects!
The unique properties of Argentium® silver distinguish it from traditional sterling silver, but despite all the advantages that it offers, many jewelers are hesitant to give it a try. In today’s post, Cynthia Eid –an Argentium® silver master, shares encouragement, tips, and examples of what’s possible with this innovative alloy.
Mary Lee Hu is a larger-than-life artist in the jewelry world. She has literally done it all, from creating a breathtaking body of jewelry and sharing her knowledge with … [Read More...] about Influencers in Jewelry Design: Mary Lee Hu
Elizabeth Kirk is dressed head-to-toe in turquoise velvet. Each eyelid is powdered in ombré eye shadow as iridescent as a hummingbird's breast. She's warm and … [Read More...] about Elizabeth Kirk Shares the Display Secrets Behind Her Pop-Up “Boutique”
