You have to learn the alphabet before you can write beautiful sentences. As with writing, when you’re enameling jewelry, you have to learn the colors you are working with and what they can do before you can create beautiful pieces of enamel jewelry. The individual colors ar[...]
Influencers in Jewelry Design: Marthe Le Van
Writer. Editor. Gallery owner. Evangelist. Without ever picking up a jewelry tool or designing a piece, Marthe Le Van has become one of the most influential people in the contemporary jewelry design movement. During more than a decade at Lark Books (now Lark Crafts), she used he[...]
Rio Jeweler Stories: Arrok Metal Studio
This series of interviews explores some of the stories from the #RioJeweler community. #RioJeweler is a way for jewelers to share moments from the bench on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Designers from around the world use the hashtag to chronicle their stories, their work and [...]
How to Hire Your First Employee: Part 1
For some, it may start in a moment of frustration. For others, it may be a moment of invigoration or inspiration. Either way, the moment when you realize, “Yowza, I really need help!” to run your business more effectively and efficiently is the moment to take action. It’s a[...]
Discover the Importance of Branded Packaging
Learn how to create a memorable unboxing experience for your customer, and pick up a few tips on how to get customers to share your brand with their friends. To help establish your jewelry brand and encourage repeat purchases, it’s important to have a high-quality, cohesive loo[...]
Understanding Metal Hardness
Rio’s Blog has been around since 2010, and we’ve shared lots of great articles about the art of making jewelry in that time. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be digging through the archives and republishing some of the posts that our audience found most helpful.[...]
Rio Jeweler Stories: Panurgic
This series of interviews explores some of the stories from the #RioJeweler community. #RioJeweler is a way for jewelers to share moments from the bench on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Designers from around the world use the hashtag to chronicle their stories, their work and [...]
Form a Fluted Cuff Bracelet with Bill Fretz
Join us in the Rio video studio with renowned jeweler and master tool maker Bill Fretz as he demonstrates how to form a fluted convex cuff bracelet using his M-100 series stakes. Bill will walk you through the process of forming the cuff into a convex shape and then addin[...]
Learn Tracy Arrington’s Secrets for Jewelry Displays that Sell
Jewelry displays are one one of the most often overlooked elements of a successful tradeshow. We caught up with Tracy of Tracy Arrington Studios in Apopka, Florida to uncover her secrets for creating award-winning tradeshow booth displays as she travels across the U.S. introd[...]
Go Inside the Rio Gemology Department with Shannon Demoulin
Gemologist Shannon Demoulin has been a part of the Rio Grande gemology department since 1990 and has been integral to its evolution into a boutique, concierge service that offers each customer one-on-one, personal service in selecting the right stone—the Rio Gem Source. S[...]
Meet Three Innovative Jewelers Working in Gold
One of the first metals early humans used to create pieces of adornment, gold is a time-tested classic of jewelry making. With its unmatched luster and resistance to tarnish, it is the darling of the jeweler’s bench. There are innumerable ways to incorporate the[...]
Rio Jeweler Stories: Wingostarr Jewelry
Wingostarr Jewelry is made up of Mallory Wingo and Jason Self. They’ve been together for seven years, have a 4-year-old little girl and have been making a living off of their jewelry designs for two years. They make electroformed and wire-wrapped jewelry together full time in [...]