What place does hand-rendering your designs have in a jeweler's process? Can putting pencil to paper really benefit a jeweler in the digital age? Jewelry designer Rémy Rotenier believes that hand-drawn designs help jewelers and designers connect with clients, plot out new design[...]
Influencers in Jewelry Design: Linda Darty, Renaissance Woman
Today’s “Influencers in Jewelry Design" post continues a series by Marlene Richey that celebrates the most influential and important shapers of contemporary jewelry design. This time, Marlene spotlights metalsmith, master enamelist, and renaissance woman Linda Darty. Linda ha[...]
Tim Sheriff Doubles-Down on Swanstrom Tools
Swanstrom’s resident tool master Tim Sheriff is gearing up for a one-of-a-kind classroom experience at Rio: He will tag-team with talented designer/instructor Lauren Tobey for a Winter Workshop class that will take disc cutters and pliers to the limits of students’ imaginatio[...]
Business Know-How with Marlene Richey: Developing a Marketing Plan—Part Two
Today, on The Studio, Marlene Richey brings us part two of her Marketing Plan Series. She shares concrete advice about how to begin your plan, set attainable goals, assess your success, and remain nimble by regularly reworking your plan. With Marlene's expert advice you'll learn [...]
Jayne Redman: The Art of Making Multiples
Jayne Redman’s new class at Rio Grande’s 2015 Winter Workshop, held January 25–30, is Making Multiples: Blanking Dies and Pattern Development. During the class, Jayne will teach students the process of making and using a blanking die from start to finish, in the process tea[...]
John Sartin’s Textures, Treatments & Techniques
Have you signed up for Rio’s annual Winter Workshop yet? Get to know John Sartin, who will be teaching a two-day intensive on textures and treatments that will enrich your designs and expand your conceptions of jewelry. This class is a must for beginning metalsmiths!
Influencers in Jewelry Design: George Sawyer & His Alchemy-Voodoo-Magic
Today’s “Influencers in Jewelry Design" post continues a series by Marlene Richey that celebrates the most influential and important shapers of contemporary jewelry design. This time, Marlene spotlights the extraordinary talent and groundbreaking contributions of George Sawye[...]
Thanks for Giving: Toolbox Initiative Helps Fellow Jewelers with Your Generous Donations
A jeweler in West Africa will typically own a hammer, pliers or tweezers, and a few other odds and ends that they keep in a hand-made toolbox. Since The Studio's initial post about the Toolbox Initiative—a project that aims to provide West African jewelers with commercial tools[...]
Business Know-How with Marlene Richey: Developing a Marketing Plan—Part One
Today, on The Studio, Marlene Richey introduces part one of a larger series about how to get your jewelry in the spotlight by developing a comprehensive marketing plan. Who is your target market? How do you intend to reach them? Start thinking about these questions and more and w[...]
What Are You Working on Now? Show Us What’s on Your Bench AND Enter Our December Contest!
What inspires you these days? What materials have you been experimenting with? Nearly every month we present you with another “What are You Working on Now?” contest, in which we invite readers to submit a picture or two and a description of what’s on their bench right now. [...]
Saul Bell Design Award Winners, Christi Anderson and Anna Mazon: The Stories Behind the Artists
Christi Anderson and Anna Mazon were winners in the Metal Clay category of the of the 2014 Saul Bell Design Award and I recently had the good fortune of getting to know each of them a bit better. Read on to hear the stories behind these talented artists. Then begin thinking about[...]
Have You Seen the RazzaWeld® Hand-Held Fusion Welder? (Spoiler Alert: You’re Gonna Love It!)
Imagine welding posts to dozens of your earring designs in mere minutes. Imagine making instant repairs to tie-tacs, post earrings, scatter pins, and more in seconds. Your production efficiency—and customer satisfaction—just went through the roof! Read on to learn about how t[...]