Hand stamping jewelry is a great way to create a personalized collection. If you add soldering, or any of these techniques, to the mix you'll be able to elevate your collection easily!
Elevate your stamped jewelry with a few simple tips! Before the holidays, I played around in the studio with some stamps, blanks, soldering ornaments and a torch. Now, hand stamping is not something I frequently do because I tend to spend all of my time on jewelry soldering projects. I found though, that when I combined the two, they complimented each other using just a few simple techniques.
Don't worry! A few of these techniques require the use of a torch, but if you're not used to soldering we have lots of articles and videos to help you. I've included a basic soldering video at the bottom of this article, to help you get started.
I love to solder, I know I say it time and time again, but everything about it I love. Don't get me wrong, it definitely wasn't like that at first. I was timid, scared of the heat and the flame and out of my comfort zone. But boy, did that all change and I assure you it will for you, too. I see it all the time with the employees here, I show them how to solder a couple of things and then they run with it. Just think about it, when you learn how to solder, you open up a whole world of new techniques and skills that you can offer to your customers. Not only can you finally solder jump rings closed, but you can also now design shanks and make your own rings, solder posts onto handmade earrings, create chain links any style that you'd like. The list goes on and on.
On the flip side, we already know that hand stamping jewelry is not only fun but meaningful as well. Stamping thoughtful sayings, words that inspire someone, celebrating important dates and moments in time. When you stamp that special piece for a customer or loved one, it's extremely satisfying, to both of you.
Mix it up! Mix soldering with the hand stamping skills that you've already perfected and you'll elevate your jewelry line to a whole new level.
But first, before I hyperlink to an array of articles about soldering that'll help you get started, let me show you 5 simple ways to elevate your stamped jewelry using simple soldering techniques.
Add a Soldering Ornament
|
A jewelry soldering ornament is a small finding that can easily be incorporated into jewelry designs. You can solder or rivet these tiny embellishments onto your hand stamped metal blanks. If you choose to solder, these are ideal using the sweat soldering technique! They come in sterling silver, 14kt gold and copper. |
Solder on a 14kt Charm
|
By using 14kt gold findings your piece will really pop! Take a 14kt gold charm, clip off the ring (if it has one) and solder it onto the piece. They look amazing, they're inexpensive, and they add perceived value to your finished piece. |
|
Add a Border using Wire or Stamps
metal stamps |
A simple border can really add to the overall appearance of your jewelry. You can stamp, hammer or even solder on a fancy pattern wire. Borders are not only fun to create but they also take very little time if you texture them on. |
Include a Setting
| I love using stone settings on stamped pieces. Because setting a calibrated stone with a bezel setting tube takes just a few seconds, here's a great tip. Solder on the tube bezel ahead of time, have the customer pick the color of the stone and then set it. This is a great way to personalize a piece for a customer, especially when you're working at a show. |
|
Use Fancy Blanks
|
Last, but not least, stamped pieces are usually found in round or rectangle shapes but by simply switching over to a fancier blank you can make your work stand out. We have fancy metal stamping blanks in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, 14kt gold-filled and 14kt rose gold-filled. |
Begin Soldering today!
This is the first soldering project that I teach the new employees in the Halstead Jewelry Studio. Using a kitchen table soldering station set-up and a handheld butane torch, I'll cover the tools and supplies that you'll need and then I'll move on to soldering a bangle. Once you learn to solder, you'll be amazed at all that you can make!
Additional Soldering Articles:
5 Steps to Start Silver Soldering
6 Steps To Soldering Earring Posts
How to Sweat Solder 14kt Gold to Sterling Silver
Soldering Half Round Wire & Pattern Wire For Rings
Fancy Jewelry Wires: Shaping & Soldering Wire Links
Halstead is one of North America's leading distributors of quality jewelry supplies. The firm is celebrating its 46th anniversary this year. Halstead specializes in wholesale findings, chain, and metals for jewelry artists.
Got questions? Email our studio coordinator Erica Stice at studio@halsteadbead.com. We'd love to hear from you. Sorry, studio support is not available by phone. Emails only, please.
