Experience the pleasure of crafting with precious metals, and of using your creativity and skills to produce objects of great beauty. Hundreds of color photographs illustrate the procedures in rich detail, and display a breathtaking assortment of pieces by talented artists. Each innovative project introduces techniques that range from casting, stamping, hand engraving, and electroplating to the more specialized Kum Boo, where sheets of gold are fused with silver to form lovely motifs. Begin with two handsome square rings or a traditional Berber bracelet with delicate filigree, and move on to an elaborate coffee service once basic techniques are mastered. The chapter on gems alone—featuring the work of Bernd Munsteiner, considered the best gem cutter in the world—makes this sourcebook invaluable!

What makes a piece of jewelry special isn't the cost--it's the creativity, novelty, and originality that go into the design. And this imaginative and informative compendium of jewelry-making techniques, packed with more than 700 color images and written by the noted jeweler and instructor Carles Codina, features a range of contemporary alternative materials. From paper, wood, and polymer clay to glass, new metal formats, and plastics, each material receives detailed attention, with the key techniques demonstrated in a single, finished project. Mold and embellish paper clay to create a whimsical brooch. Fold rice paper into a sculptural bracelet. To finish in style, there are six additional items to make that build upon earlier skills, including a necklace of hollow ceramic orbs.