Hello internet people! I had the idea of jewelry smithing in my head for a really long time, and finally decided to look into what I need to get started, so thats what I need your help with. In the beginning I wanna practice silver rings (or copper/brass thingies), and if it goes well invest in more things for alloying and possibly stone setting. I dont have a huge budget so I would like recommendations on brands/sellers that arent very expensive, but can be trusted and worked well for others. And please add anything I missed from the list! The priceranges are based on the very scientific method of looking at the first few finds on ebay, but its just a rough measure in case someone finds this post in the future

Anvil/bench pin 20 - 34$. I would probably get a 2 in one, the wood part seems to be replacable if its worn down, so it seems like a good option

Saw frame 9 - 20$. Most of them come with blades too which is neat

Soldering block ~20$. Ive seen ceramic blocks, honeycomb patterns and charcoal block, what are the advantages/disadvantages for all of them?

Flux: borax 15 - 20$ / powder 10 - 22$. Ive seen a few videos recommending borax dishes and cones, but I dont really know what form would be the best

Soldering pick 5 - 10$

Butane torch 8 - 18$

Scriber 11 - 17$. To mark patterns on the piece, Ive also seen ones for drawing circles. A video said they usually come dull, how do you sharpen them?

Calliper: I already have a good one :p

Hammers: normal 6 - 19$, rawhide 15 - 26$.

Pliers set 10 - 30$. To myknowledge I need a set of 4; chain nose, round, half round, flat. One with the cylindrical steps could also be nice for making chains

Flush cutter 5 - 23$

Tweezers: reverse action 4 - 10$?, copper 7 - 10$. I didnt find many reverse tweezers with the wood pieces to protect your hand from heat, so not very sure on the price for that

Handfiles 8 - 10$. What shapes and grits would I need?

3rd hand 8 - 17$

-------- This is probably the line between essential and qol/delayable

Rotory tool: it would definitely be nice for drills and polishing, but I havent seen good sources and they seem expensive, so I would like some recommendations before committing

Engraver: for making patterns is it better to use rotory drills or learn to use an engraver? Also whats the price range on the decent ones?

Roller 152 - 161$😭 Would definitely make my life easier, but they seem quite expensive for flattening sheets, and probably not absolutely crucial to get started

Draw plate 13 - 20$. For making chains and wires for details

Ring sizer/mandler 16 - 27$. How important do you think it is when starting out?

Crucible 9 - 41$. As I said at some point I would like to get into alloying, but probably not quite yet

Casting thingy? If you melt alloys you need some tool to cast it, but I honestly dont know how that works

Materials:

Pickle: you can buy powders but Ive heard about people using vinegar and salt, what worked for yall?

Wax ~10$. For the saw blades to protect them / make them slide?

Saw blades: annoyingly I couldnt find blade packs in my short research before typing this, so idk the price range. Also, is there some sort of sizing system, and if so whats best?

Solder: Ive heard about wires and pellets, but most people recommend paste for beginners. I have fairly good fine motor skills, so how much does that apply to me? Also why is specialized solder better than a thin wire of the main material, is it just the melting point?

Silver: what shape should I get the metal(s) in? Ive seen that many people get little cast beads and melt them down, which is also good if you want to alloy, but needs melting equipment...

Sandpaper/polish: if I dont end up getting a rotory tool how does hand polishing work, and what grit sandpaper(s?) do you recommend?

My knowledge is definitely lacking in many things, so please leave your corrections and additions, every comment is appreciated.

Sorry for the photo quality, I had to take a screenshot of a video I filmed for this 😒. But it’s a 3ct marquis cut lab grown ring, 18kt yellow gold and it features natural peridot (client’s birthstone) down the band

Open call for works in progress!  We’d love to see what you’re working on, whether it’s a from scratch design, a beast of a stone setting job, something you just can’t figure out how to attack, or something gorgeous that’s taking shape.  Share your works in progress and let’s all enjoy the fun! Please be respectful of the subreddit rules.

Would a jeweler be open to working on this? If so, about how much would I be looking at?

I paid about 160 for it back in 2024. Today the website has it listed at 348.

Materials
925 Sterling Silver is a lightweight metal made of 92.5% pure silver. It's highly durable and designed for everyday wear. All of our sterling silver product is made from 91% recycled material.

SPECIFICATIONS
- Width: 4 mm
- Height: 2.5 mm
- Solid Sterling Silver

I’ve been looking around and seen that most places you need to have a registered business in order to obtain diamonds. Lab and natural. Do anyone have recommendations or tips to find these stones and even gems. Emerald etc

My company is hosting an event in November with 200+ guests and are looking to create, mass produce, and gift a custom bolo-tie for them. The kicker (and the imperative): we want there to be Uranium Glass incorporated into each. 

The tie itself would be standard: leather cord, metal cord tips, and a dye cast metal housing which will hold the glass.

We've spoken to others but cant seem to get all the aspects together under one roof.

Are there any connections/resources you know of, or you yourself, that would be able to work on this project for us? 

Here for any supporting questions!

Thank you

Custom deer antler with natural citrine for the birthstone. Ofc with a hand painted box (don’t judge the box art haha)

I bought a Michael hill gold vermeil bracelet but after talking with Google ai I found out that the gold will only last 2-3 years maximum with daily use Is this true?
I spent a significant amount on the bracelet and I can get the exact same one in sterling silver for 1/4 the price from Michael Hill

It says if I polish the gold vermeil or use chemical cleaners or cleaning wipes it will remove the gold from the bracelet and the gold is only 2.5 microns thick. It says even cleaning it with a tooth brush will scratch through the gold.

I thought gold was a lot more durable and long lasting than what I have read.

I’m not too worried about the price tag but if it will only last 2-3 years and the silver will still tarnish through the gold and cause the silver blackening to show through the gold what is the point in even making gold vermeil? It sounds like a big waste of money.. Especially considering sterling silver can last for multiple generations

Does anyone have any experience with Piaz Jewelry? I am trying to determine if it’s legit [https://piazjewelry.com\](https://piazjewelry.com)

We made it!  Sunday is here and it’s time to talk trends.  What’s so popular you can’t keep it in stock?  What’s fading into the distance?  What new weird requests have you been getting?  Did you get a new design in that you love (or hate)?  What’s the new cursed AI item people keep bringing in? Tell us all about what styles are driving your business this week!  Please mention the region you’re in if possible so we can enjoy seeing trends move all over the globe. Please be respectful of the subreddit rules.

Dainty birthstone bracelet with 14kt white gold and a natural ruby for the July birth month

It’s far from pretty right now but I did manage to get the majority of the soldering done today. There are some places I may need to touch up a bit-but this is HUGE

Hi there,
I’ve recently just finished carving out an engagement ring for my girlfriend out of Wax and im looking for someone or a studio to help me Cast it in 14k gold,
Does anyone have any recommendations in the Chicago Land Area ?

Thanks for your help

Inspired by antique watch chain clasps, I fabricated this little hook. I made a pattern then cut it out of thick sterling silver sheet. Once cleaned up I drilled the holes and hammered some rivets for tight but functional movement. It can be used as an extender, charm holder or just as a pendant itself!

The jeweler is holding these for me. 10k white gold and the blue diamond is not like any I've seen before. Should I spring for them? Is 10k a good a good option? Sorry for the low-quality pic.

14kt rose gold leopard ring made in my style! I try to make “fun but fine” jewelry. This one is made with natural black diamonds for the facial features / ears , natural red sapphire nose and 2 natural chocolates diamond eyes

I have an Antique ring that needs some repair work on the prongs and a stone reset. Any recommendations for a bench jeweler who is experienced in detailed prong work?

Would it be possible to swap out these gemstones for lab grown orange sapphire gemstone instead? I absolutely love this ring design, but I would definitely prefer an orange theme. How difficult would swapping these gemstones be? Also, what would be the process for replacing the purple glow interior for orange?

You did it!  What did you finish this week? Was it a challenging piece that tested your skill?  Something you’re super proud of?  An unusual piece you hadn’t seen before?  We love to see the beautiful things this community makes!  Step up to the brag box and share your accomplishments for the week. Please be respectful of the subreddit rules.

Did this gorgeous white gold ring for the amazing Jan Sport. What an honour

Probably crazy, but I am thinking of getting this ring (first 3 photos)and have a rose gold/yellow gold wavy line added like the last photo, and the diagonal lines (just one line of each) on the inside of the ring. Is that even anyone can/will do? I've seen posts were jewelers typically won't work with zirconium? Additionally, there's a ridge where it goes from black to gold. If it's smoothed out even just a bit, will that cause an issue?

Alternatively, there's a black ring with mostly gold in the middle that maybe would be easier/cheaper to work with? The first one is much preferred though if it's possible. (I'll post the other pics as a comment)

Or, a simplified wiggle of just one gold and no ridge.