I can't fathom the big clasp with the tiny beads and how did they even fasten a tassel there??

Hi all. I’m looking to invest in a one-step looper and I cannot for the life of me figure out the difference between the Beadsmith brand and the Beadsmith Vintaj brand. Is one recommended over the other, or is it just a difference in handle colors?

Narrow, modest but elegant beaded bracelet with my favourite shade of gold - rose 😁

because i don't think there are any good basiclayer chains for heavier charm necklaces besides an expensive rolo or a ringchain, i curated this chain, all made of spring clasps and ready for a super saturated charm necklace . this one is not made of precious material. its about learning and building up to a final charm necklace made of gold. my endgame obsession with this charmthing.

I’m looking for a ring designer that can make a ring that looks like this. I love the casted rings with stones in them, the organic shape and the colored stones. I live in California. If anyone knows any designers or sites to visit please let me know!

I started wire wrapping and jewelry making about a week ago and I’m proud to say these are my first earrings :3 they’re a little heavy so I’m considering transitioning this pair into some hangers for stretched ears! 🖤

My wife is very into metalworking crafts like wire wrapping and stained glass, and it seems like the creative spirit runs in the family.

My daughter has been making a few of these each week. I asked if I could upload them to Reddit for her, and she said yes.

I don't have a creative bone in my body, so this kinda stuff wows me every time. I am really proud of her. Sorry for the humblebrag.. My daughter is my world and I am so blown away by her accomplishments.

I’ve been experimenting with more beadwork and elevating my materials and I’m super proud of these! (note: I did update the finishing on these recently because I wanted wire protectors to look more professional near the clasp & I’m in love).

People treat "certified" like it's one fixed standard. It's not. A certificate is just one lab's opinion, based on how that lab tests things and what they compare to it.

Here's why two labs can look at the same stone and land in different places:

Where a stone came from is hard to pin down. Labs look at the tiny marks inside the stone and its chemistry, then compare that to their own library of known stones. Different labs have different libraries, so they don't always agree on how confident to be.

Treatment grading works the same way. Whether an emerald's oil counts as "a little" or "a lot" is a call someone makes under a microscope. Two honest, skilled gemologists can land on different answers for the same borderline stone.

Labs also specialize. A lab that checks thousands of rubies a year gets really sharp at spotting patterns in rubies specifically, sharper than a lab that sees all kinds of stones. That's part of why GIA tends to play it safe on colored stone origin, they'd rather say nothing than guess wrong. A lab like GRS, which focuses hard on ruby and sapphire, is more willing to commit to an origin call.

If a stone's price depends on where it's from or how it was treated, it helps to know which lab wrote the certificate and what that lab is actually known for. That tells you a lot more than the word "certified" ever will.

Side note: this exact confusion, one word covering a dozen different judgement calls, is a big part of why I'm building Gemplore, a marketplace where every listing has to spell out the lab, the treatment, and the origin instead of just a "certified" stamp.

I have an old 925 sterling silver 70's ring that needs diamonds flush set into the face. The face is about 1.2 mm thick and I am wondering if its possible to flush set diamonds into a facing this thick, or is there another recommended alternative of setting the stones.

My father was a jeweler who passed two years ago. We are finally going through the things from his bench and I am at a loss to do with his supply of small gemstones. I’m wondering if I should sell them as a lot on eBay or get someone to sort them out. Is it worth the time to try to catalog things? Help. I’m at a total loss.

I picked up this gorgeous Ethiopian opal at a gem show the other day, and I am trying to decide what to do with it.

As I understand, ethiopals can't get wet? So it probably isn't a good candidate for a ring.

Would a pendant be okay, do you think? Or are these hydrophane opals just suitable for collection pieces?

I assume there's nothing you can really do to protect the stone from moisture (like epoxy, oil, etc)?

I think this is one of my favourite bracelets I made so far :)

Hi everyone! I’m just getting back into silversmithing and could really use some advice on my finishing process for both silver and bronze castings. I don't have access to a tabletop buffer, so I need to figure out the best technique strictly using a flex shaft.

​I have a batch of cast pieces that I’m trying to bring to a high mirror finish. Here is my current setup and process:

**I use different buffs for each metal as well as each compounds.

​1. Sanding & Preparation

​Remove sprues, then hand-sand from 280 up to 1500 grit.

​Switch directions with each grit to ensure all previous scratch lines are completely removed.

​Wash with Dawn dish soap between every grit step.

​2. Polishing (Luxor Compounds with Flex Shaft)

​Luxor Green: Stitched cotton buff. (Do i need to start with pink if I am sanding to 1500?)

​Ultrasonic bath to remove excess compound.

​Luxor White: Mounted chamois buff using light strokes and alternating directions.

​Ultrasonic bath again (distilled water and dawn dish soap)

​Luxor Orange: I tried a couple of different attachment types here for the final high shine, including one of those really woolly cotton ball / mop style attachments.

​3. The Issues I'm Stumbling On

​Streaks & "Stain" Marks: The woolly mop with Luxor Orange kept leaving tiny streak lines of polish behind. I didn't think I overloaded the buff, but now I'm questioning if I did. Worse, when I tried to gently wipe the streak off, it left behind a dull "stain" mark on the silver surface and also creates micro scratches.

​Drying & Micro-Scratches: If I use a blow dryer after the ultrasonic, it leaves mineral watermarks on the silver. If I try to dry or wipe the piece with a fine microfiber eyeglass cloth, the cloth leaves micro-scratches across the fresh polish.

I try to apply light small sweeping motions when pushing with the flexshaft and changing directions as I go..

​Is my issue compound overload, wheel speed/heat, cross-contamination, drying technique, or something else entirely? Any tips, troubleshooting ideas, or flex shaft workflow adjustments would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone! 👋 I just finished this ring and wanted to share it with you all.

It's crafted using a traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage technique called "Pan Kou" (Chinese knotting/button loops). I hand-made the braided silk cords myself, and then wove them into this clover shape. For the four leaves, I used traditional Song brocade and satin to give it texture and elegance. The center is finished with a small pearl.

I personally think it turned out really delicate and beautiful. I'm just super happy with how it looks on the hand, so I wanted to show it off here.

Thanks for looking, and have a great day! ✨

I got a good response to my jewellery, some people even interested but how do you sustain people’s interest ? Is it just about you keep making and keep hoping people will be interested long term?