Design for Jewellery Makers

A clear, comprehensive and practical 'how-to' guide and resource for all aspects of designing jewellery. 

This book contains expert guidance on design and the design process, and includes step-by-step project briefs and themes for readers to use as a basis for developing their own ideas. It is suitable for all intermediate and professional jewellery makers, as well as those attending jewellery-making courses and who have taken up jewellery making as a hobby. 

The book explores the design process in depth, from fundamentals of jewellery design such as practical considerations to high-level conceptual briefs. Included within its pages are:

• Inspirational contributions from 12 contemporary jewellery designers. A chapter of the book shows how 6 of them apply the concepts in the book to their own practice
• 16 design techniques: a mix of drawing and model-making techniques including how to draw facetted gemstones, sketching, producing a technical drawing, paper models, mould-making and casting
• 5 technique-led projects: examples of how you can use basic jeweller’s skills together with the design techniques to create a specific type of jewellery. These include cutting out to make a band ring, press-forming for a brooch, and using repeated patterns for a necklace
• 8 process-led design projects show different creative approaches to the same challenge. For example 6 different ways of connecting links without soldering, or 12 different ways of setting a stone
• The book finishes with 10 open projects briefs and finished inspirational examples for the reader to try out and learn from.

Book Contents

Introduction 6
How to start 8
Elements of design 26
Key design elements 30
Personal style 36
Practical design 52
Material 54
Rings 60
Bracelets, bangles and cuffs 64
Necklaces chokers and torcs 70
Earrings 74
Brooches and pins 78
Cuff-links 81
Design techniques 82
Drawing 84
Model making 114
Plan... and make 144
Finding the right techniques
Experimenting 166
Process-led design
Themes 186
Inspirational briefs
Index 208