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I present jewelry a lot, and I often talk about how a specific piece of jewelry is made, but I wanted to get some hands on experience, so I took a class. The class was Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design, and jewelry designer Susan Roggio was our fearless leader. I chose to make a necklace and three bangles. Before anyone lifted a finger, Sue demonstrated the steps we would need to take in order to complete the pieces.  

I had pieces of nickel alloy and copper, and I started by cutting out my shapes and putting designs on my metal

Then Sue burned the sides of the nickel (and put a patina on the copper)

I spent a lot of time sanding the pieces of metal until they were smooth. I often speak to this on air, and Sue reiterated the point, that the quality of the "finish" on a piece is the difference between a good piece and a great one. So, I sanded and sanded, and drilled holes, added brass thread connections, beads, and loops for the necklace (Sue added a chain).

When it came to making the bangles, I got a chance to solder the ends together and add silver tone drops to the sides.

I hammered the sides and sanded and sanded, and voila… three bangles

What did I learn? That each piece of jewelry needs to be thought out beforehand, and every decision leads to a gazillion other decisions. Every single step requires skill, patience, and luck… as each piece of metal responds to fire differently. I am pleased with my necklace (which I think looks like the face of a cat… lol) and my bangles. I’m also excited for my next jewelry show because I have stories to tell...