Design for Jewellery Makers

A hands-on reference guide for those looking for a practical approach to designing their own jewellery and exploring new design concepts.

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.