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Jewelry Design Unit Study
Here is an interesting topic to explore with someone who is artistic or who enjoys fashion. There is a lot more to learning the trade of jewelry design and repair than you would think!
1. Renderings or drawings are usually the first step in developing a piece of jewelry. Look through magazines and stores. Also, notice what other people are wearing. Create a collection of photos, ads, or sketches of jewelry styles that appeal to you. Then, draw an item that you would like to have. Draw the piece of jewelry to size and indicate what materials you will use.
2. Put together a toolbox of equipment that you will need to make jewelry. First make a list using craft books, displays at craft stores, or by looking at the tools that a jeweler uses at a jewelry store.
3. Learn about jewelry findings. Findings are jewelry elements such as clasps, settings for stones, backs for pins, earring backs, etc. Check out the findings of jewelry that are already in your home. Find at least five different kinds of clasps.
4. Investigate where you can buy simple, inexpensive findings. Or, improvise a kind of finding. For instance, a temporary finding for a lost pierced-earring back could be a piece of pencil eraser.
5. Begin a collection of simple jewelry findings, either bought or improvised. Make at least one piece of original jewelry using pieces from your collection.
6. Beads have been one of the most common jewelry elements. Recycle beads from old necklaces and bracelets to make a new design.
7. Make your own beads using materials such as polymer clay (e.g., Sculpy™), papier-mache, wood, etc. You may also wish to make some beads using the following activities:
§ Tissue Paper Bead Clay
§ Paper Beads
§ Construction Paper Clay
§ Apple Cinnamon Dough
§ Sand Clay
§ Pearly Clay
8. Although jewelry is often crafted from precious metals and gems, it can also be made from inexpensive or easy-to-obtain materials, such as those in the above activity. Use your imagination to craft a piece of jewelry from commonly found item or items.
9. Make a pin or pendant from at least three different materials.
10. Research the history of jewelry. Create a display or graphic presentation on what you have found. You may narrow your research to a particular type or style of jewelry, the jewelry of a particular culture, or even the history of a famous piece of jewelry or particular gem.
11. Learn about metals commonly used in jewelry making: copper, brass, silver, gold and platinum. Compare the characteristics of each and determine why a particular metal might be used over another. Some terms to consider are: ore, malleability, tensile strength, melting point, oxidation, tarnish, and hardness.
12. Gems and stones used in jewelry are minerals and crystals selected for their looks, color, luster, reflective qualities, hardness, and durability. Investigate at least 20 different stones, minerals, gems, and/or crystals that are used in jewelry. Create a report, display, or graphic presentation on what you have learned.
13. Research synthetic gems and new metal alloys. How have these new technologies impacted the jewelry industry? The cost of jewelry?
14. Many jewelers belong to craft guilds or art leagues. Find out if there is an association for artists or jewelers in your area. Contact it to find out more about how members help each other.
15. Jewelry making can be as simple as one artisan craft and selling his/her own work, or a huge business that involves industrial mining or large retail operations. Identify 10 or more careers related to jewelry making. Learn about a career than interests you.
16. Find out about schools that offer courses in jewelry crafting and related fields. Find out about the different courses available and the standard degree and experience required to become a master craftsman in jewelry.
17. Interview a professional jeweler. Develop a short profile of training and experience that led him or her to her current job. Find out what are the most rewarding aspects of the work as well as the negative aspects.
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