Gold on a Budget with Alex Boyd
Colorado-based jeweler Alex Boyd will teach a three-day class on adding small amounts of high-karat gold to silver while making a stone-set ring.
This class is an exploration of the techniques Alex uses to take relatively small amounts of gold and exploit them for maximum visual impact. Students will make an 18k wire overlay for a ring shank, fabricate bezels for cabochons in 22k gold, and make a gold-rimmed silver backplate for the bezel. They will then solder all of the elements together to make a completed piece. Along the way, Alex will explain ways to keep the solder seams between metals crisp and clean, set stones in ways that leave minimal tool marks, make custom titanium soldering clips, keep waste to a minimum, and many other tips and tricks.
Dates: May 16 – 18, Friday – Sunday
Hours: 10-5, with one hour lunch break each day
Cost per student: $650 for CMAG members, $700 for non-members, plus materials kit ($200 – $300, depending on kit chosen) PAYABLE BY CHECK TO TEACHER
Studio provides: benches, torches, flex shafts
Materials Kit includes:
Cabochon
Sterling silver strip 1.3mm x 6mm x 8cm
18k .8mm round wire 9cm long
22k .3mm x 1.5mm long enough to make bezel for cabochon
22k .3mm x 1.5mm 2cm larger than bezel strip
Sterling silver sheet 1.2mm thick, large enough to provide 4mm clearance around stone
Sterling silver sheet .5mm thick, large enough to solder bezel to
Hard silver solder
18k yellow hard solder
Titanium strip .8mm x 1.5mm x 18cm
A full materials list with tools will be emailed to registrants.