Jewellery Making Supplies

Written by Jo Reed of Finding Beadtopia

FEATURED SUPPLIER! – Jewellery Making Kits

If you are short on inspiration or you are just starting out on your jewellery making journey, this shop is a real find. Leading on from hosting jewellery making parties for children Mandy has made available many of her gorgeous kits here on Folksy. Full instructions are included along with a little organza bag and the kits can be customised if you have a particular colour in mind. Every page is full of beautiful colours that can’t fail to give you the jewellery making bug. An extra incentive to have a look around and treat yourself, is that Mandy will be putting all proceeds from any sales until the 12th June 2011 into her Race for Life pot.

FOLKSY FINDS! To England & St George

Click the images for more details!

JEWELLERY MAKERS TIPS! – Hallmarking History

It was under the rule of King Edward the First that hallmarking was first established.

The first assay office was the Hall of Goldsmiths in London. Parliament awarded them the job of controlling the standards of precious metals circulating in the British Isles. This is where the term “hallmarking” comes from.

A process known as cupellation is used to test silver for example for purity. A sample is weighed then heated with lead in a furnace, as the lead and any other metals present oxidise all that is left is pure silver. The weight of this is compared to the original weight to ascertain if the silver is pure enough to be hallmarked.

The traditional method of hallmarking was to stamp with steel punches but this is quite unsuitable for finished pieces of jewellery as it can distort the metal. Today laser technology is used to burn the hallmark onto the precious metal.

Jo Reed @ Finding Beadtopia

• Search Folksy for the latest additions to our Jewellery Supplies