progress

...marching ahead on the custom piece for a soon-to-be-betrothed friend. Tomorrow, I will add the opals and pearls to their cozy bezel cups.

23K

I am so happy to be melting, forging, stretching, shaping, and filing some 23 & 22K gold that a friend's mother sent me, to rework into a wedding pendant. Shown are some bezel cups for the project.

Gold

I was led to an amazing group of images about gold by the organization Ethical Metalsmiths...more on them in a moment.

The images show gold, in its many forms, all over the world, and originally appeared in a Boston Globe online blog by Alan Taylor, The Big Picture: Gold. I encourage you to see the link for the full series, of which there are several dozen, including the world's largest bar of gold, our obsession with gold captured in many forms, and the stages of the mining process which are so damaging many communities.

Ethical Metalsmiths is " a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to responsibly sourced metals and gemstones," which was founded, and is supported, by metalsmiths.

They, along with many metalsmiths like myself who have committed to using only recycled gold and precious metals, (refined in the U.S.), seek to raise awareness about the lack of regulation in the international mining community, and about the fact that the amount of gold which exists currently in usable form far exceeds the amount needed to support the current jewelry industry.

yum.....gold!

Besides getting ready to meet the crafty gift needs of the masses in SF and Chicago at the Renegade Handmade fairs this month, I am working hard on expanding my custom commitment ring business.

I love working with couples to create modern, handmade rings that are made of 100% recycled gold, and can also include heirloom gold and stones. Here are some very simple engagement bands that I have made in the past few months. I am working on a full display of ring styles, so you won't have to wait long to see a larger range.

I want to give a big thanks to my Small Business Dept instructors at City College San Francisco, which is also where my training as a metalsmith began, in 2001. (...full disclosure, it is now where my wife teaches, as well...fantastic institution, we love you!)

More on gold soon, but please contact me with any questions you have about my ethically sourced materials for these special rings, or see my links for more information.