I ordered this book with Nicola Hurst's "Step-by-Step Jewelry Workshop" and was very disappointed to find that they were nearly identical.
They used the same photographs and right down to some of the same text.
For example, on page 11 of McGrath a section on Finding Inspiration is exactly the same text as Hurst's pg 21. And there are many more instances of being exactly the same book with different covers.
Neither books are bad, but don't buy them both. In fact, find another less sleazy publisher than Quarto Books to provide your needs. The Complete Jewelry Making Course: Principles, Practice and Techniques: A Beginner's Course for Aspiring Jewelry Makers
This is a relatively good place to start metalsmithing if you have some knowledge of jewelry making. I'm very new using and forming metals, but I have been doing wirework and beading techniques for over five years. At some point beaders often have a desire to move on. This was a good choice for me when that time came. I am well pleased with this book.
I really like the way this book is set up. All the information is presented in easy to read and remember "bullets". It's aimed at beginners and should give any beginner a real grasp of the essential techniques and tools of the trade.
The book starts with an overview of tools (types of tools and how to use them, their care and maintenance) and materials (a lot of information about working with various metals and their properties). There are also tips on where to look for design ideas and how to evaluate and translate your ideas into designs you can use.
The next section includes thirty-four units on various facets of jewelry making - annealing, soldering, bending, polishing and finishing, using a draw plate, texturing, and more. Each of these units is broken down into tips and how-tos - with lots of photos to supplement the text. The section on annealing has several tips plus some practice lessons in annealing wire and sheet metal.
The final section of the book has a series of six projects that bring together all of the techniques you've been exploring in some neat designs - a ring, an etched bangle, and a textured pendant for example.
I highly recommend this book - I use it as a ready reference. This is a great reference book for a beginning jewelry maker.
Maybe I already own too many jewelry instruction books but this is my least favorite. There are only a few projects in the back and I don't really find them all that inspiring. I do think the bezel setting section was very thorough - maybe more so than other books I have.
this book will work for anyone wanting an overall concise introduction to the art of jewelry making. personally,
it was not the book i was looking for - i tend to balk at anything too technical. i do have a friend, however,
who took the book right out of my hands and is loving it. if you are of the nature to do things in an orderly and precise fashion, you will get a lot out of this book: clear direction and helpful illustrations of all techniques.
I have taken a beginning level jewelry making course and find Jinks McGrath's book to be a very useful supplement to classwork. It is particularly good on setting up a studio, identifying needed tools and purchasing or ordering materials. The soldering and bezel-making information interested me most and the book is very thorough in that respect. Other areas very well-covered are design and the related topic of measuring to achieve design aspirations. Finally, the work pictured throughout is lovely and inspiring, with nothing tacky or tasteless included. I like this manual very much and feel that it delivers exactly what the title promises.
I have several books on jewelry making and this is a good addition to my library. Ms. McGrath gives some useful tips that I have not found elsewhere. I recommend that you take a jewelry course at a local school when starting out. No book is a substitute for having someone show you how to use a torch or polishing wheel. These can be dangerous when not handled properly. That said, this book can augment other direct instructions.'
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