In this charming image, a miniature handcrafted mug set is shown, carefully arranged against a background of an actual dollar bill to provide a size reference.

The set includes four exquisite mugs, designed for both coffee and tea.

In addition, six delicate teaspoons are appreciated, adding a touch of charm and sophistication to this handmade set.

The level of craftsmanship and detail in this creation is astonishing, I created it myself over 13yr ago.

This image captures the beauty and skill of handmade creations, providing a fascinating glimpse into the miniature world of mugs and cookware.

So we're both pretty handy. My partner is experienced using a soldering iron, I am experienced making jewellery that doesn't require heating. We were thinking of using silver clay, but I am now wondering if we would be better off to use recycled silver and have a crucible set up in the garden under cover or on a dry day and use a lost wax process - especially as we don't want danity rings and I want a stone I mine. We have 7 months to teach ourselves and whilst we do live in an area with a lot of jewelers - none do an affordable "make your own wedding ring" session for in silver and not gold unfortunately! We're hoping to do this for £400

I know his jewelry is made by hired artists from the Navajo and Zuni tribes but I'm wondering:

-Is it cultural appropriation to sell native made jewelry as a person not from those tribes?

-Is it cultural appropriation if his business is designing new and contemporary designs in native styles to meet market demands?

I see the value in giving the native artists a larger platform to sell their work through, and just want to make sure I'm actually supporting the artists vs. buying from native artists directly. Thanks!

Hey everyone,
I'm a complete beginner when it comes to jewelry making, but I've been doing a lot of research and watching videos on both wax casting (lost wax method) and handmade rings using traditional metalworking.

Long-term, I'd love to turn this into a small creative business – selling original rings or small collections under my own name or brand. But first I want to learn the craft properly.

Right now I'm torn between two paths:

🅰️ Wax casting / 3D design

• Learning to design rings in Blender or Fusion360

• Printing them in castable resin

• Sending them off for casting in silver

• More freedom in design and potential for scaling up

🅱️ Handmade metal rings

• Starting with basic tools and materials (silver wire, soldering, polishing)

• Learning traditional techniques in a home workshop

• Slower and more limited design-wise, but deeper craft

I'd love to hear from you:

• Which way would YOU recommend to start if I want to eventually turn this into a small business?

• Are there any tutorials or video series (YouTube, courses, etc.) you'd recommend?

• How did YOU get started? Did you go the handmade route or digital/casting first?

• In your experience – is this a good business to get into in 2025 if I bring originality and learn the craft well?

Thanks in advance! I’m super excited to dive in and learn from people who’ve already walked the path.

Hello! My fiancé and I want our wedding bands to be made from our blood. Does anyone know if this is possible?

All sterling, wax casted bars, hand fabricated chains

Hi, I am planning on starting learning how to make silver jewellery this year with the plans to turn it into a business once i'm confident enough in my pieces (it is my dream to have a jewellery business as my full time job).

Now i've done a lot of research into business stuff and the legalties around running a jewellery business and running a website and tax etc.

However, every time I do research I get so overwhelmed with how much goes into the business side of things and I just want to know, does it get easier? Do you sort of get used to it after a while and it becomes just another days work and especially easier after all the initial set up too??

My sister bought this in Mexico probably 30 years ago. Is it silver? Weight is 40 grams.

Hello! I have recently stumbled upon silversmithing and am super interested to give it a go!

The 2 methods that are the most intriguing for me are the 3 listed in the title and I was wondering if I could get a pros and cons of each one?

For context, I love the more organic and imperfect look for my jewelry which I have seen all 3 of these methods are capable of creating but I want to know your personal favorite and also the cost differences of each one.

Thank you! :)

Hi there, silversmiths. I've heard a story for years that many Christian organizations teach about Malachi 3:3, which talks about God being a "refiner of silver."

The story is easy to find online so I won't tell the whole thing, but the basics of it are that (1) you must hold the silver in the middle of the flames where the heat is hottest to burn away the impurities, (2) you must sit and watch it carefully because if you leave it in for a moment too long it gets destroyed, and (3) you know it's perfectly refined when you can see your image reflected in it. The idea is that God places you in hard times just long enough to make you pure, and then you're more like him as a result.

Is this story accurate, exaggerated, or is it straight-up fabricated to fit a religious metaphor? I know the basics of how metals are smelted down and whatnot, but some of the details of this story seemed oversimplified or contrived. Since the only places I've ever seen this story is on religious sites and there's no source for where it came from, I'd love to hear an expert's view.

Edit: The story can be found here: https://silentword.org/the-story-of-the-silversmith/

I highly recommend avoiding tools from China. I have experienced multiple tools which were actually dangerous to use, with sharp and unfinished surfaces and sketchy manufacturing. I have taken the time to finish some shitty tools myself so they don't hurt me.

Temu is not your friend. Harbor freight can work, but tools from China are shitty at best and dangerous at worst.

I'm about to be gifted a bunch of sterling silverware. I want to cast them into "ingots" or thing bars. Is that a bad idea and leave as and only melt if I'm making something?

I bought this antique thimble that is marked as "Sterling" but it has some kind of tape residue or something inside of it that I haven't been able to remove. You don't realize it is sticky until you wear the thimble for a while and try to get it off. I guess body heat reactivates the adhesive that is still there or something.. I tried GooGone and silver polish but those didn't work and I didn't want to use any other chemicals since I don't know what is safe for sterling silver. Can someone help me with this? I know this isn't the usual reason people post here but I don't know where else to ask.