Colleen Vinje and Carol Stagger love to “rock out” in their classes of Silver and Lapidary. Colleen is famous for making the popular “spinner rings” out of sterling silver, and Carol is having a blast cutting and polishing onyx in the shape of a heart (and she intends to be quite famous for her “hearts…
Cathy Porter The Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club (SLRGS) has been around a very long time. Opal M. Rickensrud was the secretary of the club in 1984. She’s an entertaining writer and makes for some fun reading. She starts her article by telling how a guest speaker from the National Treasure Hunters League…
Cathy Porter Who doesn’t love jewelry? Imagine designing and making your own unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. The lapis lazuli pendant is a piece you can learn to make in the Silver One class. A bezel is cut to fit the stone and then soldered to the backing. These stones are cabochons. You can learn to make…
Linda Shanahan The Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club is more than just rocks, gems and silver. We offer classes in a variety of art forms. This month, we highlight four unique classes that might be of interest to you. PMC (Metal Clay) is an alternative to working in lost wax or silversmithing. The metal…
Linda Shanahan Here is what’s happening in the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club, and how YOU can get involved. Classes are offered in a variety of skills, including lapidary, lost wax, stained glass, dichroic glass, silversmithing, wire wrapping, faceting, opals, gourds, and ming trees, just to mention a few. We invite you to…
Linda Shanahan He’s Loved and he Inspires us This fella’s name is Henry Huss His pieces usually made with wire Take a look you will admire Some with silver some with gold Some have stones within a fold Check them out you won’t believe How beautifully he forms a weave It’s like a braid but…
Linda Shanahan Her name is Susan Carter Carter Not a person who works harder Gets her silver classes running Susan has no time for funning Plans, prepares, and teaches too Tells her students what to do Precise and detailed is her style You’ll get it right after awhile Done it all from chains to rings…
Linda Shanahan Casting—Lost Wax Process The lost wax casting process is widely used, as it offers asymmetrical casting with very fine details to be manufactured relatively inexpensively. The process involves producing a metal casting using a refractory mold made from a wax replica pattern. Steps involved in the process of lost wax casting are: •…
Linda Shanahan Lost Wax? What’s that all about? Jimmy can tell you without a doubt Can’t use a cell phone or even a fax But this man can tell you all about wax This man’s a genius, he really does know How to form wax and then make it flow First out of wax you…
Linda Shanahan Now, do you think you can do this? Of course, you can! There are several steps to put 57 facets on a gem, but none of them is difficult. Cutting your first round brilliant is really the hardest step, since you have to learn all the new controls and procedures. At first, you’ll…