Making Design Stamps for Jewelry

Book excerpt: Common jewelry tools and techniques can be used to make customized stamping and texturing tools that add visual interest to jewelry designs. Many jewelers are reluctant to work with steel, but there are few differences as compared to copper or silver. Once learned, unique stamps or texturing tools can be created for a special application, to accent your work in a unique way, or to brand your pieces with a stamp that others cannot purchase. "Making Design Stamps For Jewelry" presents the step-by-step process of selecting best steels, carving the design, hardening the steel, and tempering the completed stamp to ensure a long service life. It describes the tools to use, gives detailed examples for making several design stamps, includes sources for purchasing tool steel, describes useful shop equipment, and offers tips for saving time and achieving better quality.