In the Studio: Soldering Handmade Rings

Here's a short video of me soldering handmade bezels onto handmade rings. It's pretty typical of what I might do in my studio on a given day. Alas, no makeup, safety glasses on, and a hooded sweatshirt gave me second thoughts about putting this up. But, let's all love ourselves just the way we are. :)

Eventually, the rings you see me making in this video will become these rings (the finished product).

14K white gold, white moonstone stacking ring. Ring & Photo by Emily Wiser.

Etsy Finds: Tuxedo Cat Treasury

This week's Etsy Finds. Here's a list of cute tuxedo-kitty related things!


My favorite is a super-cute cat tuxedo by SnoopCattyCat. Don't you just want to stuff your poor kitty into one?

Life Of A Studio Cat: Cat-Gaze

My little black cat has taken a break from roaming and comes into my studio. What is he trying to tell me with his intent cat-gaze?

Etsy Finds: Baby Things!

Once in a while, I'll feature some fellow Etsy crafters on my blog. This is a hand-knit baby hammock by Tricky Knits!

Check out my hand-picked collection of baby things!

Thank You To My Clients!

Peridot & Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Set. Rings & Photo by Emily Wiser

I just wanted to thank all of my wonderful clients. Without them, EmilyWiserJewelry would not exist.

Here are some highlights from my shop's feedback that make me so happy:

snapshotsunmade says:
delicate and pretty. I like that they are unique. thanks so much.

noanoa2 says:
Beautiful, simple and delicate! They will be an everyday favorite. I definitely recommend these!

terami says:
Thank you! These are perfect. x

claireroyer says:
Beautiful! Emily guided me on which stones to choose. Went with moonstone and mother of pearl. So pleased with the result. This is for a good friend's birthday. She is going to love it. Thanks again Emily!

sylviatbrink says:
I'm super happy with them! And thanks so much for the little present :-)

URNemesis108 says:
I love these rings! They are so dainty, And the joining and soldering are as good as invisible. I can tell that the artist really loves what she does, IT shows! Thank you for such wonderful work!

annieharry says:
got my rings today, they are gorgeous! can't wait to wear them, but i have to wait for christmas.

bonsaiguy75 says:
Beautiful crafstmanship, incredibly responsive to questions, and sent the products before the estimated timeframe. Definitely will recommend Emily to others!!

chicahot says:
Just perfect.

claireroyer says:
Love it!!! Stone is colorless and setting is simple yet elegant. Perfect for everday or dressing up. Emily's work is superb and customer service is top notch. Repeated happy customer who will definitely be back. Thank you!

hannahtodd says:
Amazing workmanship! Love the way this ring fits and looks. Very fast shipping

shillson says:
These topaz briolettes are absolutely stunning!

wanitten says:
Very delicate, sit comfortably - I hardly know I'm wearing them (some stacking rings don't sit as nicely). Great everyday look to honor my two boys.

checky1 says:
These are such beautiful rings! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I really love them, and they fit perfectly:) Your work is extraordinary!

ghanagyrl says:
Absolutely gorgeous rings! They arrived in a beautiful package, and once I tried them on...I never wanted to take them off. I am saving up my money to buy the same style in rose gold. I love them!

terami says:
I love my ring! It arrived quickly and is exactly what I hoped it would be. Emily is a great seller and I would definitely buy from her again.

denasiegert says:
Beautiful workmanship and great contact.

How To Get More Twitter Followers

Sterling silver & aquamarine briollette earrings. Earrings & photo by Emily Wiser.

I know a lot of my readers are also Etsy sellers. So, I'll share some tips on how to get more Twitter followers.
1) Reciprocate. This means following people back and retweeting people who tweet you first.
2) Participate in Follow Friday. Type #FF and then @TwitterName to tell all your followers.
3) No Bots! Don't use any of the bots to send automated tweets. Don't you always hang up on those computerized telemarketing calls? People don't want to read robot tweets.
4) Twitter client. I use Tweetdeck. It works great. It allows you to make columns so you can actually sort and read your tweets.
5) Conversation. Don't just spam people. Tell them about yourself. Talk about something else once in a while besides what you're selling.

Spreading Happiness Through Jewelry

14K solid rose gold with 8mm aquamarine stacking ring. Photo & ring by Emily Wiser

Well, Etsy likes to send us tips on how to do business better. They emailed Etsy shop owners a link to this blog entry: The 4 P's. I was really inspired by the Philosophy section. It helped me articulate exactly what my business goal is: I want to make people happy by making great jewelry! People can wear my jewelry and take pleasure in it. They can give my jewelry to others and spread happiness. Well, anyways, that's my optimistic assessment of my philosophy. LOL

Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Celebration!

I'm having a sterling silver stacking ring celebration! 9 sterling silver stacking rings for $45 plus free shipping to the U.S. and Canada. I love hammering out these little rings.

Do you want to know how I make these rings? Here's instructions on how to make sterling silver stackable rings!

Materials Needed:
16 gauge sterling silver round wire, half-hard
blow torch, propane or butane
fire brick or soldering pad
jewelry pickle (see my organic pickle recipe) in a crockpot
jewelry tumbler with steel shot and ivory soap chips
silversmith's anvil
silversmith's hammer
steel ring mandrel
jeweler's file
400 grit sandpaper
600 grit sandpaper
jeweler's cutting pliers or jeweler's saw
hard silver solder (you can use sheet, wire, or paste. i'm using sheet solder)
flux
copper tongs

Instructions:
1. With the cutting pliers, cut the length of sterling silver 1-2 sizes smaller for the ring size you want using a ring sizing chart.
2. File the ends of the wire with the jeweler's file.
3. Bring the ends together to form a circle.
4. cut a silver solder chip and put it underneath the ring.
5. spray the flux on the ring or dab flux on using a paintbrush
6. Heat ring with a blowtorch in a circular motion.
7. Wait for ring to cool, then put in hot pickle.
8. Once ring is shiny again, take it out of the pickle using copper tongs. You must use copper, not any other metal tongs, for this.
9. Sand or file any rough edges.
10. Hammer the ring on the anvil horn to get a rough shape
11. Hammer the ring on the ring mandrel to get the size
12. Lay the ring flat on the anvil. Tap it gentle to make sure that it is straight when it lies flat. This is called "trueing" the ring.
13. Put the ring in the jewelry tumbler half full of water and add ivory soap flakes. Tumble for a half hour.

Your ring is done!