Best jewelry craft books according to redditors

1. I have bought good rough on Ebay, but I've also been shafted. I do not recommend Ebay. There are a few good shops online, like TMSgems.com that sell quality rough. I usually pick up my rough at gem/rock shows. I bring along a gem light and a hand loupe to check the rough. You can also buy some Refractol, it's a liquid that has a high RI that will make the stone translucent and you can see any internal inclusions.
   
2. There isn't really a kit, per say. But I would recommend taking a faceting class at a local rock/gem club.
   
3. Quartz , it can be a pain in the ass as it has a tendency to scratch, but it's dirt cheap and comes in some nice colors.
   
4. I would recommend buying this book: https://www.amazon.com/Amateur-Gemstone-Faceting-1-Essentials/dp/3000474749

This is the book I read to learn the basics.. The rest is just practice.

Amateur Gemstone Faceting Volume 1: The Essentials https://www.amazon.com/dp/3000474749/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7O.RCbVCJ7KJ1

Professional Jewelry Making is the best book on jewelry-making that I've come across, and I pretty much have them all. Just reading through the projects will teach you much about what to do (and why you're doing it). I make all my private students buy it and do some of the projects. Can't recommend it enough.

This is from a fantastic book actually, I cannot recommend it enough. It goes through every step of cutting as well as info on machines and tools and then more in depth chapters into getting good polishes and other technical issues.
https://www.amazon.com/Amateur-Gemstone-Faceting-1-Essentials/dp/3000474749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466220696&sr=8-1&keywords=tom+herbst

Classical Loop-in-Loop Chains is the best (if not only) book for loop-in-loop chains. You might find a tutorial online, but this book provides many variations and charts of ring diameter-to-wire gauge ratios so you don't have to experiment much to get nice tight weaves.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/3000474749/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_kqhozbCPS3E9J

That book was how I started finding out about faceting: Amateur Gemstone Faceting Volume 1: The Essentials Paperback – Nov 23 2014
by Tom Herbst (Author)

Then I bought this machine eventually: http://facetron.com/

And I bought some laps and other supplies from here: https://www.kingsleynorth.com/

I live near an amethyst mine so i get some amethyst to practice on when i get time.

Good luck

Hello and welcome! Thank you so much for doing an intro - this sub is slowly but surely growing! :) You sound like you have a fun job!

I wish I had soldering skills - I remember being blown away at a craft vendor who had mad soldering and welding skills. She had these amazing rings and necklaces that had a steampunk theme with moveable gears taken out of watches. The detail was amazing.

I currently just ordered this book and wait for it to be delivered. Is there any other reading material you'd recommend? This is such a hands-on craft, it's tough to figure out what to look up and work on!

These two books are pretty much the most complete and up-to-date books on faceting, highly recommended by myself and everyone I've seen here:

Amateur Gemstone Faceting Volume 1: The Essentials
by Tom Herbst

Amateur Gemstone Faceting Volume 2: Expanding Your Horizons
by Tom Herbst

Get this book - Amateur Gemstone Faceting Volume 1: The Essentials. It lists many brands of machines and the pros and cons of each. Also it has what to look for in a machine.

It goes on to give a very thorough how-to for faceting, auxiliary equipment needed, etc. It's an excellent place to start.

I got this for my birthday and I've made a few pieces in it already, she shows the steampunk version of the jewellery and then an alternative version.

Most of the bits you can probably get at Michael's or Joanne's. It would cost you under $40 to make a few of the items like necklace, earrings and bracelet. (One bracelet only cost me $5 to make)

You can find books and videos on working with wire to make fancy links or simple jump rings to make a variety of different kinds of chains. There are also books on wire wrapping to make settings for stones and bands for rings, etc.

I don't have my jewelry books handy at the moment, but I recall this one being a good book for beginners - and you can get a used copy on Amazon right now for around three bucks plus shipping. This book is a really good one on chain making. It's apparently out of print but still available new through Amazon affiliates for less than half its original price. I don't own this book, but it looks like it has a few different interesting techniques for wire working.

I'd HIGHLY recommend practicing with plated or filled/layered wires to begin, because of the expense. I picked up a roll of bare aluminum wire at Home Depot really cheaply a few years ago, to try new techniques. If I remember correctly it was used for electrical fences, which is why it was uninsulated. I've also used heavy copper wire to make stuff, after stripping off the insulation.

When you buy wire, the smaller the gauge number the fatter the wire. Really thin wire is often too flimsy for jewelry - unless you're doing something special, and really heavy wire is usually too clunky - though if it's fat enough you can file and hammer it to get some interesting textures.

Ultimately it would be really good to learn to solder with a torch, to close up all of the links in your chains and join pieces together, etc., but leaving links unsoldered when you're first starting out is usually OK, as long as they don't snag on stuff.

Good luck.

I haven't read it myself, but judging from the reviews, this may be the sort of thing you're after:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1456451650/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483203754&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=watchmaking+book&dpPl=1&dpID=41aIcUE%2BAoL&ref=plSrch

If there is a horology school anywhere near you, that's your best bet to actually making something that can keep time. I know a guy who attended horology school, and his entire career is watch repair.

It is very unlikely that you're going to go machining your own gears, so horology is all about the fine tuning of those pieces. This may sound disappointing, but just getting the balance wheel and spring tuned right, everything properly lubricated, the innards cleaner than clean, making sure the escape's jewel has just the right amount of wobble, all of that can take a lifetime to master, so you'll have plenty to learn. The slightest kink in the balance spring is the difference between a useful timepiece, and a rather pretty pile of gears that tells you it's 4 when it's really 6.

There's a reason you've never seen the phrase "hobby watchmaker" before. It's a specialized, endangered, dedicated craft with tons of specialized equipment.

Edit: evidently there's some kind of online school for this, though it looks kind of dubious http://www.timezonewatchschool.com/WatchSchool/

This article includes a short list of watchmaking schools http://watchmakingblog.com/2009/02/13/so-you-want-to-be-a-watchmaker/

Finally, there is this book: http://www.amazon.com/Beginner-Watchmaking-Build-First-Watch/dp/1456451650
Honestly, I'd be pretty surprised if this book alone led you to creating a function accurate timepiece, but it sounds like it could be fun

Edit: I'm also realizing that I completely assumed you mean a watch with a mechanical movement. If you just want to make your own watch using an existing quartz movement, that would be considerably easier.

Do you mean making the movement, otherwise, these guys sell one you disassemble and re-assemble. I'm sure you could use the movement in a pocket watch.

In addition to the Tim McGreight book, get this book and make a handmade chain.

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Silver-Chains-Techniques-Beautiful/dp/1579901832

By the time you are finished you will be excellent at soldering. Also, spend the extra few dollars to work with silver. No point in punishing yourself.

I just bought a guide to beginner watch making, I want to make my own pickles and hot sauce, I get happy every time I look at my potted mangroves, I have more than one bonsai, I yell at the kids in my apartment building for blasting their bass, I am interested in making my own terrarium, I am going to King Richard's Fair, I am going to the Highland Games, I'm moving in with my girlfriend (no pic for you!), my knees ache everyday, and the majority of my paycheck goes towards buying books.

Edit: I exclusively listen to talk radio in the car.

I am 24 going on 65.

Edit 2: Hemorrhoids. They happened cause I had surgery and didn't shit for a week I think... but come on!

Harold over at yobokies has got near everything for 5 mods. Another user mentioned him already but didn't really link to his site or mention that he sells parts for your own mods in addition to custom watches.

Before my first tinkering I picked up this book from amazon and found it to be really helpful in getting the language down, amassing a tool kit, and listing parts suppliers. It was somewhat limited though and really gives you a pretty chop-shop approach to several things so I stopped referencing it shortly after that... Was easy to find guides online after understanding the basic steps/jargon though.