/biz/ - Business & Finance

>>52377239
Depends on what you want to do. I would recommend finding a local gem and mineral club. I joined the Arlington Gem and Mineral Club in texas. I took silversmithing beginner, intermediate and some advanced classes. Now I’m taking gemstone faceting. Join a club like the one I’m a part of and ask about classes. The insight you get from your instructors will be better than any book, though research is definitely encouraged.

You won’t find good equipment at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. You should check out RioGrande.com for the real shit, though their prices can be ridiculously high for a lot of stuff, so use it as a research tool. There’s an endless amount of tools you can get, but the basics would be a jewelry saw, a set of saw blades, butane torch, a jewelers bench pin, jewelers hammer, rawhide hammer, ring mandrel, solder, flux and silver plate/silver wire along with basic stuff like candle wax for saw-lube and fine grit sand paper for polishing (5000 grit for a near mirror shine).

The torch is the really tricky part; I had one combust in my hand once when I was trying to make an ingot. Get a MAP gas torch by benzomatic for your first one. Jewelers torches are expensive and, unless you want to shell out $500+ for a whole setup including an acetylene Tank and regulator you should keep it simple.