The New Jewelry: Contemporary Materials & Techniques (Arts and Crafts (Lark Books)) [Hardcover]

Carles Codina (Author)

Book Description

Series: Arts and Crafts (Lark Books) | Publication Date: October 1, 2005

What makes a piece of jewelry special isn't the cost--it's the creativity, novelty, and originality that go into the design. And this imaginative and informative compendium of jewelry-making techniques, packed with more than 700 color images and written by the noted jeweler and instructor Carles Codina, features a range of contemporary alternative materials. From paper, wood, and polymer clay to glass, new metal formats, and plastics, each material receives detailed attention, with the key techniques demonstrated in a single, finished project. Mold and embellish paper clay to create a whimsical brooch. Fold rice paper into a sculptural bracelet. To finish in style, there are six additional items to make that build upon earlier skills, including a necklace of hollow ceramic orbs.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Found objects, from seashells to rubber bands, have been incorporated into almost every artistic medium, including jewelry. Although that practice may have little to do with recycling, it has everything to do with millennial aesthetics, at which Barcelona artist-author (Goldsmithing and Silverwork, 2002) Codina excels. Masquerading under the term "costume jewelry," this medium covers the waterfront, featuring combinations of paper, ceramics, wood, glass beads, plastics, and plant seeds. Codina calls upon other experts, reviewing processes step-by-step in color photographs, a variety of techniques (e.g., twister in glassmaking), and galleries of samples. A shorter section is devoted to the use of high-tech methods, followed by six specific designs to emulate or to employ as a foundation. Amazing the forms that simple colored cardboard can take. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579907342
• ISBN-13: 978-1579907341
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #778,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expand your jewelry skills with new materials, December 11, 2006

By 

J. Psmith (Oxnard, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Jewelry: Contemporary Materials & Techniques (Arts and Crafts (Lark Books)) (Hardcover)

This is a valuable book for any jewelry making enthusiast or professional, looking for ways to expand their skills and explore new design horizons.

To my knowledge there is not another book available that addresses so many alternative materials so clearly, with step by step projects and fantastic gallery photos by contributing artists. See what you can do with polymer, paper, glass, resin, wood and more!

I'm a bit picky regarding eye strain I abhor books with dense type and small pix... I like open clear pages high contrast and sharp images- this is my kind of book! It's oversized with well laid out text and loads of photos of projects and gorgeous gallery pieces.

There is a great section on various glass beadmaking techniques for those curious about the craft. The section on making molds for resin bangles alone is worth the purchase.

This book covers a lot, but is not an in-depth exploration of any one subject. I feel that the purpose it serves is one of inspiration with plenty of information for a jeweler to get started working with any of the materials featured. Where you go after that is up to you!

One important thing to note: the author refers to products available in Latin America or Spain. Some products may have to be searched for a bit, but with Google I think it should be easy enough to do. However, if you're a person who has to be able to get all your supplies at Michael's you may want to skip it.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another must have winner, April 12, 2006

By 

PTSideshow "GRP" (Macomb County Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Jewelry: Contemporary Materials & Techniques (Arts and Crafts (Lark Books)) (Hardcover)

This is another must have art metal/jewelry book. Covering in depth the use of contemporary material and with just enough of the techniques. That will allow you to do the project you are trying out to a fine conclusion. It is done in the visual learning style with short descriptive texts along with the clear concise pictures.I think this is another instant classic that will rightfully be around for a long time to come. I own it I have used it and plan on keeping it

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for your library, January 6, 2007

By 

R. Eberhard "Eclectic Studio" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Jewelry: Contemporary Materials & Techniques (Arts and Crafts (Lark Books)) (Hardcover)

Well done Carles Codina, this is a great "one stop shop" book that gives you a clear taste of many of the myriad of media available to the multi media artist. Resin, Polymer,Paper Clay, Enamelling, Glass, Wood, ceramic, PMC and many more. I had never used Egyptian Paste before and this book gave me the confidence to try it and use it in a few designs. The photos are top quality, incredibly easy instructions and photos to assist you. All in all one of the best project based books I have purchased.