Customer Reviews

The Penland Book of Jewelry: Master Classes in Jewelry Techniques

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of those gorgeous coffee-table books that surprises you with more than just bowls full of eye-candy: there's actual substance to be found within, in the form of several interviews with leading jewelry designers and their valuable tutorials on various jewelrymaking methodologies.
Thus the subhead: Master Classes in Jewelry Techniques. For once, a smart publisher has produced a technically challenging book of jewelrymaking ideas! It's not for beginners, and thank goodness for that.
You'll learn forging, alloying, fabricating with steel, casting, granulation, electroforming, alternative stone setting, and much more from some of the most innovative jewelry artists working today. Their tutorials, coupled with the stunning photography of their wonderfully creative yet still wearable jewelry, makes The Penland Book of Jewelry an exceptional, must-have resource.

Loved the book. I purchased it as the book I would use for a university course-assigned "book report" in Art Studio: Small Metal Construction II. I chose to present information about the book contents to the class and then offered a review of it as a resource book for small metal artists. The ten Penland School instructors featured are masters of the techniques that they present. They offer detailed information about how they came to their favored approaches, what has influenced them in their artistic direction, and include lots of insider advice on modifications and adaptation of the techniques. I will admit that I don't always read the text of art books, but these entries were very inspiring. The step by step pictoral "HANDS ON" sections of one application of each artist's technique give the kind of detail that is hard to come by in most art books (e.g., 25 steps--as a student learning about small metals, this is reality based if you want a final result that looks as wonderful as these artists' end products)! The reader gets a really good sense of the many things that must be considered in applying the technique skillfully. The gallery sections in which each artist has asked colleagues they admire to provide other examples give the reader a sense of the breadth of the application of the technique. At the end of my book review and after looking at the book themselves, several people in the class said they were going to buy it for themselves. What a wonderful book! Go Penland!

This book is a great addition to the serious metalsmith's library. The work of several Penland-associated artists is showcased in full-color photographs and their techniques are explained in easy-to-understand text. If you want to expand your notion of what jewelry is, get some ideas for future projects, or learn some new techniques, this is a wonderful book to buy.

Any Penland book is always an excellent blend of ideas and techniques. This one bring us into 21st century jewelry with ideas and methods for all levels. My favorite may be Heather White van Stolk's jewelry based on nature especially "Botanical fiction: trumpet flower." She also explores the poetry of nature as inspiration in jewelry design and making alignate molds. This is the only book I have found that gives useful instructions on etching on silver.

This book is not only beautiful to look at, but contains a terrific sampling of various techniques. Enough information is given to allow the reader to attempt different techniques and expand their skill set, or to cross a specific technique off their list for the present without a huge investment in time and materials.
Highly Recommended!

This book is absolute top class, very well presented and a treasure to have.
The book contains very useful information with excellent pictures. It is great to see the hand crafted jewelery made by the teachers of this fine Pentland educational centre. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to commence to learn the craft of jewelery making.

Enjoyed the artists comments as to their reasoning while they create and why they came to create as they do. Excellent photos demonstrate techniques. Thank you for a good reference book.

This book has so many interesting ideas and techniques in it that I hadn't seen before. Lark books are usually really good and this is no exception.

It is a book of a great variety of teachers and techniques, excellent learning material. Great to have I recomend it
Jorg Kell

"The Penland Book Of Jewelry" is an amazing collection of 10 "Master Classes" that provides an overview to artist's approach (in their own words) to making their creations and a detailed hands-on section showing their intermediate\advanced techniques. We have stared making jewelry for my wife's small business, so while all of the pieces and styles might not be artistically to my liking, I still have real appreciation for the skills needed to create the outstanding pieces shown in the galleries.

Like other recent Lark Craft publications I have reviewed (The Penland Book of Glass: Master Classes in Flamework Techniques), this is a beautiful book that is filled cover to cover with gorgeous photos. The ten artist's sections are informative and interesting, but the "Hands On" projects, complete with clear directions and photos, are what makes this truly outstanding. I should note that very little mention is made of tools and setup, so this is not the book for absolute novices. As mentioned above, the photos in this book are absolutely amazing quality and we are treated to a gallery at the end of each artist's section that features work highlighting the technique and styles being shown.

This useful and enjoyable book is a great addition to my craft book collection!

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Note: I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, but that in no way affects my rating.