Tag Archives: brooklyn jewelry studio

#Benchtip Tuesday! Resizing Rings with our New Ring Stretcher

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When you’re in the business of producing handmade jewelry, time is just as valuable as money. Because of this we get really really excited about new tools that will reduce the amount of time it takes to do something. Like REALLY excited.
We recently picked up a ring stretcher/reducer and it has definitely lived up to the hype. It’s not the most inexpensive tool, however if you factor in the time you save, it’ll start paying for itself pretty quickly.
 ring resizer
Working with the Ring Resizer is pretty intuitive, however here are some tips to help you get up to speed.
-This tool only works with plain bands, such as wedding bands with no gemstones
-Always anneal your piece before stretching/reducing! You’ll want to fire coat your piece to protect the finish: brush on flux and heat the piece with a low soft flame until it starts to anneal or glow slightly red. Quench and pickle to remove the boric acid coating
-Don’t stretch or reduce too quickly – you may crack the metal
-always anneal between sessions
For reducing:
-place the ring in the circle that’s just slightly too small – the ring should sit slightly above. Push on the arm to squish it down, turn over the ring and repeat the process
ring resizer2
For enlarging
-Layering a piece of paper on the inside of the band prior to putting it on the enlarging mandrel helps to reduce the stretching marks on the inside of the ring. Saves you time during clean up.

ring resizer5

Artist Spotlight : Emilie Shapiro!

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We absolutely love Emilie Shapiro’s work so much. Not just her incredible use of natural stone elements and recycled metals but how she pairs them with contemporary techniques and experimentation that are incorporated into her work as a celebration of the beauty of natural imperfection. All production and resources are kept as local as possible, and every piece is handmade in Emilie’s studio in New York City.

emilie in studio

She’s also one of our dear friends and a Liloveve instructor.  Emilie has a fantastic book launching April 5th at Artist & Fleas, however we have her giving a lecture in Jewelry Production here at the studio April 2, check out more info here.

“How To Create Your Own Jewelry Line”

emilie book

Here’s a fun Q & A we had with the talented designer:

Liloveve Studio: When did you first start making jewelry?

Emilie Shapiro: I started making jewelry when I was 13 and haven’t stopped since!

LS: What class(es) have you taught at Liloveve? 

ES:  I’ve taught just about everything but focus on wax carving, jewelry production and special techniques like keum boo and water casting.

LS:  Where do you draw your inspiration when designing your work?

ES:  Textures, color and movement in nature. I studied dance for twenty years and am very inspired by how the body moves and how pieces move with the body.

LS: Where do you exhibit / sell your work?

ES:  My work is sold in galleries, museums and specialty boutiques nationally like Anthropologie, Sundance Catalog and The American Museum of Natural History.

LS:  Have you been featured in any press?

ES:  My work has been featured in publications such as Vogue Japan, Elle Greece and Brooklyn Magazine.

LS:  What’s your favorite piece you’ve ever made?

ES:  That’s a difficult question because it always changes! My current favorite piece is the mosaic wilted collar. The construction and movement of this piece are really wonderful.

Mosaic Wilted Collar

LS:  If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

ES:  Mars. I can’t even imagine the colors and textures you would find there….

LS:  If you could collaborate with another designer/artist, who would it be and why?

ES:  I think I’d like to time travel to meet my great grandfather Abe Parker. He was an inventor and designer, most famous for his invention of the blue dot light that were used as flash bulbs for cameras. I would love to work on lighting and large scale mechanical sculptures with him – so waiting until time travel is possible!

LS:  What’s the most fun aspect of being a jewelry designer?

ES:  Working with my hands every day is so satisfying. Being a designer connects me with so many interesting people and brings me to interesting places.

LS:  Where can we see your work?

ES:  http://www.emilieshapiro.com | @emilieshapirojewelry

Book Launch Event details / ticket sales – www.emilieshapiro.com/book/

Register for the Production Workshop with Emilie here

Here’s a slideshow of just some of her fabulous work!

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