The Ganoksin project was founded by Dr. Hanuman Aspler and Charles Lewton-Brain. It is dedicated to providing valuable information and resources to the world's jewelers. The project's mission is to educate, improve working conditions and facilitate sharing between goldsmiths globally.

To this end, Ganoksin maintains a substantial library of articles, publications, reports, and technical data on gem and jewelry related topics, many authored by the most esteemed writers in their respective fields. In addition, the site contains a sizable collection of art and jewelry galleries, plus images of workbenches around the world, for both the casual visitor and the professional.

Ganoksin is a place for knowledge and discussion to make metal-artists' lives easier. It is a place to dismantle the traditions of secrecy found globally in the jewelry world. It is a place of information exchange, lively debate and documentation. Ganoksin is about community and sharing.

All services are provided free of charge and to the benefit to all. To start taking advantage of this amazing free service for jewelers, visit ganoksin.com today.

Above: Charles Lewton-Brain and Dr. E. Aspler (a.k.a. Hanuman), Founders of The Ganoksin Project.

Like all tools, your hammer and vise have more potential than meets the eye. Let's say that you need a steel block on which to forge a small piece of metal. Not to worry: just grab a planishing hammer and mount it in a vise as shown above; you now have your flat anvil.

When clamping steel tools, always use copper jaw liners on your vise. Also, be sure not to clamp down on the eye of the hammer, where the handle is mounted; it could snap the steel.

Or let's say you need two convex forms to press a ring shank onto, in order to make it belled at both ends. Just take two round-ended ball peen hammers, place one in the vise, and use the other to apply top force. (You could also use a punch and hammer as the top force.) The key idea here is, as always, to find the new uses hidden in your old tools.

Romantic Ring Shanks, taught by Vasken Tanielian, will inspire you with new design ideas and hands-on skills to create ring shanks for fashion and fine jewelry.

Like the girders on a bridge, ring shanks support and direct the eye to the top of a ring. Traditional and modern interpretations of ring shanks offer a wonderful array of forms and shapes. Learn techniques for fabricating elegant and attractive fancy ring shanks such as: split shanks, by-pass shanks, forged shanks, tri-metal twisted shanks and constructed shanks. These designs can be adapted to support a center stone, such as those covered in Heavy Bezels. To register for Romantic Ring Shanks, the prerequisite is Fabrication 2 or experience.

Mr. Tanielian has over two decades of experience working for the trade and private clients. Vasken designed this class to give students "an understanding of how to make the ordinary extraordinary." He states, "The material presented will help students understand how to customize many styles of bands to make the perfect ring for each client."

Romantic Ring Shanks will be held from 9 am to 6 pm, March 17-19, 2008. Class size is limited. Register today to reserve your space.

 

The Revere Academy is a professional jewelry school where master craftsmen pass on their skills and knowledge to students at all levels. Beginners and hobbyists as well as experienced working bench jewelers come for dozens of short, intensive classes (just 3-days!) and diploma programs lasting 2-4 months. I hope you will be able to join us for a class soon!

 

Sincerely,