On October 9, 2008 the Revere Academy launched a powerful new web site. The re-designed site features information organized into four categories: About the Academy, Classes & Diplomas, Student Guide, and Books & Videos. Each category contains a wealth of information, most of which has never before been available on-line. Below is an overview of some of what you will find. Visit the new site now to learn more!

About the Academy
The FAQ section answers almost everything you ever wanted to know about taking classes at Revere. Visit the Bench Tips page for both bench tips and green jewelry tips. The faculty pages feature jewelry created by each instructor. Plus, the Revere in Print page allows you to download articles about the Academy, Revere Faculty, and Students as well as instructional articles.
Classes & Diplomas
Download a PDF of the Winter / Spring 2009 calendar. Learn about our Open Session, Diploma Programs and 2009 Masters Symposium. Most class pages now have new photos of the class projects.
Student Guide
Download a PDF of the Revere Academy Housing Guide and the Revere Academy Student Resource Guide, which includes listings of jewelry galleries, museums, restaurants, and more.
Books and Videos
Learn more about the publications offered by the Revere Academy, including books by Alan Revere and DVDs by Revere Faculty. Revere also offers a selection of t-shirts, an apron and a sterling silver pin, all with the Revere logo. All merchandise can now be purchased with our on-line shopping cart.
Registration Is Easy!
Our robust shopping cart allows you to create a profile with all of your details stored in our system. After logging in, you can quickly register for classes or create a wish list of classes, books and DVDs to send to friends and family.

Above left: Loop-in-Loop Bracelet in 22k by Jean Stark
Above right: Pave Set Ring by Christo Kiffer

Steel Simplified with Suzanne Pugh, April 4-5, 2009 � $349 + $65 kit
Advanced Pav� with Christo Kiffer, April 3-5, 2009 � $499 + $75 kit
Mandala Patterns in Cloisonn� w/Harlan Butt, April 6-10 � $899 + $150 kit
Basse Taille, Stencil & Sgraffitto w/Harlan Butt, April 11-12�$349+$110 kit
18k Granulation with Kent Raible, April 6-10 � $899 + kit
Ancient Rings III with Jean Stark, April 13-17 � $899 + $65
Loop-in-Loop Chains w/Jean Stark, April 18-19 � $349 + $110 kit (top left)
Chasing & Repouss�with Fabrizio Acquafresca, April 13-17 � $1250 + $20 kit
Special Techniques in Chasing & Repouss� w/Fabrizio Acquafresca
Designing & Cutting Gems w/Bernd Munsteiner, April 20-24 � $1250 +$45 kit
Optics & Reflections with Bernd Munsteiner, April 25-26 � $399 + $30 kit
Anticastic Raising with Michael Good, April 20-24 � $1250 + $30 kit
Advanced Anticlastic Raising w/Michael Good, April 25-26 � $399 + $25 kit

Details for the 2009 Masters Symposium are now on-line. Registration began October 22, 2009 and classes are filling quickly. Register here or call 415-391-4179 to register. Due to high demand, full payment is due with your registration. If your name is on a wait list for a Masters Symposium class, please contact Glenda ASAP. We can no longer hold your space without payment.
 

Above left: Carved Gem Necklace by Bernd Munsteiner
Above center: Enameled Goblet by Harlan Butt
Above right: Steel and Gold Rings by Suzanne Pugh

We are pleased to announce winner of our New Student Scholarship: Alana Bookhout of Providence Village, Texas. Alana will receive tuition for one 3-day class, airfare to San Francisco and lodging for four nights.

Thrilled to get the news, Alana is already planning her trip to San Francisco. "Ever since I heard about the Academy, I have basically lived on the website- looking up all the classes offered and researching the faculty, It has been my goal to take classes there," says Alana. "Now I have been smiling from ear to ear ever since I received the call from Mr. Revere!"

The Revere Academy New Student Scholarship will be offered again in 2009. We will make an announcement in this newsletter as soon as the 2009 New Student Scholarship applicaion is available.

Seven students and five faculty members participated in Radical Jewelry Makeover held at the Revere Academy from October 12-15, 2008. The event was sponsored by Ethical Metalsmiths, a non profit which promotes the use of ethical and sustainable materials The Revere team transformed old, unwanted jewelry into over 34 pieces of contemporary adornment. The work was exhibited at Velvet da Vinci gallery from October 17 through November 9, 2008. Gallery owners and RJM organizers were delighted with the newly recycled jewelry produced at Revere. "The work from Revere was GREAT!!! Really fantastic! It helped raise the bar", stated Christina Miller, co-founder of Ethical Metalsmiths.

Students and faculty had a wonderful time participating in RJM. Michelle Flynn, a past student, left feeling inspired and energized and took the RJM message to heart, creating a new line centered around the materials she had on hand rather than ordering new materials. Ronda Coryell, of Revere faculty, did not want to stop working when the third day ended. Looking at the pile of old jewelry with gold, silver, beads, stones, chains, etc, waiting to be recycled, Ronda mused, "So much junk, so little time!"

It was a great lesson in greening, innovating, having fun and supporting Ethical Metalsmiths in its work to promote the use of ethical and sustainable materials. And we were all glad to exhibit at San Francisco's premier art jewelry gallery.

Did you ever run into the scenario where the job you are working on is almost done, but you realize that you need just a little more gold or silver to complete it? You have clean scrap, but you need so little material that it's not worth going through the process of casting an ingot. You don't want to spend the time setting up the steel ingot mold, firing up your large torch, melting metal in a crucible, pouring it, and rolling and/or drawing it into the appropriate size. At times like these, try this short cut.

If you need a small piece of wire or sheet, you can quickly create it at the bench-right in your charcoal block. Charcoal is easy to carve into the form you need. It's also refractory (able to withstand heat) and offers the ideal reducing atmosphere for melting.

To create the carved area in your charcoal block, use a 6 mm ball bur to carve a groove (for wire) or a flat bottom trough (for sheet). (Note: Be sure to wear a dust mask and goggles.)  Make the form deeper and larger than the piece you need. For wire, make a gully about 10 mm to 20 mm long, and about 6 mm in diameter.

Next, pile up your scrap, trying to estimate how much metal you will need to fill the depression in the charcoal. Add a little borax and use a neutral flame to heat the metal until it melts and flows into the cavity. (To create sheet, gently press the flat head of a chasing hammer into the metal immediately after removing the torch and before the metal freezes.

After quenching, pickling, rinsing and drying, hammer the ingot and then roll it through the flat ore wire section of a rolling mill. While the basic steps are the same as those used to create a larger ingot. The process is streamlined. This method offers the convenience of shaping the charcoal mold to your needs and then melting right at your bench.

This tip is an excerpt from 101 Bench Tips by Alan Revere, published by MJSA. Illustration is by Sean Kane. Order now!

 

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,

 

Jewlery Cycle
Christine Dhein, a Revere Faculty member, and Christophe Koch co-curated Jewelry_cycle, an educational showcase of wearable treasures made from re-cycled circuit boards on exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design until Jan 4, 2009. Circuit boards contain precious metals, such as copper, silver and gold, which add a precious element to what would otherwise be considered e-waste. Artists Shana Astrachan, David Casella, Reed Easley, Aimee Golant, Kelly Nederman and Revere Staff, emiko oye discover the hidden potential, and transform these materials to create brilliant, sparkling jewels. This recycled jewelry showcase inspires visitors to appreciate the potential value of discarded objects in a new way.
More Details

Above: Runway Circuit Necklace by Chrisine Dhein

"My First Royal Jewels" Jewellery* Collection is a modern-day reinterpretation of early 20th century European jewelry. This collection was created by Revere Staff,emiko oye as an interactive installation, on exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design until Jan 4, 2009. The public is invited to try on the collection of repurposed, LEGO� replica as if it was their own. Digital images of participants will become part of an ongoing slide show in the exhibition as well as uploaded to the SFMC+D flickr set. Above: Maraja's 6th by emiko oye