Jewelry 101: How to Make a Pendant - Part 1 - and General Silversmithing Tips!

This is Part 1 of a 33 minute video documenting my process of making a silver pendant with a lovely ocean jasper stone. I walk you through from very beginning stages all the way to the final polished product, and talk anout general silversmithing practices and techniques that have worked and have not worked for me in the past.
In this first half I discuss creating a bezel, shaping your metal with saws, files and sandpaper, and texturing with stamps and a Foredom hammer tool attachment. Stay tuned for part 2 where I discuss more soldering techniques, how to make a bail for your pendant, a great hammer setting technique to quickly and efficiently set your stone, and a bunch more rambles!
Thanks for watching Jewelry 101! Instagram accounts are @SeanEckel.jewelry and @eckel.lapidary, please check those out to see examples of my jewelry and my stone lapidary work!
Music by Full Service, my old band, and used with permission.
www.etsy.com/shop/SeanEckelArt
Cheers!
Sean

[@patriciasylvester9401]

I love you!! Mostly using common tools versus purchasing specialized jewelers’ tools. Just subscribed! And so creative! 🤩😊

[@mortenwellhaven]

Good work. Clear language. I would change one thing. Instead of saying, “This might not be the right technique.” I think you should say, “This is my technique.” You do good work and anyone watching your clip will learn something.

[@lindaw4465]

You do You, and leave Sean to do Sean, all is well.

[@davidg813]

For someone who did not go to school for this field you definitely have the gift , imagination and talent. Awesome work!

[@SeanEckelArt]

Thank you so much! 🙏🏼

[@dolllady6877]

Hi Sean: I am a senior that you have really inspired to get back into silver smithing after 15 years. You are easy to listen to, many over talk their videos and get boring. Like the rest I am anxiously awaiting your part 2 and hopefully more in the future. I' looked all over for it, so glad to hear you haven't put it tog. yet. Will keep watching for it. Like I said I am a senior so hopefully it won't be too long. LOL

[@lenastiward8657]

Thank you! Beautiful stone and setting! You have the eye! Just discovered you and looking forward to watching your other videos.❤

[@fibsniper786]

You got part 2 tucked away somewhere? I've watched em all - and you're on point man - keep em coming!!!

[@sylviayahalom8041]

I like the way you have your drawers organized

[@shawnstiner4245]

Sean, This is Shawn. Watched all your videos so far. They are very well thought out and your approach is excellent. You got me HOOKED!!! So, we really need Part 2!!! You were right there and I was really looking forward to seeing you solder the whole thing together as well as any other finish steps before the end product. Thanks for the videos and the teaching!!!

[@SeanEckelArt]

hey shawn! eek i know, i need to post the second half. sorry for the cliff hanger!! it's basically done, i just need to do some editing and get it posted.. soon, i promise! thanks for watching though man, much appreciated!! :)

[@shawnstiner4245]

Sean, Just so you know, You have inspired me, more than you could know. In the last two days I built a flat Lap and wired it and now waiting in the actual disks to be delivered. I am a life long rock hound and also a glass artist, (Lamp work and slumping) So watching your videos put me in action and got the grinder built. So you have a week or so before I need to see the 2nd step, then it will be a real cliff hanger!!!! Thanks for doing a great job and inspiring a 53yr old!!! Doing the silver smith work is what I watched first, I have most everything to do this, but I need a few cabs first!!! Thanks for your help!!!!

[@SeanEckelArt]

Wow Shawn that's awesome!!! I'm very much self taught other than KZbin and Instagram and tips I pick up here and there from others who have been doing these things much longer than me.. But I wanted to put some of the knowledge I've acquired out there into the world to make it more accessible for anyone wanting to learn, and I'm so glad to know it's done some good for at least a handful of people! I'm in the process of moving, but I'll try to pin down that 2nd video and get it posted within a couple days.. Thanks for the push to get it done man! Best of luck to you in all your new endeavors and I hope you have a blast with it!! Take care :)

[@fibsniper786]

@@SeanEckelArt Post part 2 !!

[@kevindavis9215]

Way to go man!! You have a knack man! You’re very talented brah

[@marilynhiggins2785]

Would love to see part 2. Thanks for the great videos.

[@oceanstatejewelry2237]

please make a part two :) and beautiful work

[@deborahadams214]

You're very talented! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

[@dolsen1959do]

Great video

[@tracyk1835]

Can't wait to see part two!

[@pattarlton4416]

Would love to have more info on the silver metal!

[@coralfoliage8]

thanks for sharing!! been wanting to get into jewelry making but it’s been pretty difficult finding videos that show the whole process of making something! 🙌🏽

[@SeanEckelArt]

Hope this has helped! In the process of putting out another video on making a ring, I’ll try to finish soon but it’s a long one lol

[@UrBrother_711]

Nice work and video, thank you so much for sharing, can’t wait to see how it came out

[@jimedgar6789]

Filing cabinet... nice.

[@sasuke1243]

I am really enjoying your work here! I see you have so many cool ideas! After the 101 videos are you just going to start making projects "Man at Arms" style? Cause legit I would watch that. Your video and Audio quality are pretty legit too!

[@blahblahtuesday1172]

Thanks 🙏 brother

[@flyingcheff]

Solder doesnt work optimally in the presence of pickle, I hope you rinse your bezel well after pickle dip before fluxing and soldering. Would that desk drawer be a good catch drawer for your metal? I have a similar type desk, I line the pull out drawer with parchment paper, going up the sides a bit, I don't lose any metal!!! Happy to find your channel. 🌺 definitely subscribed. 😎

[@danilodedonatis7513]

Amazing video..I have a question,how do it the texture without machine?? I mean u can suggest another tips for doing the texture?? Thanks in advance

[@elijahk9695]

I'm starting to get into jewelry making and this was super helpful. Thanks man!

[@SeanEckelArt]

Excellent! Really glad this helped! I’ll be posting part 2 soon, as well as other videos of different jewelry projects and more stone stuff :)

[@Gripco1]

You are a natural, and should be doing this! Where are you and where is part two?

[@nhw8906]

Great video. Could you kindly share if you’ve got a video on how to make a hinged metal double pressed glass locket with a lock? Thank you 🙏🏻

[@erikstein5854]

Wish you would make a part 2, ie how you affix the bottom to the bezel wall and seat the stone

[@t0rb1naalborg44]

And that's just how the cookie crumbled :-)

[@Arche-oo7sq]

Hello Sean, a lot of thanks for all thoses videos :) I'lm from belgium, and I don't understand englishj a lot... Can yoiu give me some informations, please... 1/ what thickness of silver plate do you use? 2/ what type of money? (950/1000?) 3/ You use a blue liquid before soldering... what is it? his role? I thanks you a lot Chris....

[@TheTrueOSSS]

I take it you cut out the profile of the stuff stone on your texture work after applying the bezzel. Then set the stone in reverse to give the appearance of an extremely thick bezzel? Looks good so far

[@freyjabrigid]

What gauge is your bezel?

[@anniepeterson4707]

Is there a way to make a wire bezel without a shape to wrap it around? I'm trying to make a bezel for butterfly wings...

[@magnachisel6438]

Thanks for your excellent video! Where did you get that extra large piece of sheet silver? I cannot seem to source that...

[@SeanEckelArt]

I order from Rio Grande, you can get huge sheets of metal through them!

[@magnachisel6438]

@@SeanEckelArt thanks Sean, however, are you saying you can get them to mfr sheets which don't appear on their website or printed catalog? When I say "extra large" I wasn't referring to the length or width, but the thickness. When I talked to RIO, their tech support guy suggested soldering sheets together to build up thickness, is this even feasible? Thanks again for your reply!

[@SeanEckelArt]

Oh, you can order any gauge sheet of silver! Some metals may only have specific options, but with sterling you can get some pretty fat sheets. The lower the gauge number the thicker the metal, the heaviest I use is 14, I think with this pendant the base plate is 16 gauge though and that’s a simple option you can select when ordering your metal. Hope you figure it out!

[@Rangiroasis]

When soldering you dont need to heat the whole piece. Thats a misconception. You can actually size a ring with the stone in the ring without damaging it if you submerge the setting in water and sand upside down with the shank outside of the water. If you needed to heat the entire piece the ring sizing would not be possible and the stone would have to be removed. The whole concept of a micro torch is not about heating the whole piece. You just need a clean tight joint, flux and heat where you want the solder to flow to have success at soldering.

[@fibsniper786]

@Brent Bodine wow please continue, this is fascinating

[@kathybradbury]

Hey! Where’s part 2?!

[@JessicaGocke]

Who is the jerk who gave this a thumbs down?

[@annedarr1894]

We need a close up of hammer drilling

[@gongarcia4071]

one year later.. and part two never came...

[@fibsniper786]

it has come, hope you didnt die out there Gon Garcia

[@gcegubbels4734]

Nice disine

[@SeanEckelArt]

Thank you!! 🥰

[@annedarr1894]

Hard to hear at times

[@tri-forceblades3123]

Get back up on the horse brother and finish what you started. We are waiting. :-)

[@SeanEckelArt]

Hey man, it’s on my to do list this week! Really sorry for never posting part 2 :(

[@tri-forceblades3123]

@@SeanEckelArt life happens.... lol but we can never let it stop us.

[@SeanEckelArt]

Part 2 is posted!

[@dinapg28]

hotty