The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques Hardcover – Big Book, 15 March 2010

If this book had been called 'The coffee-table guide to jewelry techniques' I'd have given it 5 stars. Well produced, lots of beautiful pictures of jewellery. If you like (modern) jewelry and you'd like to know a bit about how it's made, this is for you. But use it on a workbench? Surely not. There's not enough detail. Sure there's detail in some areas, but then it gets to a tricky bit and just stops, or glosses over the problems, or tells you to take it to a professional. Sometimes unnecessarily; lost wax casting is in the 'outwork' section but there are many DIY books and I taught myself how to do it.I just dipped in to find an example; p236, on enamelling, I quote: "Flash fire to restore a glossy surface". No mention of how to flash fire! On page 249 it says that diamonds are not sensitive to heat - er, aren't they made of carbon and don't they turn into carbon dioxide if they get too hot? But it then says "This technique should not be used with stones of any value". So just use cheap diamonds. That sort of contradiction I'm afraid runs through the whole book.It's very pretty, I enjoyed reading it with a glass of wine. But a workbench book? No way.

Excellent I don't think I have ever seen see so much information in one book before

Amazing book, has everything and more that you would need to know, very happy with this purchase and would recommend.

it is a book that is essential when starting out to do jewelry like my self. its well worth the money !!!

Good