Resources
This page is here to provide you with handy access to suppliers, organizations and publications for the metals and jewelry world. All links will open in a new tab. Please contact me if you find a dead link or discover a quality metals resource online to add. They need to have a secure, up-to-date website to be added.
I have not had personal experience with every vendor/ organization on this page. This list is intended as a helpful starting point but is not an endorsement of any specific business or organization. Use these resources at your own discretion.
Suppliers- General Metals, Tools, Gems and Findings
| All Craft | New York NY- All kinds of tools and jewelry supplies. Source for the Eid/Longhi anticlastic stakes. |
| Arizona Sculpture Supply | Tempe, AZ- Source for bulk quantities of brown sticky wax as used by David Huang (2-AB56: Medium Brown Molding Wax). This should also be good for stone pulling sticks and casting needs. |
| The Bead Man | Hillsboro, OR- Extensive supply of jumprings and info on chain making. |
| Contenti | Pawtucket, RI- Range of high-end and economy jewelry tools. Very good prices. |
| Fire Mountain Gems | Grants Pass, OR- Jewelry tools, beads and findings. |
| Gesswein | Bridgeport, CT- Jewelry tools. They carry Superior #6 flux. |
| Grobet | Carlstadt, NJ- Jewelry tools and equipment. WHOLESALE. Call/ email for prices and terms. |
| Hoover & Strong | N. Chesterfield, VA- Wholesale jewelry manufacturer and supplier of precious metals and stones. |
| Industrial Metal Supply | Tempe, AZ- Local supplier for copper, brass. Look for their “Artist Bin” towards the back of the showroom. Bring your metal gauge or print out a handy conversion chart here. |
| McMaster-Carr | Atlanta, GA- Just about anything you can think of. Good place for Delrin- lots of interesting stuff. |
| Micro Mark | Berkeley Heights, NJ- Model building parts and miniature tools |
| MSC | Melville, NY- Industrial tools and supplies. |
| Reactive Metals | Clarkdale, AZ- Niobium and titanium metals and findings. Mokume-gane blanks in sheet and rod and other Japanese alloys. |
| Rio Grande | Albuquerque,NM- Huge online supplier for metal, stones, some enamel and tools |
| Otto Frei | San Francisco, CA- Jewelry tools, findings and supplies. |
| Phoenix Jewelry Supply/ Finding King | Scottsdale, AZ- Jewelry tools and random stuff. |
| Santa Fe Jewelers Supply | Mercantile Court, NM- General jewelry supplier. |
| SJ Jewelry Supply | Phoenix, AZ- New local supplier for metals, enamels and jewelry tools |
| Thunderbird Supply | Gallup, Albuquerque, Flagstaff- Jewelry tools, mainly beads and findings, some metals. |
| Widget Supply | Albany, OR- odd little site that carries a wide range of low end tools and small storage- very economical but not high quality. |
Suppliers- Tool Specialists
| The Carving Glove Guy | Saline, MI- Dockyard Micro Carving Tools |
| Esslinger | Saint Paul, MN- Jewelry and watch making tools/ supplies. Miniature tap and dies. |
| Harbor Freight | Country-wide- Economical assortment of tools and equipment- somewhat hit or miss. |
| Micro-tronics | Tempe, AZ- Water and laser jet services. |
| NC Black | North Carolina- Billet steel milled custom hammers and forming tools. |
| Pieh Tools | Camp Verde, AZ- Hammers and other forming tools |
| PJ Tool & Supply | Bay Shore, NY- Assorted economy tools, ala Harbor Freight but with more emphasis on jewelry tools. |
| Potter USA | Tucson, AZ- Pancake and cutting dies, hydraulic presses, forming tools |
| Roper Whitney | Rockford, IL- Sheet metal fabrication: punches, presses, brakes, custom tooling, etc. |
| Sheltech Custom Dies | Belen, NM- custom pancake dies and cutting dies |
| TimeSavers | Scottsdale, AZ- Watchmaker's parts and tools |
Suppliers- Gem Stones
| Best in Gems | Dublin, OH- Great selection of accent cabs, beads. Excellent customer service. |
| Dakota Stones | Edina, MN- Cabs and beads. Fairly large selection. |
| Gem Resource International | Minneapolis,MN- Faceted and cabochon stones. Wide variety. One of my students recommends them. |
| Song of the Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ- Pam Chott, lapidary artist and jeweler. Custom semi-precious stones, mainly cabs. |
Suppliers- Metals/ Refiners
| All Craft Keum Boo | New York, NY- Part of All Craft Tools, this site specializes in supplying Korean Keum Boo and relevant tools for the technique |
| David H. Fell | LA and Phoenix- Fine metals refiner |
| Halstead Bead | Prescott, AZ- Metal, findings, chain, bead stringing supplies. |
| Hauser & Miller | St Louis, MO- Online supplier for precious metals only: silver, gold, bi-metal |
| Hoover & Strong | N. Chesterfield, VA- Wholesale jewelry manufacturer and supplier of precious metals and stones. |
| Myron Toback | NY, NY- findings, accessories and refining |
Suppliers- Optics, Screws, Plastics, Chemicals, Misc
| Chem-lab | Phoenix, AZ- chemicals for etching and patinas |
| Edmund Optics | Barrington, NJ- lenses, fiber optics, etc. |
| E Street Plastics | Royse City, TX- Acrylic and plexiglass |
| Krohn Industries | New Jersey- Solders, metal cleaners, electroplating supplies and fluxes |
| J.I. Morris Co. | Southbridge, MA- Miniature screws and fasteners/ polishing materials |
| Techniks | Ringoes, NJ- PNP (Press-N-Peel) etching film |
Suppliers- Enamels
| Emporium Vitreum | Toronto, On, Canada - Thompson and WG Ball enamels, selection of metals and tools. |
| Enamel Art Supply | Freedom, CA- Source for Ninomiya and Hirosawa enamels. |
| E-namels | Wilmington, OH- supplier of vintage Thompson enamels and Blythe, Schauer, Milton, and Ninomiya. Source for Gillie Hoyte Byrom's painting enamel kit. |
| Go Fusing | Madeira Beach, FL- Glass fusing supplies and water-slide decals. |
| Milestone Decal Art | Ossinning, NY- source for water-slide decals. |
| Schlaifer's Enameling Supplies | Gardnerville, NV- large selection of metals and enamel supplies |
| Stained Glass Elements | Netherlands- source for really unique water-slide decals esp. details of famous artworks in full color. |
| Thompson Enamels | Newport, KY- For lead-free enamels and supplies |
Organizations/Conferences
| American Jewelry Design Council | Non-profit educational corporation, which recognizes and promotes the appreciation of original jewelry design as art |
| American Crafts Council | The premiere all-encompassing national organization for all craft mediums |
| Arizona Commission on the Arts | Grant and exhibition opportunities for AZ artists |
| Arizona Designer Craftsman (ADC) | State crafts organization |
| Artists Blacksmith Association of North American (ABANA) | National organization dedicated to the art of blacksmithing through promotion of working blacksmiths and education |
| Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) | Art Jewelry Forum (AJF) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 1997 to advocate for the field of contemporary art jewelry. |
| Association for Contemporary Jewellery | British association for jewelry, member-based |
| Center for Craft, Creativity and Design | Advancing the understanding of craft by encouraging and supporting research, critical dialogue, and professional development in the United States |
| Enamelist Society | Member-based international organization for enameling |
| Grains of Glass | Invitation-based (but free) online community for the promotion, discussion and support of enamel artists |
| Klimt02 | Membership-based European (mostly) organization for the promotion of art jewelry. You can sign up for their newsletter for free. Good resource to follow the latest exhibitions/ aesthetics in European art jewelry. |
| Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of American (MJSA) | Trade alliance dedicated to professional excellence in jewelry making and design |
| National Association of Independent Artists | Nonprofit trade organization that advocates for artists who exhibit at quality outdoor and indoor art and/or fine craft shows |
| Society of American Silversmiths | Founded in 1989 as the nation's only organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of silversmithing (focus is on holloware and small sculpture) |
| Society of Arts and Crafts | Incorporated in 1897. Mission is to encourage the creation, collection, and promotion of the work of contemporary craft artists and to advance public appreciation of fine craft |
| The Society of Jewellery Historians | UK group dedicated to scholarly research and education on jewelry in terms of making and cultural significance. Members have access to a trove of past online lectures, a thrice-yearly print publication, and access to digital copies of past publications. |
| Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) | International organization for the promotion and education of art metals |
| Yuma Symposium | Arts conference in Yuma, AZ every Feb. |
Exhibitions/ Shows/ Jobs/ Selling Resources
| Art Jobs |
| Art Search Art Jobs |
| Café Call for Artists |
| Etsy Wholesale |
| Government Jobs in the Arts |
Publications and Reference
| American Craft | Premier magazine on all craft media from the American Craft Council |
| Ganoksin/ Orchid | Ganoksin and Orchid are a gem and jewelry forum and educational site (membership required) |
| GIA | Gemological Institute of America |
| Jewelry Artist | Published by Lapidary Journal- basic to advanced metal working articles |
| Journal of Modern Craft | Scholarly journal on crafts (subscription required) |
| Metalsmith Magazine | SNAG publication on art metals |
| Ornament | High-end craft magazine on par with American Craft but dedicated exclusively to wearable media |