I am setting up this section to spell out some of the basics of jewelry making. Almost all of the gemstones Kirsten finds are cut and polished, then set in jewelry on the show, (at least her better finds) and the shows often feature the polishing and jewelry making parts of the process to demonstrate how they bring out the full beauty and value of her finds. I think these parts of the show are also very much of interest to the viewers. For most rock hounds, turning your finds into wearable jewelry is an important part of the rock hound process. I think this new section would be a fine idea, consistent with the content of the show, and useful to the Cash and Treasure Wiki viewers.

Jewelry making sometimes seems to be one of those things people are afraid to pursue - but it's just an art, and if you enjoy arts and crafts projects, then I think you will find jewelry making right up your alley. Many colleges and some rockhound clubs offer classes. Some techniques take time to learn, but others can be learned in just a matter of minutes, so take a look, and don't be intimidated! For More Rock hound info, check out the Rockhounding for dummies page.

There are many Methods Used In Jewelry Making: The site contains active links typed in BLUE - click on the link for additional information

Jewelry Making with Purchased Settings	A huge variety of pre-notched, polished pieces of jewelry are available to set your special gemstones in. Rings, pendants and other items created this way look very much like the professionally created pieces you see in your local retail store. Learning to fold down prongs takes only a matter of minutes.
Lost Wax Casting	The lost wax casting process was invented by the ancient Egyptians, and independently discovered and used by the pre-Columbian tribes of central and South America. It is extremely important still today, and something like 60% of all new jewelry is produced through one version or another of this ancient method.
Precious Metal Clay Jewelry	The high tech modern version of how you can produce your own jewelry. Precious Metal Clay is a moldable, clay-like material made with a powder of precious metals suspended in an organic binder. Once formed into the desired shape, the material is heated to a certain point and the binder disappears, leaving a fused metal product which can be worked and used to produce jewelry.
Soldering Techniques to Make Jewelry	Soldering can be used in combination with a variety of other methods and techniques to produce some beautiful jewelry. It can be used as a primary method, but is most commonly used to attach things to existing pieces.
Jewelry With Bead Stringing Techniques	A world of different kinds of beads are out there. Many people are producing all kinds of bead jewelry. Beads can be combined with metal work, crystals and other items to make some very unique and special pieces.

Related Jewelry Concepts:

Designing Jewelry	Making that perfect and special piece of jewelry art requires a plan and a design. You need to think about what you want to produce, and maybe do up some drawings. Next you can select the necessary tools and techniques and then put your plans into action.
Jewelry Uses of Gold	Of course there are many metals used for jewelry, but even in spite of its high price, gold will always be the standard. There is much to learn about the jewelry uses of gold, the purity measurements for karat gold and colored gold alloys.
Books About Gems and Jewelry Making	There are so many different jewelry making arts and techniques that its seems there is always lots more to learn. Many great books have been published on various topics related to making jewelry. I heartily recommend these books to to those who want to take up making their own jewelry.
Jewelry Making Supplies	There are a large number of suppliers that offer a wide variety of materials for sale that will assist and help the jewelry artist. The ease of purchasing those materials makes jewelry arts projects simple to design and complete.

Your Example Jewelry Making Projects:
Please share with us your special jewelry making projects and how they turned out.

Here is a special Gold and Quartz cabochon with Columbian emerald Pendant that I created using a pre-notched, pre-polished setting I purchased. This is a really nice piece of jewelry, and it was not hard to make. For more information on it, check out: My Jewelry Project