The Art of Jewelry Design: From Idea to Reality

If you want to learn about design and don't want to just copy what you see, then this is the book. Makes everything easy to understand.

I'm an industrial designer, and recently got hired as jewelry designer... I was searching for a book that gives me a clue of where to start in the jewelry business, so i can know what to do when my boss gives me a notebook and a pencil and ask me "to create"... what tools you need (not the technical ones... the creative ones), what are the stages of the design process, where can you search for inspiration and how organize your ideas, things that you gotta have in mind to design jewelry, types of jewelry, etc etc etc... After that you will need other books for technical stuff or bring your designs to a professional craftmaker. Beware, this book is NOT technical, and it won't show you step to step "how to make a pair of earrings", most of the examples of the book are too crazy and unwearable for cotidian life, but i feel this is not the purpose of this book, this book instead will show you how to develope your creativity applied to jewelry...

It was a true friend that recommended me to get this book. It's relatable information and loads of examples that I craved. I appreciate the intellegent 'you've got to work for design' approach - it affirms that good design is not just a lucky happen chance - but a skill to be refined and appreciated. Elizabeth Olver gives you the tools to aquire the skill. This book will always be at my side!

I purchased this book and found it to be very helpful and inspiring. It truly gives the artistic approach to designing jewelry. There are no step-by-step instructs, it's not that sort of book. Instead, it really opens up your mind to get you thinking of your OWN steps to the creation of your OWN ideas. It covers essential design tools; stages of the design process; elements of design, and creative concepts and is all wrapped up in a beautiful presentation! For someone completely naive to art in jewelry design, pay attention to what it is teaching because it contains valid points. To someone coming in from a point already understanding jewelry, it is a book still worth having because it will make you stretch your creative process and you just may find yourself creating something unique, fresh and new!

I have just purchased two more copies of this book for two of my beginning students. Ms. Olver shows clearly and elegantly how to approach the design process using one or more sketchbooks. She breaks down the process into steps that make the process less daunting, and so nudges the student to delve deeper than they might otherwise do. The book is also a visual delight, a rich buffet of notebook ideas, projects in process, and finished work. I recommend it for metalsmiths at all levels, and for students in particular.