Wire and Polymer Retreat

Jewelry artist and author of Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay & Wire Jewelry, Ronna Sarvas Weltman, is offering a workshop March 14-20 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The focus will be on creating organic jewelry using polymer clay, copper, sterling, and fine silver wire, and materials for texturing, coloring, and adorning. Concepts and techniques covered include the principles of jewelry design, working with polymer clay and wire, jewelry findings and hardware, color principles, and more.

More at www.ronnasarvasweltman.com.

Revere Academy Masters Symposium

The Revere Academy will hold a series of workshops during its 2010 Masters Symposium, held April 3-25 in San Francisco. The Academy will host 14 master classes taught by leading goldsmiths and other experts from around the globe. Instructors and classes this year include Michael Boyd, Gem Carving at the Bench; Linda Darty, Enameling in Depth and Cloisonne; Wayne Werner, Hot & Cold Connections; Hap Sakwa, Photography for Jewelers, and more. Classes are two and five-day workshops and are open to students of all levels. More at www.revereacademy.com.

SUNFLOWER. Linda Darty. Brooch in fine silver, enamel, and drusy. Photo by the artist.

Chased + Repousse Exhibition

Chased + Repousse, a new exhibition at the Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San
Francisco, is presented in conjunction with the recent publication of Nancy Megan Corwin’s book Chasing and Repousse: Methods Ancient and Modern. The exhibition, taking place March 17-April 18, features work from more than 20 contemporary artists who use these ancient metalworking techniques, including Nancy Megan Corwin, Charles Lewton- Brain, Linda Kindler Priest, David Huang, Keith Lewis, and more.

More at www.velvetdavinci.com.

Tiffany Exhibit
The "Tiffany: Color and Light" exhibition will debut in Paris and then be shown in Montreal and Richmond. Conceived by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and organized in collaboration with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Musee du Luxembourg, the exhibition will celebrate the work of renowned designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, who achieved original and spectacular effects in hand-blown glass vessels, leaded glass windows and lamps. The exhibition's approximately 170 works will include blown-glass vessels, lamps, decorative objects such as mosaics, bronzes, and works in glass, jewelry and leaded-glass windows, along with paintings, watercolors, architectural elements, furniture, and silver. The exhibition will be on view at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts through May 2, 2010; and at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, May 28-August 15, 2010. For more information, visit www.vmfa.museum

Ring On the Move

Claudio Pino is known for his sculptural rings that often include movement, so it only seems fitting that one of his rings has been making the rounds. His
Magnficence Stellaire was recently shown as part of the exhibition Union and Diversity at the Canada— Cheongju International Craft Biennale 2009 in South Korea. Now the ring is on its way to Vancouver, where it will be exhibited during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Pino contributed his Kinetic Moonstone Ring as a project and was featured in the September 2008 issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. More at www.pinodesign.net.

Large Diamond Unearthed
Petra Diamonds Limited, the international diamond mining group, recently recoverd a 507.55 carat white diamond of exceptional color and clarity at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. It is considered to be among the top 20 largest, high quality rough diamonds ever found worldwide, and initial examinations point that it is likely a Type II diamond. The Cullinan mine has produced several other large diamonds, including the world's largest diamond ever recovered - a 3,106 carat piece of rough. More at www.petradiamonds.com.

New Designer Award
Among designers recognized at this summer’s Jewelers of America show in New York was Manya Tessler of Manya and Roumen, who was named winner of the Mort Abelson New Designer of the Year Award. The husband and wife team, established in 2009, specialize in cast metal pieces. More at www.manyaandroumen.com.

LAVA BANGLES. Manya Tessler. Sterling silver and oxidized sterling silver.

Hoover & Strong Merger
Hoover & Strong, an eco-friendly refiner and manufacturer of precious metals, has merged with Keystone Findings, Inc., a manufacturer of die-struck and cast settings, solitaire wedding bands, and earrings. The merger will broaden Hoover & Strong's product offering to jewelers. For more information, visit www.hooverandstrong.com.

E-bookshelf: 10 Cold Connected Jewelry Projects ebook
Volume two of The Best of Jewelry Artist series has just been released. Master the use of cold connections in your jewelry with these 10 inspiring, information-packed projects. Learn how to join a variety of mixed materials, including standard jewelry metals, with helpful tips, design options, and instructive photos to guide you along! Available for download at www.interweavestore.com.

E-bookshelf: 10 Wire Jewelry Projects e-book
New from Jewelry Artist, this first of many e-books to come offers wire jewelry projects using plier work, torching, or fabrication complete with helpful tips, design options, and more. Progress with the medium of wire through projects selected from the archives of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Available for download at www.interweavestore.com.

We accidentally listed the wrong website for Gemmys Best of Competition winner Andrew Gulij in our January issue. To see more of his stunning work, visit www.gemfix.com.

RIGHT: STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER. Andrew Gulij. 20mm x 14mm. Rock crystal and pyrope garnet. Gem-Intrusion. 29.86 carats. Photo by the artist.