30-Minute Rings by Marthe Le Van features 60 projects by international jewelry designers.
First Impressions
The ring designs on the front and back covers are beautiful, but I'll admit I was turned off by the back cover text. It seemed silly and superficial, more like a pep rally than an accurate description of the Serious Jewelry inside. (Sample text: Are you SMITTEN with silver? GAGA over gold? . . . So EXCITING!)If you're like me and flip books over when you pick them up, don't be put off by the generic "golly, it's jewelry!" type of writing you'll see. Rest assured, what's between the covers is worth reading.
I do love the idea of this series. Who isn't pressed for time these days? That said, there are very few rings included that I could personally make in 30 minutes. My metalwork skills are simply not at the intermediate-to-advanced level required. (The projects in the front of the book do seem easier than those in the later pages.)
While there are a handful of simpler projects that use techniques like wirework and metal clay, most require solid knowledge of sawing, soldering, drilling, filing, riveting, and similar skills. (There is no cumulative list or index of techniques in the book; you'd have to flip through the whole book to see if the techniques were ones you knew or wanted to learn.)
This book includes no detailed instructions on these required skills; the how-to text for each project is very brief. ("Solder the ends of the oval together.") Instead, the introduction recommends the purchase of an additional book, The Ultimate Jeweler's Guide by Joanna Goldberg, for readers who need more information.
What I Liked Best
There's a lot to like in this book:
- The full page photos of projects are gorgeous and the international designers are all top-notch.
- I love the table of contents with thumbnail photos of all the projects. This is such a great idea; I wish other book publishers would take note. It's easy to see at a glance all the projects and find them quickly. If you're a visual person, it's more likely that you'll remember "that copper ring with the silvery spikes" than whatever creative name the artist came up with.
- I found two of the projects so amazing that I wanted to get out my tools and practice. The first was the bird ring by Rebecca Hannon that is a cut-out of a shape in silver that when folded creates outstretched bird wings. Simple, but brilliant. The second was the ivory carved ring by Karen Rokoski that is made of plumbing pipe. It's stunning and you'd never know that it was created by such inexpensive material.
You'll Enjoy This Book If:
- You appreciate value. There are 60 projects in this book, which sells for 21.95. Some entries have "Want to Make Another Ring?" with ideas for variations, so you're getting much more than the 60 featured designs.
- You're comfortable with metalworking skills and don't require in-depth instruction.
- You love soldering. More than 70% of the projects require soldering.
- You love working with silver. More than 80% of the projects
use sterling silver, fine silver, or silver metal clay in some form. (Of
course, you could substitute other metals.)
If you're an intermediate or advanced metalsmith looking for ring project ideas, you'll enjoy the design ideas in 30-Minute Rings. For the rest of us, it's a beautiful book to inspire us to work harder on those basic metalworking skills: Someday, I'll make a ring like that!
Standard Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from Lark Books. My review is my honest opinion. I have received no compensation for my review.