Jewelry Making Books I Like Series (1)
Hello! My shop is temporarily closed. Please follow me on Instagram until I decide if I am re-opening. Thank you - Darlene
One of my favorite jewelry making books is by Stephen O'Keeffe titled Practical Jewelry-Making Techniques. The Celtic designs in this book are what initially got my attention. The Celtic knots and swirl designs are beautiful and very well explained. Although this book isn't well known in the jewelry making circles I think it is very informative.
The book is set up by skills and various techniques. It starts right out with making a ring band.
It has a lot of bench tips and ideas to improvise techniques including making your own tools.
The first lesson on making a ring band was a game changer for me. He advises to saw through the band with a vise holding the ring. The vise makes such a difference. It reduces hand strain and is more stable than holding the ring with your fingers. 
So as a "self taught" metalsmith I highly recommend this book. It has a lot of helpful tips and information. I plan on making several pieces with skills I've learned in this book.
