What you’ll learn in this episode:   Why even jewelry novices can learn to make silver jewelry at home with affordable tools How Machi and her co-author Janet turned their in-person jewelry making classes into a book What safety concerns to consider when making DIY jewelry How working with silver compares to working with other metals, and where beginner makers should start What mistakes beginner makers commonly make and how to fix them    About Machi de Waard Machi de Waard is a designer-jeweller and jewellery tutor. Jewellery has been her full-time pursuit since early 2007, and Machi’s work has been shown at galleries, fairs and exhibitions. Machi combines her studio practice with teaching, having taught jewellery making for over ten years in various locations throughout the UK. Her interests in modern art, particularly in sculpture and minimalism, influence her work.   Additional Resources: www.machidewaard.co.uk  insta: @machi_jewellery  www.janetrichardson.co.uk  insta: @janrichardsonjewellery Book links: Amazon U K Waterstones Blackwells Search Press Guardian Bookstore Amazon USA Penguin Random House Bol.com in the Netherlands Amazon Germany   Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney,com   Transcript:   sWorking with metal might seem     d and co-author Janet Richardson, “Silver Jewelry Making: A Complete Step-By-Step Course,” includes seven projects that help beginner makers build on their skills and make real jewelry at home with simple tools. Machi joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the serendipitous way the book got published; why silver is the best metal for beginners to start with; and which common mistakes DIY makers should watch out for. Read the episode                            internet is maybe not—I’m not going to say incorrect, but not the best advice. c Sometimes it can be a bit confusing. So, it’s having all the information in one          place, and because Janet and I both have so much experience teaching, we know everything in here works. Also, sometimes when you’re reading things or you see stuff on the internet, it’s like, “You must do it this way.” But jewelry making has been around for several millennia, so everything could pretty much be done two or three or even more different ways. We try to emphasize that you could do it this way or you could do it this way, and the important thing is finding the one that works for you.   Sharon: You mentioned that you have a lot of experience teaching. You both have won awards for your jewelry, is that correct?   Machi: Janet has—I just finished an MA at the Royal College of Art in jewelry and metal. I finished two weeks ago. My work was chosen as one of the best of the graduate work this year in the country, which was fantastic. Janet’s jewelry has actually been in Vogue Magazine and is part of the collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, I believe.   Sharon: I think it’s Houston or one of them in the state. Why did you decide to write the book on silver if you have all this experience in different areas?   Machi: Both of us mainly work in silver, so that’s our main metal. We know how to work it really well and we have a lot of experience in it, teaching it as well. I can’t remember if I said this already, but Janet has been teaching for over 45 years. I’ve been teaching for over 15. So, we know what happens in the classroom and when people have problems working with silver. We have a lot of advice.   Sharon: Is silver easier to work than other metals?   Machi: No, it’s just different. Every metal has its properties and its own ways of being easier or harder. I would say it’s just different. For example, if you know how to work with silver, it’s quite easy to then move on to gold, although you will have to adjust certain things. We work a lot with copper and brass as well because those are similar in their working properties, but much cheaper. You can practice things in copper if you wanted to before making it in silver. Each metal ha