Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing Hardcover – October 11, 2001

Not just another craft design book. Scientifically answers all the whys and hows you could ever ask about the metallurgy of goldsmithing. Reads like a textbook. Dense with information and figures to display the molecular processes described. Not ideal for most beginners, but a must read for anybody looking for a professional understanding of quality goldwork.

I had seen this before in German, but I don't remember it having had so many illustrations. It's not a coffee table book, but it has enough illustrations to help communicate the important content. Very in-depth information about metallurgy, etc. I'm still in the first chapter, but I've already learned a great deal more than I ever knew before about the properties of various alloys, annealing, work-hardening, heat-hardening, etc.This book is often compared with Jewelry: Concepts And Technology by Oppi Untracht, which had been my go-to reference until now. I think Brepohl will now be taking Untracht's place. There is more USEFUL information in this book. Not that I dislike JCAT, but it's inflated with a plenty of fluff among the good stuff; Untracht included many illustrations of tools from catalogs that don't help to select or use the tool in question. I don't need to see a picture of different kinds of drawplates, for example. Even if I didn't already know what a drawplate looked like, I would see it in the catalog, or I could easily imagine it from a simple description; I don't need to see a set of them up close. Brepohl's illustrations truly add to the content of the text.So, If you have a hundred bucks, get both books, but if you really work with metal on a regular basis, need a technical reference, and you have only fifty bucks, get Brepohl and skip Untracht. On the other hand, if you want to learn a lot about making jewelry, but you don't actually do it yourself, get Untracht. A lot of what I am reading in Brepohl is going over my head, but some is sticking and making me a smarter and hopefully more effective and efficient metalsmith. This is without a doubt the most thorough book I have seen on the subject.

A quite fortunate translation, now rendering access to non-german speakers to what comes close to being a bible in the jewelery field.As I'm coming from a completely unrelated and technical field, I strongly appreciate the introductory chapter about precious metals, and the in-depth look on crystal formation and alloys.For those who are more interested in techniques and "how-to" the remainder of chapters are well written and serve as a good starting point.Do not expect this can be the only book you'll need to read as a goldsmith / silversmith, but I can assure you - it has to be the FIRST book you read.

In this age of counterfeits, imitations and shortcuts it would be impossible to find a more authoritative, concise and clearly written tome on the art and science of Goldsmithing. Dr. Brepohl is that rare soul who is able to combine an exceptionally high degree of knowledge, education and experience into a valuable text which can be understood by any interested layperson.An invaluable textbook for anyone genuinely serious about Goldsmithing.

This book is absolutely a must for all jewelry students at the college level. Detailed information on any technique, lots of very useful drawings, plenty of great tips. I love this book despite it costs a lot, but I know I will use it for years!

This is the known tome. Everyone recommends this because it is more complete and more correct than anything from anyone else. You know if you need a book like this, and if you do, I'm promising this is the right one to get.

Good

This encyclopedic volume provides a range of information I haven't seen elsewhere. It starts with an extensive survey of the physical and chemical properties of the jeweler's metals and alloys, with lots of detail about the metallurgy. In fact, I've only ever seen that level of thoroughness in engineering texts.The strongly technical note remains throughout the book, even in chapters intended to guide studio artists in specific techniques. Chemistry gets a whole chapter of its own, followed by one on the basic processes used by metalsmiths. Chapters on technique follow, including one on machine tools (normally a rarity for studio jewelers) and another on plating and electroforming. The latter I found interesting, but reliant on chemicals too hazardous for my workspace. Brepohl finishes with a chapter on the special problems of repair work, especially when other repairs have already been attempted and botched.Any book this size will have a few typos. This has its share, for example the blooper on p.426 that suggests mixing a water solution at 400 degrees C. I can read that as 40C easily enough, but it erodes unconditional trust in other material this book presents. I found some odd omissions, too. The discussion on granulation missed a technique that I thought was well established: making granules from fused jump rings, which eliminated the sizing problem by guaranteeing a constant amount of metal in each one.Despite that, and despite its quaint-looking B&W photos, this book really does have a lot to offer. In particular, the ongoing emphasis on the chemical equations in each transformation appeals to my nerdy side, and gives a level of understanding that I find very helpful. A beginner won't get much from this text, but advancing artisans stand to learn a lot.-- wiredweird