Books on Copper Jewelry
Copper is my favorite metal to wear and to use in jewelry. However, when I started out, it was very difficult to find any books devoted to copper, let alone see examples of beautiful copper jewelry. It's taken a bit of research, but here are books about copper. Some books simply include copper jewelry in their discussions, while other books are devoted entirely to the subject. Several additional books on copper are available in non-English languages. If you scroll past the books about copper, I have included some wireworking books, which relate to any metal wire, including copper. I will add to this list as I find more 'copper' books.
Copper Art Jewelry: A Different Luster
Matthew L. Burkholz, Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan, and Mathew L. Burkholz are the authors of this book, which is the only book I have found entirely devoted to copper jewelry. It is 160 pages, hardbound, with over 300 color photographs. Twentieth century copper jewelry is discussed, including information about identifying marks and advertising. There is considerable information about Frank Rebajes of New York and Jerry Fells, known as Renoir of California.
Working With Copper, Silver, and Enamel
Jan. SjOberg's book is a paperback. That is all I have been able to learn about it so far, except that it was published in 1974 buy Van Nostrand Reinhold. If you have read this book, please let me know what you thought of it.
Copper and Bronze in Art: Corrosion, Colorants, and Conservation
David A. Scott's 520 page hardbound book is an excellent reference if your are interested in restoration, minerals, or pigments. This literature review also includes appendixes on copper chemistry, early pigment recipes, copper minerals and corrosion products, and X-ray diffraction studies.
Roycroft Decorative Accessories in Copper and Leather: The 1919 Catalog
Elbert Hubbard's paperback catalog is 56 pages in length.
Coppercraft and Silver Made at Home
Both hardcover and paperback editions are available for Karl Robert Kramer's book. If you have further information about this book, please let me know, and I will add it here.
Antique Brass & Copper Identification & Value Guide
Mary Frank Gaston's 207 page paperback is intended to aid buyers and sellers make accurate evaluations. The book features over 500 full-color photos, with descriptions and values.
Russian Copper Icons and Crosses from the Kunz Collection: Castings of Faith (Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No 51)
Editors Richard Eighme Ahlborn and Vera Beaver-Bircken Espinola present this 92 page paperback series of photographs of Russian copperwork.
Working With Copper
Zena Marjorie Elliot's hardcover book is a general discussion of copperworking. Unfortunately, that was all the information I was able to obtain, so please let me know if you have read this book and would like to offer comments.
The Concise Coppercraft Book
This 128 page book looks to be a brief discussion on coppercraft by Zena Marjorie Elliot.
Wire Jewelry
Making Wire Jewelry: 60 Easy Projects in Silver, Copper & Brass
This is one of the most popular books for learning to work with wire! There are step-by-step instructions for 60 different pieces of jewelry that can be made using pliers (as opposed to jigs or other specialty tools used in most books). 300 actual-size drawings.
Making Bead & Wire Jewelry: Simple Techniques, Stunning Designs
Dawn Cusick's book is available as a paperback or hardcover book. I own a copy of the paperback. I have really enjoyed this book, but if you are considering buying it, be aware that most of the designs require a jig. There are some pliers-only projects and one project using a knitting dolly, too. I found the projects easy to follow and fun to make. Explicit instructions for using a jig or knitting dolly are not given. 75 projects.
Make Wire Beads
Lisa Van Herik's spiral-bound book guides the reader through the process of making 44 different designs of wire beads. The book features black and white photos detailing the step-by-step instructions. I haven't purchased this book, but reviewer consensus at Amazon is that the projects are generally well-described and can be completed very quickly. 64 pages.
Wonderful, Wearable Wire
Helwig Industries (numerous authors) has published this spiral bound book of 180 wire working designs made on the WigJig Olympus Transparent Jig. If you don't have the Olympus (which you can buy at many beadstores of order directly from the WigJig website), you can still benefit from the design ideas, but I don't think you would enjoy the book nearly as much. Because the jig is transparent, you can simply place it over the designs. 172 pages.
Great Wire Jewelry: Projects and Techniques
Peterson's jewelry is either knitted, twisted, and braided or else made from rings similar to chain-mail armor. This 60 page hardcover book focuses on these non-solder techniques. I've read this book and believe it is an excellent book for a beginner, with clear instructions to execute the beautiful designs.
