Description
2025 Silver Medal Winner for Excellence – Independent Book Publishers Awards
Creating Steel Jewelry by Bette Barnett is a comprehensive instructional guide to working with steel as a creative medium, combining traditional metalsmithing techniques with innovative surface treatments and material combinations.
While focused on jewelry, the techniques presented extend far beyond the bench. This book is equally valuable for jewelers, blacksmiths, bladesmiths, and metal artists who wish to expand their skills and explore new creative possibilities using steel.
Drawing on years of teaching and professional practice, the author presents a wide range of techniques in a clear, step-by-step format, supported by high-quality photographs and detailed explanations. Beginning with the fundamentals, the book progresses into advanced methods for embellishing steel, including:
- Etching low carbon steel
- Fusing gold and other metals to steel
- Fusing powdered metals
- Keum Boo on steel
- Patination techniques
- Enameling on steel
- Sealing and finishing processes
The result is a practical, bench-ready guide that allows artists to transform steel into richly textured, visually dynamic work—ranging from jewelry to small sculptural objects, knives, and decorative pieces.
NOT JUST FOR JEWELERS
“I am beyond excited to see that Bette Barnett has written a book, Creating Steel Jewelry… If you are interested in adding dimension to your finished work, whether as a jeweler, blacksmith or bladesmith, this book will provide you with inspiration and the details to get it done.”
— Becky Schimpff, ABANA Education Committee Chair
“My first impression was that the author… has extensive experience… The skills shown can easily be transferred to larger sculptural pieces… useful to me as a blacksmith… I suspect that a knife-smith would make the same statement.”
— Mark Aspery, California Blacksmith
“Creating Steel Jewelry is an excellent reference and instructional book for blacksmiths who would like to create beautiful items from low carbon steel…”
— Chris Holt, The Hammer’s Blow
“I’ve been a metalworker and bladesmith for almost twenty years… The knowledge and instruction contained in this book is certainly beyond jewelry… highly recommend.”
— Karina Lee, Bladesmith and Metalworker
“What I really like about this book is that it highlights a number of ways that steel can be used in jewelry… I got some great ideas for how to do that with this book.”
— Andrew Thornton, Blacksmith and Jewelry Maker
ADDITIONAL REVIEWS
“The subtitle… clearly indicates what you will find within… Barnett… has produced a well laid out and very readable book… packed with information and with plenty of clear images that illustrate each process.”
— Henry Pomfret, Artist Blacksmith (BABA)
“In this book Bette Barnett presents… a travelogue for curious metal artists… A multitude of techniques is clearly detailed… It is a grimoire for the artisan alchemists…”
— Peter Johnsson, Master Swordsmith
A PRACTICAL BENCHTOP GUIDE
Each technique is broken down into practical steps, making the book suitable for both developing and experienced artisans. The tools and materials required are accessible, and the methods are presented in a way that encourages experimentation and adaptation across different disciplines.
Whether your background is in jewelry, blacksmithing, or bladesmithing, this book provides both technical instruction and creative inspiration for working with steel in new and innovative ways.
BOOK DETAILS
Hardcover
162 pages
306 high-quality color photos, charts, and drawings
Written by Bette Barnett
With contributions by Amanda Denison (enameling) and Andy Cooperman (stainless steel)
Foreword by Peter Johnsson
Technical consultant: Harold O’Connor
CHAPTERS
- Introduction
- Basics of Steel
- Materials, Tools and Techniques
- Working with Stainless Steel
- Etching Low Carbon Steel
- Fusing Gold and Other Metals to Steel
- Fusing Powdered Metals to Steel
- Keum Boo on Steel
- Patinating Steel
- Sealing Steel Jewelry
- Enamelling on Steel
- Photo Gallery
