Silver or “Silver”? An Adventure in Amazon Shopping for Jewelry Supplies

Written By August Axel Jewelry Studio

I hear these kinds of comments all the time from students:

  • “My solder won’t flow.”

  • “This metal doesn’t behave like the kind we used in class.”

  • “This silver melted on me!”

So I ask the obvious question:
“Where did you buy it?”

Amazon.

Bless their hearts. (That’s a Southern saying that sounds sweet but isn’t always.)

Here’s the thing: we’ve been loyal Prime shoppers for years, and I love the convenience of ordering random things from the kitchen table before I’ve even brushed my teeth.
But precious metals and solder?
Never on my Amazon list.

There are just too many sketchy listings. Product titles can look legit, but often the phrase “100% real silver” just means 100% of the plating is silver. Or worse, it’s “silver-tone” or a total mystery metal.

Bottom line: If it seems too good to be true, it is.

The Scrappy Smith’s Best, Best, BEST Advice:

Buy your metal and solder from a trusted source—a real-deal jewelry supply company that exists to support our industry.
I’m not fancy—I’m frugal and practical. I teach new smiths how to save money without wasting it first. I’ve already made the mistakes so you don’t have to.

Here are the suppliers I trust with my bench and my wallet:

They sell real metals with real specs—and they stand behind what they ship.

But Amazon’s Not All Bad...

There are things we happily buy from Amazon to outfit our jewelry benches. Think tools, shop supplies, and studio basics—not precious metals.
Here are a few of my favorite Amazon buys:

Butane torch in purple or red.

Butane torch in black.

Canisters of 11x refined butane

Solderite soldering pad

Titanium soldering pick with a wood handle

 Ring gauge set for measuring ring sizes

 Non-marring nylon jaw pliers

 16 ga Jewelers Brass

 Round bezel mandrel

 

Have fun out there—and shop smart.
If you’re ever unsure, just ask me.
I’m August Axel, AKA The Scrappy Smith—real-life advice, minus the fluff.

August Axel Jewelry Studio

The August Axel Jewelry Studio is a creative workshop, formerly in Venice Beach, CA, now south of Atlanta, GA. The Studio and course offerings were designed to serve a range of skills and interests from talented tinkerers to advanced artists. Our goal is to provide solid and safe bench-instruction, combined with hands-on practice, so artists may operate safely, independently and successfully.

As Owner and Senior Instructor, Christy Sears brings a wealth of knowledge to the bench. With 15+ years of jewelry soldering and metal fabrication, endless patience and a healthy sense of humor, she creates a warm and welcoming learning environment. Not only does she believe in teaching "how", but "why" and this has made all of the difference to her students.

All of the August Axel Jewelry Studio instructors create the same atmosphere, so students may reach their goals.

http://www.gajewelryclasses.com
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