When the June 2007 issue of Lapidary Journal is published, it will have a new name: Jewelry Artist. According to the publisher, Interweave Press, the magazine "will have a new face and refreshed editorial direction, as well as greatly expanded newsstand distribution . . . ." What does this mean for readers?

Clearly, Jewelry Artist will be easier to find; it will be available at the big-name book stores, craft stores and even discount retail stores. This made me think strongly of the phrase "going mainstream." It worried me a little (we jewelry artisans like to consider ourselves special - not mainstream - right?), so I contacted Interweave Press for more information. I was granted an interview with Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist Editor-in-Chief Merle White, herself. Her answers to my questions put me at ease, and I'm definitely looking forward to future issues of the magazine.

* After reading the interview, please share your thoughts on this topic in the Jewelry Making Forum. *

What are the most significant differences between Lapidary Journal and Jewelry Artist?
The name change is the most significant difference. The magazine is also being redesigned from cover to cover with an eye toward making information more accessible. The content will be very similar to what it is currently.

Will the average page count of the magazine stay the same?
The magazine will be the same size or larger than it is currently.

How will the new feature on trends be approached? Will it focus on fashion trends or trends in the art-jewelry industry, which often are somewhat in discord?
Good point. Trends will be a rather free-wheeling column that will sometimes highlight an avant-garde trend, such as the use of an unusual material in jewelry, and sometimes looks at what's going to be hot, letting readers know what the colors for next fall will be, for example. While we typically showcase pieces from the world of fine craft jewelry, we also recognize that many of our readers who create one-of-a-kinds also create lines intended to be successful in a broader market.

How will the new column on gems be different from Lapidary Journal's gemstone feature articles?
The column will be a quick look at a particular gemstone: one page, frequently looking at an interesting but still available variety of a material readers may already be using. We will also have longer feature articles on gem materials from time to time.

Will new columns replace some of the old Lapidary Journal content, and if so, which types of content will be cut or reduced?
As with the gem and trend column examples just mentioned, our new columns will give readers a quick hit about several areas of interest in each issue, but we will still delve into these subjects at greater length in feature articles from time to time, so the answer is mostly shorter, more frequent appearances of the same subjects overall. We have aleady shifted our feature focus away from mineral collecting trips or the occasional fossil story, and we won't be returning to that. However, we will be keeping Rock Corner, our column devoted to mineral interests.

Is Jewelry Artist directed more toward the hobbyist or beader, or toward the professional art jeweler? Along the same lines, will the skill-level required for projects and the degree of technical detail in tips change?
All our readers love what they do, most sell some of what they make, some are professionals. We will continue to focus primarily on metalsmithing, with some coverage of other jewelry making techniques, and we will continue to offer projects and discussions about gem cutting.

Jewelry Artist is primarily for the intermediate to advanced jewelry maker, particularly one with an interest in gems. Although we have successfully spun off most of our bead content into two other titles, Step by Step Beads and Step by Step Wire Jewelry, we recognize the importance of beads, wire and other more accessible techniques in the field and will include work that uses them. We will include a great deal of technical information in tips, while projects intended for intermediate or advanced artisans will assume the reader already knows the basics. We'll still have some technical workshops and projects for beginners, but even those articles aimed at a more skilled artisan will teach the serious beginner a great deal.

How will Jewelry Artist distinguish itself from similar publications like Art Jewelry (Kalmbach Publishing)?
In the time-honored tradition of handing down techniques and ideas from maker to maker, Jewelry Artist will draw upon Lapidary Journal's 60-year history to provide design inspiration, technical information, and business advice for serious and aspiring jewelry artists, metalsmiths and lapidaries, and will continue to be their source for gemstone expertise. It will include in-depth explanations of how techniques and tools work as well as examples in the form of projects that readers can try as exercises themselves. It will showcase work from a wide variety of accomplished artists whose designs are functional, inviting, and memorable.

Many thanks to Merle White and Interweave Press for granting this BellaOnline.com interview!

Click here to visit the Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist subscription page on Amazon.com

Also by Interweave Press:

Beadwork magazine

Chris Franchetti Michaels is a writer and jewelry artisan specializing in beaded designs, wire work, and metal fabrication. She is the author of the books Teach Yourself Visually: Jewelry Making and Beading, Beading Quick Tips, and Wire Jewelry Quick Tips. Visit her website BeadJewelry.net for more jewelry-making help and inspiration.