How to Stamp Metal - Jennie Masterson

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Stamping metal is surprisingly fun, and with modern tools it’s easy to make professional looking pieces even at home. By doing it yourself you can create the perfect piece by personalizing it with dates, names, or any thing else you can imagine.

Gold necklace with the word maker stamped into it.

Metal Stamping Supplies

(You can also get a kit which will have the hammer, the stamping block, and the stamps together for a lower price.)

Metal Stamping Prep

Using your jewelry pliers, remove the pendant from the necklace chain by opening the jump rings and pulling it off. Lay the pendant on the stamping block.

Removing the chain from the stamping metal by using jewelry pliers to open the jump ring and slid the stamping metal off. — I find using two pliers makes it easier for me to open the jump rings.

If you are using the metal stamping guide, pull out one of the long rectangle guides with the linear markings and place it on the lower part of the pendant.

A booklet of stamping guides. Removing one of the guides to use on the necklace stamping metal.

Placing the stamping guide on the stamping metal.

It’s important to only cover a very small portion on the pendant with the guide because if you cover too much of it, your letters will be too high on the pendant.

Using the guide will help hold the pendant in place and give you markings to follow which will make the letter spacing correct. The little lines on the guide are each big enough to fit one 3mm letter above them.

Showing the lines on the stamping guide.

Stamping the Metal

Now that you have it all prepped you get to stamp! Take the first metal stamp of your design and place it on the pendant. Use the guide the determine placement.

First metal stamp of my deign. Using the letter "M".

Placing the metal stamp on the stamping metal.

Once you have your stamp aligned where you want it, take your hammer and give the stamp a good hit. I hit my stamp a couple of times because the metal I used was a little more on the hard side and needed the extra taps from the hammer. If you have a softer metal, you want to be careful not to hammer too hard or it will warp the shape of the pendant. (ask me how I know! 😉 )

Hammering the stamp on the stamping metal.

Repeat the process with the rest of the stamps needed for your design.

Filling in the Impressions

Now that you have your design stamped into the pendant, you need to fill it in.

Take the enamel marker and cover the pendant design with it. No need to be perfect here, you will clean up any excess enamel when you are done.

Filling in the metal stamp impression with the enamel marker.

Let the enamel sit on the pendant for a few seconds, then take the cloth and wipe off the excess enamel. Be carful not the dip into the impressions you made or you will wipe all the enamel off.

wiping the excess enamel off the stamping metal with a cloth.

The enamel wont rub off the impressions once it’s dry, but make sure not to get it wet or the enamel will come off and you will have to fill it in again.

You now need to re-attache the pendant to the chain you took it off of. Place the pendant back onto the jump ring with the chain. Then use the jewelry pliers to close the jump ring. Repeat on the other side.

placing the stamping metal back onto the jump ring.

Now you get to wear and enjoy your new hand stamped necklace!

Two gold necklaces with the words "maker" and "sewist" stamped into them laying on top of blue and purple glitter.

Additionally you can cut some slits into a small piece of card stock and slide the necklace onto it. You then have the perfect display for gifting a hand stamped necklace!

Gold necklace with the word "maker" stamped into it displayed on a light pink card stock.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial! Thank you for reading!