There are three main aspects to this book - the projects, technical advice, and vignettes giving the reader a view into the world of steampunk culture. The vignettes are nice enough, but anyone with any familiarity with steampunk will find them fairly basic. The projects - in terms of the objects, that's a matter of taste. I have to admit that I'm not that fond of the filigree and charms variety of steampunk jewelry, and there's more of that in here than I'd like.

But the technical advice is excellent. The book includes discussion of materials - how to find and use them; tools and techniques; and safety cautions. The publishers have decided to forgo the steampunk aesthetic in their how-to illustrations, but the clarity of the information makes this an acceptable sacrifice. I have added it to my to-buy shelf for the technical skills information alone, as I'm not interested in any of the specific projects, but love the practical advice.

For creative purposes it is a nice book to look through to get ideas about this particular style. Other than the aesthetic value of this book I would advise to browse through it at a bookstore or craft store and save your money for supplies or a more technical jewelry-crafting book. ( )

An inspiring collection of steampunk style jewellery designs which includes some interesting background material on steampunk fashion, art, and influences.

I would prefer that the "how to assemble" sections had more photographs though as I am not fond of diagrams with mainly text instructions. However the diagrams themselves are fairly clear. And to be fair I have not attempted to make any of the designs myself yet and most of the projects don't look too difficult to have a go at.

The creativity and variety of approaches to steampunk style jewellery showcased here provide a lot of ideas to expand on. Every time I flick through this book I get ideas that could apply beyond jewellery pieces to altered art and mixed media.

Well worth a look. ( )