Fretz

Whether you are a professional jeweller or simply enjoy it as a hobby, having the right tools can help improve the quality and finesse of your work. Fretz Design is an industry-leading manufacturer of metalworking tools, known especially for its hammers and anvils. The company’s tools can be found in workshops around the world, with jewellery makers choosing them for their ease and comfort of use, as well as the high-quality results they achieve.

Fretz Tools

Fretz Tools emerged from the jewellery business Fretz Goldsmiths, which was created in 1970 by Marian (Jordan) Fretz and Bill Fretz. The business began to expand and a tool line emerged, with bezel stakes first released in 2003 and the company’s first hammers coming into circulation in 2006. Since then, the brand’s tool line has grown to include a wide range of bezel stakes, hammers, bench anvils, chasing and repousse tools, forming stakes, and workbenches. Maddisons of Durham is proud to be a UK stockist of some of the brand’s most sought-after and popular products.

Fretz Hammers and Stakes

Our range includes an impressive selection of the company’s hammers, including hammers for texturing, riveting, goldsmithing, raising, embossing and the popular Fretz stamping hammers. We also stock the Large Embossing Hammer, which is used to dome metal from the inside while also leaving an interesting, dimpled texture on the metal. The Sharp Texturing Hammer has a straight sharp face and can be used to make polished metal shimmer, while the Raw Silk Effect Texturing Hammer is a planishing hammer with randomly ground heads that promises to create the texture of raw silk.

Fretz’s raising hammers are used to raise metal into an array of shapes. The Narrow Raising Hammer can help make small cylinders and concave shapes, while the wide version can raise sheet metal into a bowl shape. Chasing hammers, which come in different shapes and sizes depending on the work being done, can be used to emboss or raise reliefs and are another essential tool in the jewellery maker’s kit.

Our range also includes a selection of forming stakes, including the Miniature Doming Stake 78 X 12.5mm and the Double Convex Stake 75 x 14.5mm, as well as a variety of bench anvils. Bench anvils can be used to form or texturise flat or curved jewellery and metal. The bench block anvils boast wooden bases to dampen noise and rubber feet to stop the tool from slipping. High, medium, and low dome versions are available, alongside a flat bench block anvil.

We also sell the Fretz annealing pans which are used for heating and cooling metal quickly to make it easier to work with, a ring jig set used to form the concave band in spinner rings, and a tube flaring toolset for bead spacers.

Shop the Fretz tools range here at Maddisons of Durham, and get next day delivery when you order before 2pm.