Educating the world’s jewelers since 1995
Founded in 1995, Ganoksin is the oldest and largest online community for the jewelry trade with over 13,000 members and growing.
Who are Ganoksin members?
A community is about people that are interconnected. Here at Ganoksin, our passion for jewelry brings us together. Ganoksin has members on every continent (except Antarctica) who range from seasoned professionals to the merely curious.
Professionals
Refine your skills, build your brand, and promote your business
Aspiring Professionals
Accelerate your path to a jewelry career
Lapidaries & Metalsmiths
Deepen your skillset for working with gemstones in jewelry
Hobbyists
Learn at your own pace to achieve your goals
The World's Most Respected Authorities on Jewelry Making
Improve your skills by learning from some of the most esteemed and meet the next generation of talented practitioners.
Charles Lewton-Brain
Mechelle Lois
Cynthia Downs
Alessandro Aria
Chris Ploof
Gerry Davies
George W. Fischer
Kelly Jean Conroy
Pattie Parkhurst and Richard Sweetman
Milt Fischbein
Where We Come From
1995
The Ganoksin Project is Born: The Ganoksin Project was created in Bangkok and Calgary in 1995-96 by Hanuman Aspler (right) and Charles Lewton-Brain (left). A doctor by training, Hanuman changed careers and entered the jewelry trade while traveling in Thailand. Charles was a metalsmithing teacher and writer. In Thai, ganok means "pure gold," and sin means "art." Together, they can be thought of as meaning "The Art of Gold."1996
From Catalog to Content: Ganoksin began as an online catalog with bits and pieces of information on jewelry making and articles on the gem trade. In 1996, Charles offered the Ganoksin website all his metalsmithing and jewelry articles. Over time, more jewelers and designers began to contribute articles. Now, Ganoksin has over 400,000 web pages of content and has become the largest educational internet site for the jewelry, gemology and metals field.1996
An Online Community: In 1996, the Orchid discussion group brought together a community of jewelers, gemologists, and metalsmiths to communicate and exchange information about their craft freely. Hanuman and, starting in 1999, Noppadol Srinorakut managed the nuts and bolts of this new, ever evolving medium. The Orchid discussion group is a genuine global village that continues to foster a forum rich in content as well as a sense of family.1999
Dinners and Partnerships: Around 1999, the Orchid discussion group began to hold dinners and get togethers at major jewelry events in North America. These gatherings (which still occur yearly) have helped spread the word about Ganoksin and led to partnerships with major players in the jewelry world such as the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and the Authority on Jewelry Manufacturing (AJM) Magazine.2005
A Dedicated Server: In 2005, the Ganoksin project got its own dedicated server with the power of broadcasting up to 1,500 GB of jewelry content monthly.2005-2007
Orchid in Print: In collaboration with the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA), the Ganoksin Project has published two volumes in the series, "Orchid in Print: Maximum Bench Work." These are Making the Most of Your Flex-shaft by Karen Christians and The Jeweler’s Bench Book by Charles Lewton-Brain.2016
International Gem Society: As of 2016, International Gem Society is the proud new owner of Ganoksin. Founded in 1998, IGS is an educational resource and online community for hobbyists, gem-lovers, professionals and everyone in between. The team at IGS has completely modernized Ganoksin making it easier to navigate and mobile-friendly. And has replaced the Orchid Email Discussion List with cutting edge forum software while fully retaining all 20 years worth of discussions. We owe a debt of gratitude to Hanuman for founding and running Ganoksin for the past 20 years. You can now find him at his new projects here: Hanuman on Facebook, ThaiFoodMaster, Three Trees Doi Saket.
The All-In-One Jewelry Making Solution At Your Fingertips
When you join the Ganoksin community, you get the tools you need to take your work to the next level.
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If you like Ganoksin, check out our sister site, International Gem Society. IGS is an educational resource for anyone interested in gemology. It has one of the largest online gem libraries, more than a dozen courses, and a thriving community of over 10,000 members.