Unusual job on the bench today
Discussion
ecain63 said:
HereBeMonsters said:
Bloody hell.
I was going to ask if you could do anything with the ring my missus stepped on and squashed (it was a fairly fragile design with lots of lattice-y type stuff), but I think the 12 tiny diamonds that added up to about a quarter of a carat would be beneath you!
I'm happy to assist if youre happy to let me work on it.I was going to ask if you could do anything with the ring my missus stepped on and squashed (it was a fairly fragile design with lots of lattice-y type stuff), but I think the 12 tiny diamonds that added up to about a quarter of a carat would be beneath you!
Just want to say thank you for posting up and continuing to do so despite other things going on.
Secondly really hope you kick cancers ass.
I cant get over the level of detail, and it raises so many questions. If i may be so rude do you ever work on items of a "low" value? I am aware there are obviously many variables but what sort of price does custom jewelry start at?
Do all clients provide there own gold/Jewels etc i presume you can supply what ever they desire for there own pieces?
Really interesting read, please continue to post when possibly.
Secondly really hope you kick cancers ass.
I cant get over the level of detail, and it raises so many questions. If i may be so rude do you ever work on items of a "low" value? I am aware there are obviously many variables but what sort of price does custom jewelry start at?
Do all clients provide there own gold/Jewels etc i presume you can supply what ever they desire for there own pieces?
Really interesting read, please continue to post when possibly.
ecain63 said:
She and her husband have one of those Aston Syget things each. That's their 'town' cars. Hers is green and his is a purpley colour. Not sure what their 'out of town' cars are.
Aha, in that case I know who she is 
She's a lovely old bird and curiously I have a picture of her on my wall!!
king big rock .........made twice the size by your work, which is fabulous ....that ring is very show biz ross-co said:
Just want to say thank you for posting up and continuing to do so despite other things going on.
No probs and thanks for the appreciation.ross-co said:
Secondly really hope you kick cancers ass.
That's the plan. 
ross-co said:
I cant get over the level of detail, and it raises so many questions. If i may be so rude do you ever work on items of a "low" value? I am aware there are obviously many variables but what sort of price does custom jewelry start at?
I work on run-of-the-mill stuff every day. Some of it is absolute toilet. Important thing to remember with every item i see is that it's still somebody's pride and joy. Even if it is off the H Samuel 'sale' counter. For an idea of what my daily trawl is:Ring sizings and plating / polishing: 50 plus
Chain repairs: 30 plus
Claw work / refurbs: 5 to 10
Commissions: 2 or 3 a week
And then some misc items.
It's a very busy shop and we punch well above our weight volume wise. Most important factor is always quality of workmanship, and thats what the business is built on.
ross-co said:
Do all clients provide there own gold/Jewels etc i presume you can supply what ever they desire for there own pieces?
No, the majority get us to supply the materials, whether it be metals or stones. In many cases this is the easiest way as some metals don't like to be reworked. White golds in particular have a habit of becoming brittle (metals in the alloy such as aluminium and silver don't bond well with gold) when recycled in a small workshop facility (we dont have or need a large smelting machine) so new metals from the bullion dealer is often used in its place. We are always happy to recycle to maintain any sentimental value though.ross-co said:
Really interesting read, please continue to post when possibly.
Will do and thanks.yeti said:
ecain63 said:
She and her husband have one of those Aston Syget things each. That's their 'town' cars. Hers is green and his is a purpley colour. Not sure what their 'out of town' cars are.
Aha, in that case I know who she is She's a lovely old bird and curiously I have a picture of her on my wall!!
Thanks for the insight its something i have never really put much thought to, but now i have i find it fascinating, love the level of detail etc.
Is there a large chance when working with some materials of damage occurring, for instance when doing the "claws" and cutting and shaping in such close proximity to the stones do they get marked by processes being completed around them or are the tools designed to help avoid this?
Is there a large chance when working with some materials of damage occurring, for instance when doing the "claws" and cutting and shaping in such close proximity to the stones do they get marked by processes being completed around them or are the tools designed to help avoid this?
ross-co said:
Thanks for the insight its something i have never really put much thought to, but now i have i find it fascinating, love the level of detail etc.
Is there a large chance when working with some materials of damage occurring, for instance when doing the "claws" and cutting and shaping in such close proximity to the stones do they get marked by processes being completed around them or are the tools designed to help avoid this?
Yup! Stones get broken, chipped, burnt and eroded, on a fairly frequent basis too....... although i try to keep it to a minimum. Some stones are more vulnerable to damage than others though. Here's a few common issues:Is there a large chance when working with some materials of damage occurring, for instance when doing the "claws" and cutting and shaping in such close proximity to the stones do they get marked by processes being completed around them or are the tools designed to help avoid this?
Diamonds: Although they are the hardest of the materials we know about they still do have their own risks. They are easily chipped, especially old-cuts, and any cut with sharp corners. Like any hard material they are very brittle if approached with the wrong tools at the wrong angle. Old-cut diamonds have a habit of chipping along the girdle, and sometimes flake off along the facets. Pear cuts and princess cuts usually fracture on the corners. Diamonds also burn. Direct heat will cause the surfaces of a diamond to burn and become cloudy, unless you use borax to protect them. This acts as a barrier that can be removed later. That said, at much higher temps diamonds will burn internally also so borax isnt a 100% protector, usually a problem when working with diamonds set in heavy platinum wedding bands as you cannot easily remove and reset them. Other than that diamonds are pretty hardy and don't cause too many issues.....unless they have been silicon filled at a lab and then all sorts of stuff can happen.
Emeralds, amethysts, aqua and other soft stones: Huge risk with these stones. They are very soft and brittle and any large internal flaws give cause for concern. Heat is a problem too and emeralds esecially will shatter at the slightest application of direct heat. Amethysts and aquas scratch easily and even heavy polishing can buff off the sharp edges of freshly cut facets leaving the stone dull with no sparkle. You can't use borax on these either as when warm it eats into the stone leaving it looking rough and worn. Best method with these items is to warn the customer of the risks and get them to authorise removing the stones prior to any further work being carried out. When larger (1ct plus) emeralds and cornflour-sapphires can be as pricey as diamonds it makes sense to play safe.
Dark sapphires and rubies: A fairly safe stone but still with risks as per diamonds. Big downside with these is that borax eats into the stone when hot so you need to be very carefull witn the amount of applied heat. Normally if the stones are allowed to cool naturally after heating they go back to original colour and structure, but every so often a lemon shows its face. Again, larger ones are flagged up put to the customer for authorisation ref removal prior to work being carried out. Nice rubies are more expensive than diamonds these days.
Opals, fire opals and pearls: Proper sods and need to be kept away from any abrasive tools, chemical and any heat. The only way to work with items containing these stones is to take them out. Simples!!
So, what do we do if we break or damage a stone: If it's small we just replace it. If its larger (0.5ct plus) we can have it repolished, recut where damaged or replaced depending on the severity. If it needs replacing then obviously the customer needs to be informed as many buyers these days have certificates for the stones they buy. Its a risky business at times but it's the game we play. Luckily for me the bigger stones tend to be more hardy and in better quality mounts than the smaller ones so work is easier to carry out safely. Biggest ive broken was a 6.6ct AAA Tanzanite but I know my father in law had a stinker with a 2ct silicon filled diamond back in the day. Nowt he could do about it, but you try reasoning with an angry customer!!
Ecain, you are demonstrating some stunning work on this thread, please keep posting your work. Its great to see what a craftsman can do.
If you don't mind me asking, what tools do you use for the final fitting etc? You mention that claws etc are filed to shape. I dabble in making knife handles, (I can make blades, but now live in a flat so had to stop), and tried making the below. The plan was to have a Wolf paw print cut into the Mammoth Ivory but the attempt didn't quite quite turn out as I wanted due to my needle files not being fine enough.
The black is Water Buffalo horn, the white is Warthog ivory and the infill is Mammoth Ivory. The paw is copper dust encapsulated in clear resin.
All the blocks were cut, filed and glued by hand.
If you don't mind me asking, what tools do you use for the final fitting etc? You mention that claws etc are filed to shape. I dabble in making knife handles, (I can make blades, but now live in a flat so had to stop), and tried making the below. The plan was to have a Wolf paw print cut into the Mammoth Ivory but the attempt didn't quite quite turn out as I wanted due to my needle files not being fine enough.
The black is Water Buffalo horn, the white is Warthog ivory and the infill is Mammoth Ivory. The paw is copper dust encapsulated in clear resin.
All the blocks were cut, filed and glued by hand.
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