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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail Newsletter
for Bench Jewelers
January 2006
Volume 7 Issue 01 circulation over 3,900
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3rd
Annual
Bench Jewelers
Conference & Expo
Pre-Conference
Seminar April 27th
The Third Annual Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo will be held
Pre-Conference Seminar on April 27 in
BIGGER
& BETTER THAN BEFORE
More Exhibitors ~ More
Seminars ~ More Events
This year’s Educational Conference features Christel Trimborn, Editor in Chief GZ Art + Design,
publication, Plus many other Outstanding Seminar Leaders.
The Supplier’s Expo is double the size and features New Exhibitors and Larger Displays by many companies.
Enjoy the camaraderie of other jewelers. Perhaps the most valuable component of the Conference & Expo is getting the chance to spend time with people just like you who love to make jewelry!
EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE MARCH 15th
For More Information & to Register log onto:
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=> <=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly newsletter for Retail
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Each quarterly issue contains 1 hour of video
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<=> <=> <=> TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
From Alan Revere
SIZE MATTERS: In Bench Work, Bigger is Better!
A maxim of jewelry work is to use the largest tool for the job. The idea is to provide the greatest surface contact for the greatest control. If you want to file the side of a ring very flat, you should choose a file that is wider than the ring, rather than narrower. With the larger file, each pass takes away the entire surface.
That seems obvious, but the theory has further applications. If you are using a sanding drum (or any kind of bur) on a flex-shaft to smooth out a surface, select the wheel with the largest diameter; a larger diameter tends to leave fewer dips and gouges. In addition, a wheel with a larger width will cover a broader area. Both characteristics are desirable.
When using hammers, select a larger face rather than a smaller one, whether forging, planishing, or chasing. This moves more metal and leaves a smoother surface
texture.
Rolling mills are definitely a tool where size matters. Rolls with a larger diameter have more surface contact and leave sheets flatter. (The drawback is they cost more, too!)
Even torches and flames should be larger than necessary whenever possible. Whether you are melting in a crucible or soldering a seam, there is nothing more frustrating than not having enough heat and sitting there waiting and waiting for everything to get hot as the flux burns away. A larger torch produces more heat and gets the job done quicker, which is critical.
This tip is from 101 Bench Tips for Jewelers
written by Alan Revere and published
by
MJSA/AJM Press.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.
Napoleon Hill
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<=> <=> <=> COLORED STONES <=> <=> <=>
Learn all about handling colored stones from
gemstone cutter
AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine is the blue to greenish-blue variety of the mineral beryl. It can range from a very pale blue to fairly intense blue or greenish blue. Aquamarine is almost always heat treated, sometimes at the mine site, but usually after cutting, to drive off the greenish or yellowish component, leaving a more pure, and popular, blue hue. This has been done for so long now that younger buyers often do not associate the natural greenish-blue color with aquamarine! However, the unheated material is always sought after by cutters as it is highly regarded by gem connoisseurs and fine jewelers.
aquamarine, and it is also found in many locations around the world, including North
material, a rather intense pure blue similar to
after its Brazilian location), has long disappeared from the marketplace, and the finest source of high grade aquamarine today is
Maria Afrique, and the very limited supply has doubled in price in the past few
months.
Three to ten carat top Brazilian goods range from $100 to $600 per carat, depending on intensity of color, while fine cut
Afrique ranges easily to $1000 per carat. No price differential is seen between heat-treated and natural gems. Aquamarine, along with tourmaline and spinel, has become one of the fastest appreciating gems in terms of
cost.
The hardness of aquamarine is usually reported as 7.5 to 8, but some gems have been tested and shown to be less than 7, so some caution is advised. Aquamarine is not especially brittle, but heat should be avoided. The stone itself is not particularly heat sensitive, but it may contain invisible liquid-filled inclusions which, when heated, turn to gas as they expand, and can shatter a stone. If heated much hotter than 450 degrees Centigrade, aquamarine is likely to turn chalky white or colorless. The ultrasonic is safe if you use caution not to plunge the stone from room temperature to boiling. Pickle presents no problems, but the stone should be allowed to cool
first.
The Russians have been successful in creating synthetic aquamarine. As the price for darker natural aquamarine continues to skyrocket, we can expect to see more of this material in the marketplace, although the price of the synthetic keeps it in the luxury synthetic class. I see prices from $30 per carat for poorly cut, big-bellied material with windows to $80 per carat for properly cut, brilliant goods in 3-7 carat sizes. The synthetic is generally very clean and therefore heat resistant to 700 degrees Centigrade or so, but you will purify the color at around 500 degrees. So, avoid direct torch, but otherwise treat it the same as natural.
You can contact
wayne_emery@msn.com
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie
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Metal Refining
United is a full service refiner for Gold,
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<=> <=> Tips & Tricks from
3M Wet or Dry Tri-M-Ite Polishing Papers, which are available from most jewelry industry tool suppliers are my personal favorite for finishing platinum. These polishing papers come in six different grits ranging from 400 to 8,000 which are ideally suited for preparing platinum for polishing using up to the 1200 grit, or using all the way up to the 8,000 and polishing your platinum jewelry without any polishing compounds. The following bench made tools help in making it easier to use these polishing papers.
Sanding Stick
Using a paper cutter, cut the 3M polishing papers into 1 inch strips 12 inches long (the length of the sheets). Stack the strips in order with the finest grit on the bottom and the coarsest on top. Place the stack on top of a wooden paint stirring stick (obtained from any paint or hardware store) with half the length extending past the end of the stick. Using a stapler, fasten the end of the stack of polishing papers to the stick. You may need to cut off the end of the paint stick before applying the stack of polishing papers if it is extra long. Fold the loose ends of the polishing papers over the end and down the back side of the paint stick.
To use the sanding stick hold it, using your index finger to hold the loose ends down tightly, and sand using the side of the stick that is stapled down. When you have finished with the coarsest grit fold it down out of the way exposing the next grit paper and begin using that one. Continue in this manner until you reach the desired finish on your platinum. When the papers are worn out on the stapled side, remove the staple holding the papers and turn the papers around. Re-staple the good end of the papers to the paint stick and wrap the worn out section over the end to be held by your index finger.
This sanding stick is useful for sanding any flat surface or the outside of curved
sections.
Sanding Drums.
Using a paper cutter cut the 3M polishing papers into strips one half inch wide and 6 to 8 inches long. Tape one end of the strip to the rubber drum of a 1/2 inch rubber sanding drum mandrel made to use in your flex-shaft. Wrap the remainder of the strip around the rubber drum. Use a different rubber sanding drum for each of the different grits of polishing papers.
Place the sanding drum in your flex-shaft or micro-motor to clean and polish the inside of curves or holes in your platinum jewelry. Different size strips of polishing papers can be cut and used on different sizes of rubber sanding drums for a variety of sanding applications.
This is particularly useful for cleaning up and polishing the inside of ring shanks. Using these sanding drums in your flex-shaft which can reach or exceed 15,000 RPM or a micro-motor which can reach 35,000 RPM is much more efficient than using the inside ring buff on a polishing motor which only reaches speeds of 3,400 RPM.
You can contact Brad at Brad@BWSimon.com
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21: 5
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Ganoksin Project
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The Gem and Jewelry Pre-Eminent Online
Resources. Open to the public
Free of
Charge.
A substantial library of articles,
publications, reports, and technical
data on
gem and jewelry related topics; as
well as a
sizable collection of art and jewelry
galleries, for both the casual
visitor and the
professional, also host the popular
Orchid
online forums for jewelers.
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<=> <=> AT THE PLATINUM BENCH <=> <=>
Tips that make working with Platinum or
working at the bench in general easier- from
Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ,
Director of Technical Education
for Platinum Guild International
http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com
Fit and Finished:
Contoured Polishing Wheels
When re-finishing a ring, you often must shape the silicone wheel so it better matches the contours of the piece. This can be done in several ways.
Many jewelers use a file to shape their wheels. For example, the tip of a round file can be used to grind a groove into the wheel. This will then make finishing the ridge of a rim or the outside of a round prong easier.
You can also use a Mizzy wheel to do the shaping which is not as costly as using files (Mizzy wheels cost only pennies apiece). With the silicone wheel shaped properly, it is easy to remove marks from contoured
surfaces.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Knowledge is power. The more knowledge, expertise, and connections you have, the easier it is for you to make a profit at the game of your choice.
Stuart Wilde
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MJSA EXPO
Cutting-edge technologies, the latest
equipment, new supplies, in-demand
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the finest gemstones in the expanded
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all at one location:
largest trade show in the
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demonstrations on the show floor,
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attendees can see the latest
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techniques and technologies in action
at no
additional cost.
MJSA Expo
For more information or to register online,
visit www.expo-newyork.com.
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<=> <=> <=> Gemz from Gerry <=> <=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
by Gerald N. Lewy
One of the most revolutionary advances in recent years, apart from laser welding, is the technique of casting stones in place. It has allowed many previously impossible designs and also allowed the jeweller to forge ahead and create many difficult setting
projects.
I prefer to have more wax holding the stone than if I were setting the same stone directly into the gold. Then after cleaning and polishing the gold there is still adequate metal to hold the stone securely. Make absolutely sure the stone is held securely in wax. You must observe that the wax is over the girdle, not just against it. If any wax is over the stone, rest assured this wax will be gold after the casting.
When placing stones in wax also make sure the girdles do not touch, as this will lead to a shattering of the stone during the onrush of hot gold. As the gold is entering the flask the sudden rush of gold will disturb the stone in the investment and jar it a bit loose. The two stones banging into each other could break both of them.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow
through.
Zig Zaglar
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY
FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
CHEMICALS:
How do you learn to respect them?
We are so used to using chemicals as ordinary materials around us that we don't even notice them. Even table salt has an MSDS that sounds pretty grim. Every year people gas themselves and die because they mix ammonia and bleach to clean their houses with. You need to remember that you are surrounded by them. Then there are the chemicals that are hidden in product formulations about the house and workshop and the ones that you deliberately bring in to the workshop.
As a rule I recommend that one use supermarket chemicals as much as possible, however they can be quite evil just as they are. Don't use industrial strength chemicals unless you are properly equipped to deal with them in terms of storage, fume hood and ventilation.
Jewelers use chemicals for cleaning, finishing, etching, plating, anodizing, pickling, sealing, enameling, wax working, casting, investing and so on. And don't forget that metals and their salts and oxides are also chemicals.
For more information on Workshop safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian log onto:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
All of the top achievers I know are life-long learners... Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they're not learning, they are not growing... not moving toward
excellence.
Denis Waitley
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
Boiling pickle will release a stuck drill bit in about 45 minutes. However, if one wants to avoid the smell and possible health hazards involved in that solution, perhaps the old way of boiling a little Alum in water would work better and be safer.
It takes about the same amount of time to do it. And if you just leave it in the Pyrex jar and it dries out you only have to add water to the crystals there with little or no health risk involved.
Paul Rex
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If you have a tip you would like to share with
our readers send it in an e-mail to
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.
Warren Buffett
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
DESIGNER DAY
THE
March 12-14
Co-sponsored by
Jewelers Resource Bureau, Designer Day is held
one day prior to
the opportunity to receive advice
from renowned
designers and industry experts.
New this year, the
buyers training, laser technology,
casting,
marketing and branding, and much
more. It will
also feature Thinking Ahead: The
CAD/CAM
Experience, a part of the
Initiative. This three-hour-long interactive
presentation will offer insights into
how you
can profit from the power of CAD/CAM
technology. And MJSA At the
Bench Live
seminar series will feature tips,
tricks, and
the latest bench techniques from
experts such
as
Alan Revere, Bradney Simon, and Kate Wolf.
For more information or to register, visit
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<=> <=> Thank You for
We are on the World Wide Web.
Visit us at http://www.BWSimon.com
A complete archive of back issues of E-BENCH is
located there.
Visit often, as we will be making changes to
our site, adding additional useful
information
for bench jewelers.
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INFORMATION <=> <=>
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Information provided in this document is
provided As Is without warranty of
any kind,
either expressed or implied. This publication
is designed to provide accurate and
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For editorial suggestions, comments, ideas
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Copyrighted, 2006, BENCH MEDIA.
All rights reserved.
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