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You start to turn and there it is again. You go to stand up from your chair and it happens again. It's that nagging pain in your neck or lower back. After several years on the bench, jewelers often develop chronic neck or back injuries.... (2003) Complete Story
I have found this to be a most useful tool to use when rebuilding a bezel using a Laser Welder. It is made from a watchmakers screwdriver and is used to deflect the excess energy reflected at a sensitive stone to prevent damage to the stones surface. This view of the finished product shows 1.5mm X 2mm piece of fine silver welded to the blade tip.... (2005) Complete Story
Bench Jewelers often use different methods to accomplish the same work. I believe the end results are what is important, not the method used to get there. In jewelry work the ends often justifies the means. This is not more evident than in bead setting. I know jewelers who cut the seat with round, bud, cone, setting, heart, or bearing burs. Then they cut the excess metal away with flat, knife, or onglette gravers, or they use heart, wheel, round, or knife edge burs. Some even use needle files or saw blades.... (2003) Complete Story
With the popularity of tennis bracelets over the last 20 years replacing broken tongues has become a common repair in the jewelry shop. Typically these are replaced by soldering a new tongue in place. However, using a torch to solder a tongue onto a bracelet creates two problems.... (2005) Complete Story
The difficulty of chain repair lies in the fact that the chain is made up of fine wires. These wires heat up quickly when trying to melt the solder. Two problems develop. The first is if the wire link gets too hot, it will quickly melt as you are trying to solder.... (2003) Complete Story