Digital Goldsmith (YAK)

Hello All:

I am a bench jeweler.

I make custom jewelry from an Idea, a sketch, a drawing, a picture, an
advertisement or just looking at an article that the customer wants to
match or enhance. I like to think that I can make just about
anything(Toot-Toot).

I think that this system is a dream come true. I think $13,000.00 is alot
of money and I think that the system will get better and cheaper in the
future.

Let me just play the “Devil’s Advocate” for a moment. If the jeweler in
the back room can’t make the item to look like the counter help person’s
computer rendering, then you just lost. The custom jeweler, or someone who
knows what is possible and what is not, needs to be the person who runs
the software.

It seems to me that giving someone a color picture of the jewelry item
they are suppose to get and then giving them the actual item, and the two
not matching, would very possibly lose you some future custom work.
Now with that off my chest, I must say that the ability to capture
images of a customer’s ring and through simple manipulation create
matching earrings and bracelets and pendants or broaches or toe rings or
belly button rings, etc., well it’s just too cool.

I understand that one can lease the system for around $300.00 a month.
Info from GEMVISION at Http://www.gemvision.com 1-800-357-6272 or see
them in Vegas at booth #JJ609

Michael Mathews Victoria,Texas USA

a picture, an advertisement

Wondering, have you ever considered that you may be infringing on
copyrights? (Not accusing, just asking) When ever one does “custom” or
even non custom one has to think about “just how much does my stuff look
like what is pictured??? And then, the thought of 'is this pictured stuff
copyrighted” should be considered.

I know too many who make EXACT copies of others work.

Wondering, have you ever considered that you may be infringing on
copyrights? (Not accusing, just asking) When ever one does “custom”
or even non custom one has to think about “just how much does my stuff
look like what is pictured??? And then, the thought of 'is this
pictured stuff copyrighted” should be considered.

I know too many who make EXACT copies of others work.

Hello fishbre:
In response to your question whether I ever considered if I am
infringing on other’s copyrights, yes I do consider it. I will not make
exact copies of designer jewelry. I recently carved, cast, and set an
exact duplicate of a ring that a customer wanted to give to his son, he
wore the original and wanted to have matching rings. The ring was about 20
years old and had no stampings inside.
As for a picture or advertisement, I have made very few items from an
actual ad, the job is taken in by my boss, he is the one who needs to look
out for copyrighted material being duplicated. I usually have the
instructions to make a piece look “like” the one pictured. Usually there
are different stones, i.e. different in shape or size; this in effect
changes the piece enough to keep from infringing on copyright. I always
make a piece my own. I change dimensions or curves or other aesthetics
enough to keep from making exact duplicates. The only time a customer has
been unhappy with the artistic license that I took was a woman who wanted
an exact copy of a picture from a jewelry advertisement. She wanted it
custom made because she had been to the store advertising the ring and
found the workmanship on it very shoddy, the gold very thin and the
diamonds of poor quality. After I had made the ring she was terribly
disappointed that I had changed the design. I unset the stones and started
over. I made the ring look exact . She was very happy with the final
product.
As a bench jeweler in the real world, I do not have the luxury of
picking and choosing which jobs I will do and which I won’t. I do
whatever the boss puts in my job box. This is what I do for a living and
to support my family. When I have the chance to do pure design on my own,
which is very infrequently, I am always haunted by the thought that I am
perhaps remaking something that I have seen in the past or designed in the
past for a customer. Often times when we think we have been “inspired” to
make something we have actually only tapped a distant memory. We do not
live in a vacuum, therefore, we cannot design in a vacuum.

Michael Mathews Victoria,Texas USA

This thing with copy write stuff can really get yiou down and stop you
from being a creative person if you let it. One very important thing you
must keep in mine is that some where some place it has all been done
before. No matter how original you think you are if dig and look long
enough you will find it. Hey this world has been around a long time and we
are not the first generation to do creative stuff. Hope I did not break
anyone bubble but most of all do not stop trying to come up with that
thing that has never been done before…Maybe a toe ring that hooks to a
ankle bracelet that hooks to a belt that attaches to a hinged belt made of
hand made gold chain with granulation on each length??? JB…

Dear Michael Matthews,
mate, don’t anguish about your creativity, just go for it!
Regards, Rex from Oz.