[Jewelry making - Article 00890] - Re: [Orchid] Jobs that you want to run screaming from?

[Daniel R. Spirer]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    I could probably relate more of these tales than anyone would care
    to hear so I will limit myself to one.  I had a couple come in (quite
    a few years ago now) who had come up with a design for a ring with an
    emerald cut sapphire in the middle and a flanking emerald cut diamond
    on each side. They wanted the stones bezel set but they didn't want
    to see the bezel.  It also had a row of tiny granules all around the
    lip of the bezel and they wanted the stones butting right up against
    each other. The only way to produce the design was to completely hand
    build it.  First they went to another jeweler to buy the stones. 
    Then they came to me.  I told them repeatedly that the bezel was
    going to have to show or it wouldn't hold the stones in.  Then I told
    them that if they butted the stones up against each other the way
    they wanted it to, they were going to break, either when I was
    setting them or soon thereafter.  They (actually mostly the guy) was
    insistent that I produce the ring exactly the way they wanted it. 
    So I made it up but left the bezel bigger than they actually wanted
    because I knew the stones would fall out if I didn't.  They came in,
    looked at it, and insisted I remake it with less bezel.  Of course in
    the process of redoing it one of the stones chipped which I then had
    to have recut.  I did it the way they wanted and sent them on their
    way.  Two weeks later they came back in.  They had gone to another
    jeweler, who had taken one look at the ring and said (rightfully so)
    that there was no way in the world that the bezels would hold the
    stones. (Why they believed him even though I had told them the same
    thing myself no less than ten times, I don't know.)  They wanted me
    to remake it again with the bigger bezel.  I did.  Since then they
    have been back three more times with stones they purchased elsewhere
    and attempted to get me to make more pieces for them.  You would not
    believe how adept (and successful) I have gotten at delicately
    suggesting that they go elsewhere to have their work done.  For some
    reason though, and I haven't figured this out, they keep trying to
    get me to do more for them. 

Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-6000
spirersomes AT earthlink.net
www.spirersomes.com

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________