[Jewelry making - Article 00961] - Re: [Orchid] Using bi-metal

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>      	I understand where you are coming from but the problem is it
>     will only take one dissatisfied customer to ruin your business if
>     they sue you over something like this. One of the reasons I am so
>     interested in this is that virtually none of my work can be
>     stamped legally in any country. 

    Jim, I wonder if you could use a "non-karat" stamp, something not
    specified in the 46TC guidlines, but which would convey the right
    idea.  I'm thinking of a stamp that might read "mixed precious and
    base metal mokume" would do it.  for ones without copper layers, omit
    the word "base"...  Pricey to get set to do this, of course, as you'd
    need to shell out some bucks to get those roller stamps made. But
    it's a thought.  What I'm thinking is simply that the law doesn't
    require a karat stamp, nor regulate other stamps that aren't karat or
    specific qualities. The word "gold" is regulated, I think, but I
    don't think "precious" is.  And you can of course also use a "hang
    tag" approach to more completely describe the included metals and the
    technique, so long as the stores selling your rings keep the hang
    tags with the rings... 

    By the way, a seperate question:  Have you got any specific
    recommended method for those of us who occasionally have to work on
    your rings, to give them the most appropriate finished look after
    being worked on?  i'm thinking of after sizing them, when stores
    don't want to take the time to send them back to you (if they do???)
    but instead bring them to us (I think there are several of the local
    stores we do custom work for who occasionally bring us your rings.
    maybe just one, but I think there are a couple... ).  I usually just
    pickle them for a while after lightly buffing them, which dulls down
    the copper layers again. Occasionally I need to give them a light
    etch, if the texture has been compromised.  Don't worry, They look
    nice when we're done.  but I'm wondering if you've got a more
    specific recommendation.  Several times a year we get one in needing
    a bit of a stretch or to be shrunk a tad, or as in the most recent,
    to have a bezel and diamond added, etc. 

    Oh, and one other suggestion... You may wish to consider having a
    stamp made for your signature.  Or alternatively, modifying an inside
    ring engraving machine to sign and date them.  The reason I mention
    this is just that, after working on them, it's a bit tricky for our
    polisher to refinish them without buffing out your signature, as it's
    only scribed in.  Deeper would solve that problem.  At one point I
    made, some engraved brass dies with very small numbers, and a
    handwritten style signature, and glued these down onto a spare font
    disk for my inside ring engraving machine.  The numbers are used to
    date the pieces, and the signature signs them.  Looks better than a
    stamp, yet is deep enough to withstand polishing.  In fact, engraved
    small like this, you almost have to buff it a bit to get the lines
    fine enough for the numbers to be readable, yet then they last well. 

Peter Rowe

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