[Jewelry making - Article 00143] - Re: [Orchid] How to facet gemstones?

[MillsGem]

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


    Dear Jim, Jamb peg facet machines are still widely prevalent
    throughout the world. They are, indeed, low tech., but , used by a
    skilled cutter can do just as good a job as our so-called high tech.
    machines. Moreover, a skilled jamb peg cutter can cut circles around
    the high tech cutters......it can be a much faster method. In my
    view a skilled jamb peg cutter is truly an artist because he does
    not use a diagram and has no metric guides. He must know which hole
    to "jamb his peg into" and this skill comes only with years of
    experience and skill. A modern cutter, on the other hand, might be
    compared to a paint by the numbers artist. If you follow the cutting
    diagram and use the right settings on the index head aboiut the only
    way you can screw up is to under or over cut the facet. I guess the
    analogy might be LOW TECH/ HIGH SKILL, HIGH TECH/LOW SKILL. This is
    not to say that it does not take skill to use a modern faceting
    machine; simply that it takes MORE skill to get a good product from
    a jamb peg machine. 

    When it comes to comparing levels of technology, we mustn't forget
    that in most all technologies there is a strong element of forced
    obsolescence involved. Very often the gizmo that we have been using
    is supplanted with one that does not do anything better than the old
    one. One example is the microwave oven; an oven with a wind up timer
    does a perfectly good job, but we have come to accept that an
    electronic controls component is indispensable.......nonsense! In
    other cases a so-called " new and improved " gizmo is the same
    device as the old , but has an altered appearance........one that is
    more stylish. So what do you do ? You throw away the perfectly
    functional old gizmo and buy a new one that has a better image with
    the same function. 

    Simplicity has its virtues....you'll find that out the first time
    that your automobile computer crashes ! 

Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.

____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________