[Jewelry making - Article 00060] - Re: [Orchid] The casting not hand made discussion

[Bruce Holmgrain]

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    I'm not sure that I get it. Why do you guys think that stamping
    handmade in your work will make an impression? 

    I cast ingots and saw and carve shapes into jewelry. As best I can
    see, these are "handmade". Sometimes I will carve a wax to more
    closely get the shape that I need. I will then use this to cast a
    beginning which will be further carved and finished. Does something
    here mean that it isn't hand made? No. What is important is that both
    pieces are original and not reproductions. 

    There is a huge difference between a master and a reproduction and I
    treat them differently. Anyone can do a reproduction from an
    impression. That is what rubber molds are about. 

    If you are thinking that your customers are impressed with the fact
    that your product is handmade, I beg you to reconsider. Hand made
    means $2.00/day in some locales. In over thirty years of building
    jewelry, I have come to believe that very few people really consider
    how their work gets done. They just want it done and expect a good
    job.  Of far more import, is the idea that their particular piece is
    unique. Not everyone wants unique, many are happy with reproductions,
    but individual has meant a lot more to my clients over the years. 

    A little venting is good for the soul from time to time, especially
    when I find out how wrong I am. 

Bruce D. Holmgain
JACMBJ


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