[Jewelry making - Article 00216] - Re: [Orchid] Technology & Design

[Jeffrey Everett]

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



>>     I have to say that general jewelry making skills plummeted after
>>     the introduction of casting!

>     Umm, I may be wrong on this but I kind of thought the process of
>     casting has been around for about 4000 years.  If you're talking
>     about the process of making rubber molds, that's another story but
>     I'd be hard pressed to say that the Etruscan's jewelry making
>     skills plummeted after the Egyptians tried some casting. 

    IIRC, centrifugal casting was introduced in the 30s, invented by a
    dentist, and this is what I was referring to. I'm not trying to get
    into an argument here. I wasn't talking about rubber molds, although
    that's a very good point. I really don't know when the quality of
    rubber required for jewelry production was introduced... However, the
    difference between hand worked metal and cast jewelry is obvious. One
    just can't do in wax what can be fabricated in metal, and visa versa
    I suppose... More to the point, the training a jeweler goes through
    to develop fine metal working skills is not as common as it used to
    be. Wax carving, and now digital skills as well, have come to the
    forefront. I guess it's the economics today. People would rather buy
    heirloom jewelry for a fraction of what it costs to make today. In
    working for several different shops over the past 33 years, I met
    rather few jewelers who had devoted the years necessary to develop
    the skills more common to jewelers before casting became popular.
    That was my point. For example, I had the great fortune to meet and
    work with some really great old time jewelers, and personally know of
    almost no one now, including me, who even comes close to knowledge
    and skills these gentlemen had. I'm speaking about people like
    Charles (Jack) deLong, one of the finest platinum workers and
    diamonds setters from Granat Bros in SF, who I met in the early 70's
    when he was in his 90s. I'd go over to his house sometimes and he'd
    pull out hand wired bracelets that he'd made from rolled out nickels
    and bead-set with rhinestones that were models for the platinum
    pieces he made in the 20's. He even had me bright cutting rhinestones
    into rolled out nickels. Now that's a task only for the brave! I just
    hope you consider my post in the intended spirit. 

Jeffrey Everett


____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________