[Jewelry making - Article 00537] - Re: [Orchid] UK Orchidians

[Mike Kersley]

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    In reply to Anne Hollerbach's recent mail:
    http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive/200502/msg00379.htm 

    Anne 

    As a UK Orchidian and a mature student at John Cass College I feel
    that I have to respond to your mail as I did not recognise our
    college from your description. 

    In addition to the spring /summer recess courses that you were part
    of, John Cass, now part of the London Metropolitan University, has
    full and part-time courses in silversmithing small and large work,
    engraving, diamond mounting, fine jewellery, jewellery design and
    presentation, and enamelling.  The courses are designed to meet the
    various student needs; some are degree based courses with students
    coming from all parts of the world and probably stress the design
    and development skills above the practical manufacturing skills: 
    other coursed based on the City&Guilds syllabuses stress the
    practical skills required to design and produce bespoke items to
    customer requirements and were originally conceived to give the
    artisans a recognised qualification - four study years, one day a
    week per subject. All courses at John Cass apart from the short
    recess based ones are examination courses and include design, theory
    and practical skills as measurable elements. 

    John Cass is a fully equipped facility with an outstanding library
    that not only includes a vast range of books and videos but has a
    reading room with relevant current journals from all parts of the
    world.  The library is in the Commercial Road campus, just five
    minutes walk from Central House where you would have been based. You
    should visit it next time you come to the college, I am certain that
    you will be pleasantly surprised 

    In addition the notes issued to both full and part-time student when
    they start refer to the Orchid website as a good source of
    information along with a list of recommended books. 

    So no excuses for John Cass students; they should be aware that in
    addition to the UK jewellery suppliers there are some excellent
    suppliers within both North America and Europe.  Karl Fischer in
    Pforzheim, Germany is a particular favourite of mine for tools as
    they always seem to despatch on the day they receive the order and
    never seem to have a back-order situation.  In addition the college
    is only 10 minute by the metro from the Hatton Garden, a centre for
    jewellery manufacture for 500 years.  You can get most common tools
    and sub-contract services there. 

    So where do I get my tools and materials from: items made in the
    North America are normally less expensive from North American based
    suppliers, items manufactured in the UK or Europe are normally less
    expensive from Fischers or if its matter of convenience ten minutes
    by metro to Hatton Garden. 

    In response to your comment regarding those who teach at John Cass. 
    Yes some of them are mature but then you wouldn't want to be
    instructed by someone with limited experience.  The college has a
    high standard and only select from the most experienced.  As to the
    mix between male and female staff, both enamelling tutors are female
    and so is the engraving tutor -all of whom are excellent. 

    As to flux and fire scale: yes the college normally provides borax
    cones as they are cheaper than most powder or liquid fluxes.  Most
    of the more experienced students have a range of powder and liquid
    flux and sometimes use them in cocktails to get the best results. 
    Powder fluxes easily make paste using either plain water, water with
    added non-ionic surfactants [dishwasher rinse aid] or denatured
    alcohol.  An excellent fire scale preventative called Argo-tect is
    available and I understand that John Cass developed in association
    with Goldsmiths Hall an equivalent to the much mentioned Pripps that
    you can mix yourself and spray on. 

    Do we share information, do we make our own tools and do we try new
    innovative methods?  Yes of course we do but you have to start from
    the basis of one good method before you can go on to discover your
    own particular ways. 

    Do jewellers, silversmith and enamellers feel isolated in the UK? 
    Yes I have to agree that those who are not fortunate enough to have
    access to facilities such as John Cass have to rely on the various
    guilds and associations that cover the UK and that is why websites
    such as Orchid are so important.  Is this any different in the North
    America? 

    As with all things in life, if we want to succeed we must
    communicate - long live Orchid. 

Mike Kersley
Hertfordshire. UK

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