[Jewelry making - Article 00207] - Re: [Orchid] Employment in the Metal arts/Jewelery Field

[John Donivan]

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    There is such a wide variety of craftspeople on Orchid, it's just
    such an amazing place. I have seen, in the photo galleries, also a
    wide variety of craftsmanship. I will make you a (whimsical) bet: if
    you see work that makes you think of Tiffany's or Faberge - very
    fine, very disciplined, very refined, I would bet those people worked
    as "bench" jewelers - a term I've never heard of really except here.
    My file is an extension of my hand, I can saw anything, any way - I
    think of my torch as a hot glue gun, not a torch - "tack, tack, flow,
    warm - done!" It's all second nature. A lady wanted her $25,000 watch
    clasp tightened, and I just picked up a hammer and went "Whack", and
    it was done - second nature. All this comes from being a "bench"
    jeweler. Having someone hand you the $25,000 watch to size to begin
    with comes from being a "bench" jeweler. Anybody who makes a living
    off of jewelry is a professional, but the Trade of jewelry, and Union
    shops, and yes, "bench" jewelers is the Profession of being a
    jeweler. Having a box of job bags with 50 rings each to be filed and
    soldered is incredibly boring, yes, but it teaches you everything
    that's important, trains your hands and eyes, and your co-workers,
    over the years, will teach you everything that means anything. My
    last "bench" was in a shop that had pieces in the DeBeers ads, and
    was a major supplier to Zales-fine work and high standards. Go knock
    on some doors - real shops won't give you "tests", they'll just sit
    you at a bench, give you a job, and watch everything you do - you
    can't hide if you are, or are not qualified. 

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