[Jewelry making - Article 00933] - Re: [Orchid] Definition of Master Jeweller

[James Miller]

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Hi all, this is James Miller.  

    I have had a number of emails asking for details on how I made my
    masterpiece as shown here: 

    http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/NAGbadge.jpg

    Many of the enquiries assume that I made the figures in wax and then
    cast them. This is not true, each figure on the crest was fabricated
    from silver sheet and hand carved to shape before textures were
    added by chasing methods, NONE of this badge is the product of any
    casting methods. As this was my end of apprenticeship masterpiece it
    had to show all of the techniques of manufacture that I had learned.
    These techniques were as follows. Following a design and deciding how
    to manufacture the badge, each section was made seperately and the
    whole piece was assembled when finished using small hand made screws
    and threads. First was the drawing of the design sections onto sheet
    before outlining the drawings by hand engraving them, then hand
    piercing ( my speciality ), followed by hammering the sections into
    shape where needed then chasing and texturing the shapes, and finally
    polishing, colouring and gilding. To cap it all I made the interior
    fittings to the presentation case as well. When finished the badge
    weighed three ounces. If anyone is interested take a look at page 14
    on the Ganoksin "Bench Exchange" section and there you will find a
    photo of me, as an apprentice actually making the masterpiece
    badge/crest. The badge design was a design drawn up for a badge of
    office for the National Association of Goldsmiths, this design was
    not accepted so it was given to me as my masterpiec project. The
    designer was Mr. Theodore Wise, who was a Master hand engraver, who's
    workshop was one floor above our workshop, as an apprentice I used to
    visit his workshop every day, because I used to do Hand saw piercing
    for him as a sideline. 

Peace and good health to all
James Miller, and if anyone is interested here are my official titles,
Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
Freeman of the City of London
Fellow of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths
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