[Jewelry making - Article 00263] - Re: [Orchid] How did you break into gold?

[Wayne Louis Werner]

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    when I was a student at a local university metals program i found
    myself working silver and enjoyiing exploring my creativity. however
    when I did get lucky and sold a piece I was always alittle uneasy
    that if i did the math and figured out how much i made an hour it
    was kind of a joke. especially when i did a one of a kind and had to
    figure things out on the fly. my instructor Jon Fix would say' well
    just price it as if you had made it the second time....after working
    out all the kinks.' still i found myself working for very little. I
    was scared to death of paying so much for gold. 

    then something interesting happened. i was working for a guitar
    maker in california for the summer while attending the revere academy
    for some classes. the guitar maker was working on a guitar for Jerry
    Garcia. he only used the best stuff the earth had to offer in terms
    of materials. why? because the guitar had to travel, stay in tune in
    a large arena that was bound to heat up as the night progressed, and
    most of all be an extrordinary work of art. this guitar maker Doug
    Irwin got me a job making 1200 brass pins for the Jerry Garcia band
    tour in the early 90s. he said that if I could make those pieces well
    for 6$ each that the metal Gods would grant me the money to work in
    gold. it is a form of alchemy, transformation of the maker. jumping
    into the fire to be reborn a new. in this case, turning brass into
    gold.

    when I returned to the east coast and back to my university, my
    instuctor was pissed. he said that I could not make that production
    work in the school while other students were around.........so i
    would work from 10pm until 6am for 4 weeks straight in the schools
    studio. I worked my ass off, got the job done and got paid 6$ for
    each of the 1200 pieces....do the math......still working for
    nothing. 

    yes i bought gold with the money that i made. i made one little gold
    vessel with a diamond in the lid for a local show. a lady saw the
    piece and ordered 3 of them. i did the math and discovered that by
    working in gold i increased my earning 10 fold. my back and hands did
    not hurt as much and i fell in love with the material. the other
    posts have already explained why. i felt like other metals just did
    not pay me enought to uses them. gold is worthy of my time. I have
    beem a gold smith ever since. it was like betting on the horses, i
    was the horse, and the bet was large. but the race was alittle fixed
    because people has a percieved value for the material and knew that
    it cost more. 

    my advice...get ahold of some, take your time, know it is worthy of
    the exploration and TAKE THE TRIP. God bless jerry garcia and doug
    irwin because i am still tripp'in from the summer of '91
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