[Jewelry making - Article 00121] - [Orchid] Educational resources

[jake]

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

    I am writing as a response to a person asking about a school or
    class in their area, as well as to address some other questions. A
    short time ago someone inquired about some rings that were marred
    (safest way to re-polish) after someone had set them. A reply was;
    why didn't he set them himself, as this is something they need to
    learn. The answer, no one ever showed him how. Then there is the
    reoccurring question, "how do I get started." Here is a list of
    resources where you can get some answers. These range from getting
    instructions, formally and otherwise, to stuff for the do it
    yourselfer, and a few others. 

    Precious metal clay: PMC Guild http://www.pmcguild.com

    Society of American Silversmiths: this site has a wealth of
    information, see also, classes both for degrees and certificates,
    they have a list, and those to improve skills, workshop, and shoptalk
    etc. http://www.silversmithing.com

    Society of North American Goldsmiths http://www.snagmetalsmith.org

    Jewelry Trade Schools - U.S
    http://www.tucsonshowguide.com/links3.cfm 

    Correspondence study: Ashworth University (accredited)
    http://www.pcdi.com/courses/jw 

    The art of diamond cutting http://jewelry.balances.com
    http://www.diamondschool.com/index.html 

    REFERENCE
    http://www.ganoksin.com
    http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/diamonds/sorting.html
    http://www.yourgemologist.com
    http://www.birdamlasu.com/gemology.htm
    http://www.cigem.ca
    http://www.cutstudy.com
    http://awesomegems.com/gemfacts.html
    http://www.gia.edu
    http://www.gemsociety.org

    FIRE AGATE, STUNNING 

    See why Don Clark, president of IGS, likes this stone so much.
    http://fireagate.com
    http://www.bovagems.com/eclectic/HTML/19980901_9809FIREAG.html 

    BASIC SIVERSMITHING 
    You may be surprised at how little with careful shopping and some
    imagination you can get by with. The second link is a list of the
    minimal amount of tools needed. The purpose of this is of course to
    buy his CD course, some have sworn by it, and have even thought of
    getting one myself, although I have been at it for some time. 

    http://www.silverspiderforge.com/silversmithing.html
    http://silversmithing.homestead.com/MinimumTools.html
    http://silversmithing.homestead.com/3minutesamples.html 

    READING 
    Great articles, http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/home.htm Brief History
    of Heat: Heat treatment of ruby & sapphire
    http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/brief-history-heat.htm Bench Magazine
    http://www.ganoksin.com    
    http://www.bwsimon.com/bench

    FOR THE DO IT YOURSELFERS 
    This fist one is a very interesting site. If nothing else see what's
    in the "business case" (non-lapidary) some of which is quite
    interesting. Dr. Wykoff is a world respected authority, those, if you
    make one will work as advertised, may not be an equivalent for a
    Genie, or John Rolf's latest. However Rolf on building the J2,
    discussed later. "The Base is straightforward, and will be built
    first. If you decide to stop when you are finished with the base, you
    can always build the faceting head and mast assembly later on if you
    want, and buy Wykoff's "Calibrated Jam Peg", and with skill and
    practice, probably turn out better stones than I do, and still be far
    ahead in cost." Instructions on the Calibrated Jam Peg include where
    to get a power base. Or building your own, using parts you can get
    from Harbor Freight etc., that do not require as much skill as the
    Rolf model. (As well, in another CD, plans for making a four-station
    cabbing unit.)
    http://www.thegemconnection.com

    Need a tumbler? 
    http://www.acc.umu.se/~widmark/lwtrumla.html 

    Vibratory tumbler plans (in addition to all kinds of other things).
    See homemade brass tumbler http://www.buildgear.cjb.net/ Flat lap
    grinder plans, cost $ 0.00
    http://www.hisglassworks.com/cart/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=125
    Homemade lapidary equipment http://www.agatehouse.co.uk/lapid1.htm 

    How To Build Lapidary Equipment, plans
    http://www.autodidactics.com/therock.htm 

    Plans to make lapidary equipment, tells you the magazine and date
    etc. of where to find them (in back issues, many can be ordered from
    said magazine, or write, see next PM below.)
    http://www.nleindex.com/index.php?pID=HTDI&sID=BrowseIndex&tID=E/994 

    Popular Mechanics, "Make Your Own Gemstone Faceting Machine,"
    (hobbies) February 1971. The link for downloading this is no longer
    available. However, I wrote to Popular Mechanics, "Yes, they can
    email this address for old articles. However they must identify the
    exact month and date of the issue in which the article appeared. From
    the editor, "I'm sorry, but we no longer keep the separate plans from
    old issues; the only thing we can provide is a copy of the article as
    it appeared in the print magazine." All critical dimensions are
    included (blue print specs.), a parts list etc. are not. (Go to the
    next, gerarloose, building the J2, it will tell you where to get
    those kinds of parts, bearings and gears etc. the bore for where a
    bearing fits etc may have to be slightly changed, anyway as I don't
    think "Boston," the source still exists other parts have to be
    substituted anyway.) The beauty of this is that, it was designed, to
    be built by the "average Joe." Some high schools have classes that
    adults can take, woodworking etc., if one dose and has a metal shop
    anyone with the intelligence shown by people towards getting involved
    in this, jewelry making, can easily build one.
    PopularMechanics AT hearst.com 

    Last but not least are plans to build a Cadillac class faceting
    machine, the J2. http://www.gearloose.com/newgem.html 

    FACETING TIPS 
    http://www.theimage.com/faceting
    http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/gem_designs/article_index.html
    http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/gem_designs/laplap.html 
    Here is a lap that on the US faceting guild list is being raved
    about. http://www.lightninglap.com 

    ONE OTHER 
    This is a super site, if you can't find it here or a link (and do
    visit the links of all) or what is mentioned above, the chance are
    it may not exist. (Great source through the links to materials, i.e.
    dealers.) This person is not selling anything, therefor links to
    books, videos, gems and rough will open to another's site.
    http://www.rockhounds.com
____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________