[Jewelry making - Article 00904] - Re: [Orchid] Wearing your jewelry creations

[David Phelps]

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>     So I'm wondering, for those who don't particularly like jewellery,
>     how did you come to making jewellery for a career? 

    Like Neil, I didn't really choose jewelry, jewelry chose me. My Dad
    was a goldsmith/silversmith/engraver and I spent my high school
    summers (early seventies) working with him in a tent banging silver
    wire into jewelry and playing around with hand engraving in the
    mountains of New Hampshire, but I really wanted to be a pilot. I went
    to college majoring in Aviation Administration and got my private and
    commercial ratings and then ran out of money. I joined the Army and
    went to Flight School and became a Cavalry Officer and Cobra pilot,
    my dream job. After seven years active duty, my next assignment was
    to attend the first class of Apache Transition school, then
    turn-around Apache Instructor Pilot school and then three or four
    years in Germany or Korea. My son was to start kindergarten soon, and
    I wanted him to go to one school and not have to change schools every
    couple of years, so I left active duty and went into the Reserve. The
    military is not a very family friendly career if you value family
    life, as I do. I soon found out that commercial aviation (oil rig
    service) or flying for the DEA was really no better (two weeks on,
    two weeks off), the airlines weren't really interested in helicopter
    pilots and my wife had no interest in moving to Alaska where I could
    fly bush, so I went back to work for Dad. One of his goldsmith's
    mother was sick so he left to go back home and be with his family,
    leaving a pile of repairs to be done. I sat down and started doing
    them and just never stopped.

    Since then, I have found that I have a knack for it, and that I
    enjoy working the bench far more than I thought I would. Dad retired,
    my brother bought his retail store in Florida, and now I own a retail
    custom shop in NC. I find it to be the culmination of all of my
    life's experiences. The training the military gave me - attention to
    detail, self-discipline ("pain is temporary, defeat is forever"), the
    value of a minute (a lot can happen in a minute) and management
    experience coupled with the art and engineering electives I took in
    college and the priceless education I got from helping my Dad grow
    his business from a tent to a thriving retail custom store have all
    come together to help me create what truly is my dream job. 

    To the original topic, the jewelry I wear. I wear a plain 4mm half
    round 14K wedding band that my wife gave to me more than thirty years
    ago and an original 1967 Omega Speedmaster "Moon Watch" that she gave
    me more than twenty years ago (she traded about six months worth of
    pearl stringing for it), and that's it. I also have a small watch
    collection, old Bulova's, Omega's, etc, but nothing really
    spectacular. My Dad made a ring for me as a Flight School graduation
    gift that has hand-made miniaturized Army Aviator Wings incorporated
    into the top, but I only wear it occasionally. My wife on the other
    hand, finds it necessary to "test drive" virtually everything that I
    or my son make, and if she had her way, the store would be her own
    private giant jewelry box and we would never sell a thing. She does
    the bead and pearl work and most definitely wears her creations. My
    son has moved well beyond being a mere apprentice and has developed a
    style all his own and wears even less jewelry than I do. Our little
    Pomeranian, "Teuce", models pendants and necklaces (good enough for
    the Hope Diamond, good enough for me) and is very photogenic - she
    loves to wear jewelry and pose for the camera. She was originally our
    Chief of Security but a customer that happens to be a pet
    psychiatrist told us it was too much pressure for her and was making
    her uneasy. She is, after all, only a little dog. I couldn't live
    with that on my conscience, so I promoted her to the Head of the
    Jewelry Modeling Department and Official Store Greeter. She likes
    that much better. 

Dave
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