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E-BENCH <=> <=>
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The E-Mail Newsletter
for Bench Jewelers
January 2006
Volume 7 Issue 01
circulation over 3,900
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3rd
Annual
Bench Jewelers
Conference & Expo
Pre-Conference
Seminar April 27th
The Third Annual Bench Jewelers Conference &
Expo will be held
Pre-Conference Seminar on April 27 in
BIGGER
& BETTER THAN BEFORE
More Exhibitors ~ More
Seminars ~ More Events
This year’s Educational Conference features
Christel Trimborn, Editor in Chief GZ Art +
Design,
publication, Plus many other Outstanding
Seminar Leaders.
The Supplier’s Expo is double the size and
features New Exhibitors and Larger Displays by
many companies.
Enjoy the camaraderie of other jewelers.
Perhaps the most valuable component of the
Conference & Expo is getting the chance to
spend time with people just like you who love
to make jewelry!
EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE MARCH 15th
For More Information & to Register log onto:
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=>
<=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly newsletter for Retail
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BENCH
VISION
A Video Magazine for
Bench Jewelers on DVD
Each quarterly issue contains 1 hour of video
training including: Stone Setting,
Jewelry
Repair, and Custom Jewelry
Manufacturing. Plus
Bench Tips, Bench Visits, and New Product
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<=>
<=> <=> TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=>
<=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
From Alan Revere
SIZE MATTERS: In Bench Work, Bigger is Better!
A maxim of jewelry work is to use the largest
tool for the job. The idea is to provide the
greatest surface contact for the greatest
control. If you want to file the side of a
ring very flat, you should choose a file that
is wider than the ring, rather than narrower.
With the larger file, each pass takes away the
entire surface.
That seems obvious, but the theory has further
applications. If you are using a sanding drum
(or any kind of bur) on a flex-shaft to smooth
out a surface, select the wheel with the
largest diameter; a larger diameter tends to
leave fewer dips and gouges. In addition, a
wheel with a larger width will cover a broader
area.
Both characteristics are desirable.
When using hammers, select a larger face rather
than a smaller one, whether forging,
planishing, or chasing. This moves more metal
and leaves a smoother surface
texture.
Rolling mills are definitely a tool where size
matters. Rolls with a larger diameter have
more surface contact and leave sheets flatter.
(The drawback is they cost more, too!)
Even torches and flames should be larger than
necessary whenever possible. Whether you are
melting in a crucible or soldering a seam,
there is nothing more frustrating than not
having enough heat and sitting there waiting
and waiting for everything to get hot as the
flux burns away. A larger torch produces more
heat and gets the job done quicker, which is
critical.
This tip is from 101 Bench Tips for Jewelers
written by Alan Revere and published
by
MJSA/AJM Press.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
There is one quality that one must possess to
win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the
knowledge of what one wants, and a burning
desire to possess it.
Napoleon Hill
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JewelersTraining.com is the first and finest On
Demand Jewelry Video Training Website.
JewelersTraining.com is designed by Jewelers
for Jewelers. Our mission is to provide
jewelers with the best online jewelry
education
with On Demand Videos and other
training
resources.
Log onto JewelersTraining.com Today and sign-up
for our free educational newsletter.
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<=>
<=> <=> COLORED STONES <=>
<=> <=>
Learn all about handling colored stones from
gemstone cutter
AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine is the blue to greenish-blue variety
of the mineral beryl. It can range from a very
pale blue to fairly intense blue or greenish
blue. Aquamarine is almost always heat
treated, sometimes at the mine site, but
usually after cutting, to drive off the
greenish or yellowish component, leaving a more
pure, and popular, blue hue. This has been
done for so long now that younger buyers often
do not associate the natural greenish-blue
color with aquamarine! However, the unheated
material is always sought after by cutters as
it is highly regarded by gem connoisseurs and
fine jewelers.
aquamarine, and it is also found in many
locations around the world, including North
material, a rather intense pure blue similar to
after its Brazilian location), has long
disappeared from the marketplace, and the
finest source of high grade aquamarine today is
Maria Afrique, and the very limited supply has
doubled in price in the past few
months.
Three to ten carat top Brazilian goods range
from $100 to $600 per carat, depending on
intensity of color, while fine cut
Afrique ranges easily to $1000 per carat. No
price differential is seen between heat-treated
and natural gems. Aquamarine, along with
tourmaline and spinel, has become one of the
fastest appreciating gems in terms of
cost.
The hardness of aquamarine is usually reported
as 7.5 to 8, but some gems have been tested and
shown to be less than 7, so some caution is
advised. Aquamarine is not especially brittle,
but heat should be avoided. The stone itself
is not particularly heat sensitive, but it may
contain invisible liquid-filled inclusions
which, when heated, turn to gas as they expand,
and can shatter a stone. If heated much hotter
than 450 degrees Centigrade, aquamarine is
likely to turn chalky white or colorless. The
ultrasonic is safe if you use caution not to
plunge the stone from room temperature to
boiling. Pickle presents no problems, but the
stone should be allowed to cool
first.
The Russians have been successful in creating
synthetic aquamarine. As the price for darker
natural aquamarine continues to skyrocket, we
can expect to see more of this material in the
marketplace, although the price of the
synthetic keeps it in the luxury synthetic
class. I see prices from $30 per carat for
poorly cut, big-bellied material with windows
to $80 per carat for properly cut, brilliant
goods in 3-7 carat sizes. The synthetic is
generally very clean and therefore heat
resistant to 700 degrees Centigrade or so, but
you will purify the color at around 500
degrees. So, avoid direct torch, but otherwise
treat it the same as natural.
You can contact
wayne_emery@msn.com
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds
confidence and courage. If you want to conquer
fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go
out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie
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<=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=>
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United Precious
Metal Refining
United is a full service refiner for Gold,
Silver, Platinum, & Palladium. We specialize
in Refining for the jewelry Industry,
processing everything from sweeps to
karat
scrap.
Technical assistance on all phases of
manufacturing and jewelry casting is
only a
phone call away. Call us today at
1-800-999-3463 or visit us online at
United Precious
Metal Refining
Simply the Best
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<=> <=> Tips & Tricks from
3M Wet or Dry Tri-M-Ite Polishing Papers, which
are available from most jewelry industry tool
suppliers are my personal favorite for
finishing platinum. These polishing papers
come in six different grits ranging from 400 to
8,000 which are ideally suited for preparing
platinum for polishing using up to the 1200
grit, or using all the way up to the 8,000 and
polishing your platinum jewelry without any
polishing compounds. The following bench made
tools help in making it easier to use these
polishing papers.
Sanding Stick
Using a paper cutter, cut the 3M polishing
papers into 1 inch strips 12 inches long (the
length of the sheets). Stack the strips in
order with the finest grit on the bottom and
the coarsest on top. Place the stack on top of
a wooden paint stirring stick (obtained from
any paint or hardware store) with half the
length extending past the end of the stick.
Using a stapler, fasten the end of the stack of
polishing papers to the stick. You may need to
cut off the end of the paint stick before
applying the stack of polishing papers if it is
extra long. Fold the loose ends of the
polishing papers over the end and down the back
side of the paint stick.
To use the sanding stick hold it, using your
index finger to hold the loose ends down
tightly, and sand using the side of the stick
that is stapled down. When you have finished
with the coarsest grit fold it down out of the
way exposing the next grit paper and begin
using that one. Continue in this manner until
you reach the desired finish on your platinum.
When the papers are worn out on the stapled
side, remove the staple holding the papers and
turn the papers around. Re-staple the good end
of the papers to the paint stick and wrap the
worn out section over the end to be held by
your index finger.
This sanding stick is useful for sanding any
flat surface or the outside of curved
sections.
Sanding Drums.
Using a paper cutter cut the 3M polishing
papers into strips one half inch wide and 6 to
8 inches long. Tape one end of the strip to
the rubber drum of a 1/2 inch rubber sanding
drum mandrel made to use in your flex-shaft.
Wrap the remainder of the strip around the
rubber drum. Use a different rubber sanding
drum for each of the different grits of
polishing papers.
Place the sanding drum in your flex-shaft or
micro-motor to clean and polish the inside of
curves or holes in your platinum jewelry.
Different size strips of polishing papers can
be cut and used on different sizes of rubber
sanding drums for a variety of sanding
applications.
This is particularly useful for cleaning up and
polishing the inside of ring shanks. Using
these sanding drums in your flex-shaft which
can reach or exceed 15,000 RPM or a micro-motor
which can reach 35,000 RPM is much more
efficient than using the inside ring buff on a
polishing motor which only reaches speeds of
3,400 RPM.
You can contact Brad at Brad@BWSimon.com
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as
surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21: 5
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<=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=>
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The
Ganoksin Project
www.ganoksin.com
The Gem and Jewelry Pre-Eminent Online
Resources. Open to the public
Free of
Charge.
A substantial library of articles,
publications, reports, and technical
data on
gem and jewelry related topics; as
well as a
sizable collection of art and jewelry
galleries, for both the casual
visitor and the
professional, also host the popular
Orchid
online forums for jewelers.
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<=> <=> AT THE PLATINUM BENCH <=>
<=>
Tips that make working with Platinum or
working at the bench in general easier- from
Jurgen J. Maerz CMBJ,
Director of Technical Education
for Platinum Guild International
http://www.pgi-platinum-tech.com
Fit and Finished:
Contoured Polishing Wheels
When re-finishing a ring, you often must shape
the silicone wheel so it better matches the
contours of the piece. This can be done in
several ways.
Many jewelers use a file to shape their wheels.
For example, the tip of a round file can be
used to grind a groove into the wheel. This
will then make finishing the ridge of a rim or
the outside of a round prong easier.
You can also use a Mizzy wheel to do the
shaping which is not as costly as using files
(Mizzy wheels cost only pennies apiece). With
the silicone wheel shaped properly, it is easy
to remove marks from contoured
surfaces.
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
Knowledge is power. The more knowledge,
expertise, and connections you have, the easier
it is for you to make a profit at the game of
your choice.
Stuart Wilde
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<=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=>
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MJSA EXPO
Cutting-edge technologies, the latest
equipment, new supplies, in-demand
services,
the finest gemstones in the expanded
AGTA
Pavilion, and a premier selection of
finished
products in the
all at one location:
largest trade show in the
jewelry manufacturing (more than 450
booths),
and a full schedule of technical and
educational seminars as well as live
demonstrations on the show floor,
where
attendees can see the latest
manufacturing
techniques and technologies in action
at no
additional cost.
MJSA Expo
For more information or to register online,
visit www.expo-newyork.com.
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<=> <=> <=>
Gemz from Gerry <=> <=>
<=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
by Gerald N. Lewy
One of the most revolutionary advances in
recent years, apart from laser welding, is the
technique of casting stones in place. It has
allowed many previously impossible designs and
also allowed the jeweller to forge ahead and
create many difficult setting
projects.
I prefer to have more wax holding the stone
than if I were setting the same stone directly
into the gold. Then after cleaning and
polishing the gold there is still adequate
metal to hold the stone securely. Make
absolutely sure the stone is held securely in
wax. You must observe that the wax is over the
girdle, not just against it. If any wax is
over the stone, rest assured this wax will be
gold after the casting.
When placing stones in wax also make sure the
girdles do not touch, as this will lead to a
shattering of the stone during the onrush of
hot gold. As the gold is entering the flask
the sudden rush of gold will disturb the stone
in the investment and jar it a bit loose. The
two stones banging into each other could break
both of them.
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
It was character that got us out of bed,
commitment that moved us into action, and
discipline that enabled us to follow
through.
Zig Zaglar
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<=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=>
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Jewelry Dealers
World Trade Network
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<=> Bench Jeweler
Discussion Channel <=>
Ask questions, share tips, and take part in the
ongoing discussions, or just read and
take in
all the advice from many excellent
jewelers
from around the world.
Membership includes: Topical Discussion
Channels, including
Bench Work, CAD-CAM, Stone Setting, and many
more.
You may buy, sell and trade on the
Buy/Sell Channels, Plus Much More.
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY
FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
CHEMICALS:
How do you learn to respect them?
We are so used to using chemicals as ordinary
materials around us that we don't even notice
them. Even table salt has an MSDS that sounds
pretty grim. Every year people gas themselves
and die because they mix ammonia and bleach to
clean their houses with. You need to remember
that you are surrounded by them. Then there
are the chemicals that are hidden in product
formulations about the house and workshop and
the ones that you deliberately bring in to the
workshop.
As a rule I recommend that one use supermarket
chemicals as much as possible, however they can
be quite evil just as they are. Don't use
industrial strength chemicals unless you are
properly equipped to deal with them in terms of
storage, fume hood and ventilation.
Jewelers use chemicals for cleaning, finishing,
etching, plating, anodizing, pickling, sealing,
enameling, wax working, casting, investing and
so on. And don't forget that metals and their
salts and oxides are also chemicals.
For more information on Workshop safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian log onto:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
All of the top achievers I know are life-long
learners... Looking for new skills, insights,
and ideas. If they're not learning, they are
not growing... not moving toward
excellence.
Denis Waitley
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Southeastern Findings
Southeastern Findings has been a leader in the
wholesale jewelry business for the
past 27
years servicing the Independent
Jeweler. We
are Findings, Diamonds, Wedding
Bands, Jewelry
Boxes, Platinum, Batteries, Tools, and So Much
More.
Call us Today at 1-800-282-8285 or
visit us on
the World Wide Web www.sefindings.com
Namano /
Southeastern Findings
Your Home for
Southern Hospitality
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<=> <=> <=>
FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=>
<=>
Boiling pickle will release a stuck drill bit
in about 45 minutes. However, if one wants to
avoid the smell and possible health hazards
involved in that solution, perhaps the old way
of boiling a little Alum in water would work
better and be safer.
It takes about the same amount of time to do
it. And if you just leave it in the Pyrex jar
and it dries out you only have to add water to
the crystals there with little or no health
risk involved.
Paul Rex
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
If you have a tip you would like to share with
our readers send it in an e-mail to
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and
five minutes to ruin it. If you think about
that, you'll do things differently.
Warren Buffett
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<=>
<=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=>
<=> <=>
DESIGNER DAY
THE
March 12-14
Co-sponsored by
Jewelers Resource Bureau, Designer Day is held
one day prior to
the opportunity to receive advice
from renowned
designers and industry experts.
New this year, the
buyers training, laser technology,
casting,
marketing and branding, and much
more. It will
also feature Thinking Ahead: The
CAD/CAM
Experience, a part of the
Initiative. This three-hour-long interactive
presentation will offer insights into
how you
can profit from the power of CAD/CAM
technology. And MJSA At the
Bench Live
seminar series will feature tips,
tricks, and
the latest bench techniques from
experts such
as
Alan Revere, Bradney Simon, and Kate Wolf.
For more information or to register, visit
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<=> <=> Thank You for
We are on the World Wide Web.
Visit us at http://www.BWSimon.com
A complete archive of back issues of E-BENCH is
located there.
Visit often, as we will be making changes to
our site, adding additional useful
information
for bench jewelers.
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INFORMATION <=> <=>
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Information provided in this document is
provided As Is without warranty of
any kind,
either expressed or implied. This publication
is designed to provide accurate and
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or other professional services. If legal
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the services of a competent
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For editorial suggestions, comments, ideas
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