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The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
February 2006
Volume 7 Issue 02 circulation over 4,000
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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
The Educational Conference this
year features
Christel
Trimborn, Editor in Chief GZ Art +
Design, the leading jewelry design
publication
in
Leaders.
The Suppliers 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 IS MARCH
15th
For More Information & to
Register log onto:
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=>
<=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly
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Jewelry Store Owners, Shop
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<=> <=> <=>
TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
<=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
From Alan Revere
A FILE-SAFE PLAN:
Modifying Files for Working Near Stones
Most flat and square files—both
large hand
files and
small needle files—have cutting
surfaces
on all four sides and edges. The
sharp
edges are great if you want to carve a
90 degree groove into a piece of
metal, but
then can
be problematic for certain
applications,
such as finishing a bezel
setting. If you want to clean up the top of a
setting,
a file with sharp cutting surfaces and
edges all
around will put the stone in danger.
However, with a little effort, you
can modify a
file that
will allow you to play it safe.
First, prepare a safe surface on
the one side
of a
fine-cut (#4 or #6) square needle file.
(Note: You can also use the
following steps to
modify
barrette needle files, which are great
for
finishing prongs.) To do this, carefully
lay one
side of the file against the spinning
wheel of
a bench grinder and draw it across,
removing
the abrasive cuts on that side of the
file. Repeat until the cuts are completely
removed.
After rough grinding, take the
file to an oiled
sharpening
stone—the kind you use to sharpen
gravers,
drill bits, blades, etc. Hold the
file flat
against the stone and rub it back and
forth to
smooth the new surface and remove
marks
left by grinding. When the surface is
smooth,
knock the cuts off the edges on both
sides of
the newly cleaned surface.
With all remnants of the original
cuts removed,
use
progressively finer grits of abrasive paper
to bring
the surface and adjacent edges to a
polish. Begin with 220 grit paper held against
a flat
surface. Proceed to 320, 400 and 600
grit. Finish up with 4/0 polishing paper. The
file
should shine on one side.
And with that, you have a file
that is safe for
finishing
bezels and prongs. Keeping in mind
that all
stones can be damaged by abrasion,
place the
safe surface very lightly against the
stone and
file the setting to perfection.
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 <=>
<=>
Teach this triple truth to all: A
generous
heart,
kind speech, and a life of service and
compassion
are the things, which renew
humanity.
Buddha
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<=> <=> <=>
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<=>
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United is a full service refiner
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<=> <=> <=>
COLORED STONES <=> <=>
<=>
Learn all about handling colored stones
from
gemstone cutter
CITRINE
Citrine is the yellow variety of
quartz. The
color
actually ranges from a very pale yellow
through
the yellow-orange to orange color of
the best
reddish-oranges
of
of what
is called oxblood citrine by many.
Many jewelers do not hold citrine
in
exceptionally
high regard, but the darker
yellow
and bright orange material is not easy
to find
and seldom seen. When cut to proper
angles
and polished properly, it is stunning
and
creates beautiful and affordable jewelry.
While citrine does occur naturally
on occasion,
most of
it is the result of purposely heating
amethyst. Many bench jewelers have had the
unpleasant
experience of getting the torch too
close to
an amethyst or citrine and winding up
with
colorless quartz and a very unhappy
customer. I know it worked for me! Once done,
it is
done, so watch the heat around citrine
and
amethyst. Barring sudden temperature
changes,
neither the ultrasonic or pickle
should
present a problem.
Yellow citrine ranges from a very
few dollars a
carat for
native cut, light toned stones to
about $70
per carat as it approaches orange and
is custom
cut and polished.
orange
material ranges from about $20 per carat
to $80
carat for custom cut stones, although
this
material is increasingly difficult to
find,
because the amethyst required to produce
it brings
high prices in the custom cut market.
Both the Russians and Japanese
produce large
amounts
of synthetic citrine for the gemstone
market. Actually, they produce amethyst, and
heat treat
the material just the same as if it
were
natural. Because the material IS
amethyst,
it responds by turning some color of
yellow to
yellow-orange to reddish-brown. Just
as with
amethyst, lab grown citrine is
available
for anywhere from a few dollars per
carat for
yellow, native cut goods to upwards
of
$70-100 per carat for precision or concave
cut
stones, where one is essentially paying the
labor
charge of a highly skilled artisan.
The synthetic material is fairly
heat
resistant,
but can be changed to colorless
material
by overheating, and it will crack if
suddenly
quenched. The ultrasonic can be
safely
used, and pickle has no effect on the
quartz
family.
You can contact
wayne_emery@msn.com
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Aristotle
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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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<=> <=>
Tips & Tricks from
When I began in the jewelry
industry in the mid
1970s we used a mixture of
sulfuric acid and
water for
our pickle. This mixture is a
fantastic
pickle solution; however, if you
splashed
any on cloth, it would deteriorate the
fibers of
the cloth and any vigorous rubbing or
washing
of the cloth would produce holes in the
fabric. Towels, cloth aprons, and even your
clothes
were vulnerable to the pickle solution.
One night after we were first
married, I came
home from
work to a dimly lit house with a
candle
lit romantic dinner on the table. My
wife
greeted me saying that she knew this would
not make
up for it, but she hoped that I would
forgive
her because she had ruined my new work
clothes. She did not know what she did, but
somehow
while washing my clothes she caused a
bunch of
little holes all over them.
I enjoyed the evening, and waited
until morning
to
explain the real reason for the holes.
I have since stopped using pickle
in my shop
all
together. Lets
face it. For those of us
who work
mostly in gold and coat the jewelry
with
Boric Acid or some other fire coat, there
is no
oxidation on the jewelry from the
soldering
process (or at least there should not
be
any). The only reason to pickle the
jewelry
is to
remove the boric acid and other flux.
That is easily done in a detergent
solution and
we do not
have to subject the jewelry to the
harsh
chemicals of Sparex or whatever pickle
solution
you use.
I keep a small container on my
bench of water
mixed
with the same cleaning solution I use in
my ultrasonic
cleaner only I mix it a little
stronger. When the jewelry has cooled after
soldering,
I place the jewelry in this
container
to remove the boric acid coating and
fluxes.
You can contact Brad at
Brad@BWSimon.com
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
He who walks with wise men will be
wise, but
the
companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 13:20
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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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<=> <=> 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
TAKE YOUR PICK
Polishing Tiny Areas
To polish hard-to-reach areas,
sometimes the
simplest
objects can be helpful. For example,
a wooden
toothpick can be easily transformed
into a
handy polishing tool. Simply break a
toothpick
in half and charge it with polishing
compound,
then insert the broken end into a
flex-shaft. You can now reach into especially
tight
areas. The toothpick will conform to the
area as
small amounts of wood are ground away.
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
Look at life through the
windshield, not the
rear-view
mirror.
Byrd Baggett
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http://www.JewelryDealersNetwork.com
<=> 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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<=> <=> <=>
Gemz from Gerry <=>
<=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
by Gerald
N. Lewy
Hand holding your wax is not the
wisest
procedure
to do when setting stones in wax, as
the heat
of the fingers will distort the wax
you are
using. It can bend the shank out of
shape
after a few minutes. I always put my wax
on a
wooden tapered spindle.
To clean out any leftover wax
fragments pick up
a round
bur and while holding it in your
fingers
rotate the bur. Any excess wax in the
seat will
prevent the stone from sitting in its
correct
place. Do not use a flex-shaft for
this
procedure.
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
Reduce your plan to writing... The
moment you
complete
this, you will have definitely given
concrete
form to the intangible desire.
Napoleon Hill
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Southeastern Findings has been a
leader in the
wholesale
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servicing the Independent Jeweler. We
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Boxes, Platinum, Batteries, Tools,
and So Much
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
Quantity, Quality and the
Individual
The quantity of chemical you are
exposed to,
its
concentration and the length of time
exposed, all
influence what the effects of
chemical
exposure are. The individual, their
medical
history, their genes, their health and
habits
also influence what the effects of a
given
chemical or material will have on a
person.
Cancers may be caused by materials
identified
as
carcinogens. In general carcinogens have
no
safe
level of exposure.
Chemical and physical agents in
the workshop
can cause
cancer. Entering any Californian
building
that houses jewelers one is struck by
the
warning notices on all doors: You are
entering
a building containing chemicals known
to the
State of
Frightening, and
true. Like all chemicals
though,
exposure, time and concentration all
contribute
to the risks. You can do a great
deal to
lower your risks in this regard.
Asbestos exposure is at this point
the best
known
cause of occupational cancers and reading
the
monthly occupational health and safety
magazine
death reports it seems to be a really
major
cause of death from job related cancer,
even now,
years after asbestos has been
recognized
and removed from contact with most
of us.
There is some evidence of raised
rates of
stomach
cancer amongst jewelry industry
polishers. Presumably this has to do with
larger
particles being caught in the mucus of
the upper
parts of the lungs and being removed
to the
esophagus by natural clearing
mechanisms,
where the mucus (and contaminant)
is
swallowed.
For more information on Workshop
safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian
log onto:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=>
<=>
The only time you ever have in
which to learn
anything
or see anything or feel anything, or
express
any feeling or emotion, or respond to
an event,
or grow, or heal, is this moment,
because
this is the only moment any of us ever
gets. You
are only here now; you are only alive
in this
moment.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
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<=>
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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
Reviews.
Only $95 per year in the
and Only
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www.BWSimon.com/BenchVision
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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.
<=> <=> SUBSCRIPTION 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
authoritative
information concerning the
subject
matter covered. It is provided with
the
understanding that the author or publisher
is not
engaged in rendering legal, accounting,
or other
professional services. If legal
advice or
other expert assistance is required,
the
services of a competent professional person
should be
sought.
< < < < < <>
> > > > >
For editorial suggestions,
comments, ideas
or
requests, please send an E-Mail to
Bradney
W. Simon mailto: Brad@BWSimon.com
Copyrighted,
2006, BENCH MEDIA.
All rights reserved.
BENCH MEDIA
864 - 680 – 4416
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