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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail Newsletter
for Bench Jewelers
December 2005
Volume 6 Issue 12 circulation over 3,900
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3rd
Annual
Bench Jewelers
Conference & Expo
Pre-Conference
Seminar April 27th
Seminar Descriptions and Registration Pages are
now available On-Line at:
http://www.BWSimon.com/Conference/
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=> <=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly newsletter for Retail
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<=> <=> <=> TABLE OF CONTENTS <=> <=> <=>
REVEREs TIPS FOR JEWELERS
Tips for Jewelers
Who Do Repairs from Alan Revere
COLORED STONES
Learn all about handling Colored Stones from
stone cutter Wayne Emery
FEATURE ARTICLE
Learn how to make your shop more profitable, a
new technique, or brush up on basic skills.
AT THE PLATINUM BENCH
Tips for working on platinum from
Platinum Guild International
FAVORITE TIPS
Tips and Tricks to make your work on the bench
a little easier and more productive from
GERRYs GEMZ
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS
Tips from Charles Lewton-Brian
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BENCH
VISION
A Video Magazine for
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Each quarterly issue contains 1 hour of video
training including: Stone Setting, Jewelry
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<=> <=> REVEREs TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do Repairs
From Alan Revere
THE TINIEST TIP:
USING HYPODERMIC NEEDLES FOR TORCHES
Jewelers use torches for everything from heating metal when casting ingots to soldering jump rings, repairing small chains, and retipping. But no bench torch can do it all, since a flame that can heat 5 ounces of metal will be too large to solder jump rings.
Fortunately, most bench torches can be easily adapted for even the smallest soldering operation. If you want to control a very tiny flame, but your torch tips do not go down small enough in size, try using an old hypodermic needle. These needles come in a range of sizes, and they fit perfectly over many torches, including the Meco Midget.
You can get old needles from a veterinarian as well as tool suppliers, among other sources. To prepare one, use a separating disc to cut off the sharp, tapered end, and then twist a small bur in the end to remove the flashing on the inside. Remove the flashing on the outside as well, using a needle file.
Now just press the plastic end onto the torchs nozzle. Open the gas a bit, light it, and then make fine adjustments with the oxygen and gas until you have a small, well-shaped flame—-one that is perfect for the tiniest soldering job.
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 <=> <=>
Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.
Napoleon Hill
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<=> <=> <=> COLORED STONES <=> <=> <=>
Learn all about handling colored stones from
stone cutter
AMETHYST
Amethyst is the pinkish-violet to purplish- violet variety of quartz. It can range in saturation from the very light pinkish Rose de
overtones of the material from
purple, with a slight grayish or brownish modifier, so familiar in the commercial quality stones from
quantities and in every jewelry store in
While most amethyst in the 5 to 10 carat range wholesales for $15-25 per carat in fine quality and $30-45 per carat in extra fine quality, the vast majority of stones seen in jewelry sell for much less. On the other end of the scale, well-cut goods in top colors easily bring $75 per carat and more, and sell very rapidly to design-oriented studio jewelers.
Amethyst is hardness 7 on the Mohs scale, and considered fairly tough. Gemstones softer than amethyst are considered to be on the soft side. With normal care, amethyst worn in a ring will gradually show signs of wear at the faceted edges, but can be easily repaired or replaced, except in the highest qualities. It has proven to be very durable in pendants and earrings, and really should give the wearer many years of enjoyment if the ring is not worn continuously or for sport activity.
Heat needs to be avoided when working with amethyst. Even slow application of torch heat is likely to convert an amethyst into a citrine and the change is not reversible. Additional heating will turn the stone colorless. Also, some amethyst has been known to fade when placed in a sunny window for long periods (weeks or months) and exposure to the UV rays of a tanning booth can also fade some amethyst. Sudden quenching can shatter any quartz, but the ultrasonic is generally safe. I suggest warming the stone in water first. The pickle will present no problem.
A fine amethyst set in dark rose gold is a real thing of beauty!
Synthetic amethyst is readily available and may now account for over 50% of the stones seen today. The cost of natural, fine-colored amethyst is relatively high compared to what can be obtained for finished gems, especially when considering the loss involved of proper cutting, so if you are seeing dark amethyst at low prices, you can bet it is synthetic. The synthetic material is beautiful and durable, and generally avoids the zoning seen in most natural material. Native cut synthetic material trades for under $10 per carat, while custom cut synthetic will range to about $25-30 per carat in 5 carat stones and larger.
The same handling cautions apply to synthetic amethyst as natural amethyst, because the material IS amethyst.
You can contact
wayne_emery@msn.com
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
Benjamin Franklin
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<=> <=> <=> FEATURE ARTICLE <=> <=> <=>
How much is that Doggie in the Window?
Part 2
Last month we looked at two myths to setting prices on your jewelry repairs. This month we will look at a preferable method to determining what to charge.
Imagine for a moment, that there is no money. You cannot buy anything; you must barter. For example; if you need the oil changed in your car and your mechanic needs a ring sized, you could size his ring in exchange for the oil change in your car. Everybody would be happy – until you drove 3,000 miles and needed another oil change. You return to your mechanic only to find he does not have another ring that needs to be sized. So, you find a window washer who needs a ring sized, and you size his ring. In exchange, he washes your mechanic windows, who in exchange, changes the oil in your car. Once again, everybody is happy, until…
As an alternative to this trading system, man devised money to simplify his life. (I bet you never thought of money as simplifying your life, did you?). You size your window washer ring and in exchange, he pays you an amount of money equivalent to the value of the service you provide. You then go to your mechanic for your oil change and pay him an amount of money equivalent to the value of the service he provides. Your mechanic then goes to your window washer and he has his windows washed and pays him an amount of money equivalent to the value of the service he provides. Once again, everybody is happy. That is of course, as long as everybody has set their prices correctly.
You see the ONLY reason to set a price is to establish the value for the product or service being rendered. Then a fair exchange of your service for their money can be made. And there is only one person who decides what the value of your services are – and it is not you - it is your customer. Your customer decides the value of your services and whether or not it is worth parting with their hard-earned cash in exchange for it.
Pubilius Syrus, a first century Roman writer stated: A thing is worth whatever the buyer will pay for it. Old Pubilius was my kind of guy. He was able to boil down the essence of pricing to 11 words. The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Regulations is a little wordier. Here is an excerpt from Revenue Procedures 66-49. Fair market value is the price at which the property or service would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, if neither one is under any compulsion to buy or sell… Sadly, over the years we have forgotten Pubilius Syrus advice when we set our prices. All we think about is the second part of the Treasury Regulations – the willing seller. How much am I willing to sell my services for? How much does it cost me? How little can I sell it for? Instead we should be asking: How much is MY customer willing to pay for my services?
You see, the ONLY reason a doctor or lawyer can receive more money for their services than most other people, is because their clientele believes their time is more valuable. In order to set your prices correctly you need to find out how much your clientele perceives your time is worth. When you find this out, then you will be able to price your shop services properly. There are a number of methods you can use to find this information including:
ASK
We all have a group of people we feel comfortable discussing business with. Ask them to review your prices. See what they feel is the maximum they would be willing to pay for your services.
SURVEYS
Compile a short survey asking various questions concerning marketing and advertising. Then include questions about prices. For example; What is the maximum you would pay for ___? Add in various repair services such as: sizing a ring, repairing a chain, retipping a prong, and replacing a post on an earring.
LABOR RATE COMPARISON
Many times a customer will come into your store paying you what you charge for a repair. Then, they leave and spend two to three times that per hour to have their electronic equipment, or cars repaired. An excellent method to determine what your customers will spend for your services is to consider what they are spending for labor on similar work to be performed. What is the going labor rate in your area? This is not what the laborers are being paid but what the stores are charging for labor. Some industries to consider include; Accounting, Appliance Repair, Auto Mechanic, Carpentry, Cleaning Services, Commercial Artists, Computer Repair, Electricians, Electronic Repair, Graphic Artists, Plumbing, Lawn Services, and Shoe Repairing.
SERVICE COMPARISON
Another excellent method to use is to compare what your customers willingly pay for other similar services and then price your services correspondingly. Consider such items as: a doctor office visit, an oil change in a car, painting a room in a house, having a book re- bound, filing tax returns, tune-up of a lawnmower, and repairing a toaster. For example, an oil change for your car takes about the same time as sizing a ring. The cost of the oil and filter is about the same as the gold needed for sizing. However, the skill level of the high school kid changing your oil is lower than your goldsmith. Therefore, the oil change has a slightly lower value than the ring sizing, and you can reasonably price your sizing slightly higher than what your customers pay to have their oil changed.
TEST PRICING
To do this, raise the prices on all repairs for a period of time. At the end of the period, raise them again. Gradually raise the price on each item until you receive significant price resistance. When you receive price resistance on an item do not raise that price anymore, but continue to raise prices on the other items. When significant price resistance is received on each item, you have reached the peak market price for your store.
What method you use is not nearly as important as that you find out the information from your customers. The clientele in each store perceives the value of those services differently. Therefore, management in each store must make their own pricing decisions based on their clienteles perceived value of the services they provide from their shop. When you know what value YOUR clientele places on the services you provided, and therefore what prices they would be willing to pay for them, then you will know how much to price that doggie in the window.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
It is not what you are that holds you back, it is what you think you are not.
Denis Waitley
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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
Through a Glass Darkly:
Protecting Your Vision – Without Limits
When soldering and welding platinum you MUST have proper eye protection. The melting temperature of platinum alloys can reach as high as 1,780 degrees C and only #5 safety goggles will do. However, goggles can sometimes limit your vision, which in itself can be a hazard. What is a good solution? Attach a protective lens to your light fixture. Now you can view the work being done behind the lens with full vision, and maximum safety.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.
Ben Stein
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MJSA EXPO
March 12-14, 2006
Cutting-edge technologies, the latest
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all at one location:
largest trade show in the
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MJSA Expo
For more information or to register online,
visit www.expo-newyork.com.
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<=> <=> <=> FAVORITE TIPS <=> <=> <=>
Time spent cleaning the shop is not extra time
you need to find. It is
time you would spend
looking for stones etc. if you did not do the
cleaning. It is just spending
your time
differently. If your bench
and shop are
organized and you clean it regularly it does
not take that much time.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
Workers should always wear an apron in the
shop. This keeps gold from
filing, grinding,
and polishing operations from accumulating in
their clothes and being washed down the drain.
Thin leather with a tanned smooth surface is
best. Cloth aprons, such as
denim, are better
than nothing, but they will accumulate precious
metal down in the fabric. If cloth aprons are
used they should not be washed but sent to the
refiner to be burned and the gold recovered.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
Always use your lap tray to collect metal
filings and save these filings in a container
to send to a refiner. Some
refiners will
supply you with a plastic jar with a screw top
lid for these sweeps. Any
type of container
with a wide mouth top may be used; an old
coffee can with a plastic lid works well.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
A shop vacuum cleaner is a necessity. This
makes clean up easier, and you will then be
more likely to do it more often. This vacuum
is for shop use only, and should never be used
outside of the shop. Save
all bags and send to
the refiner with the polishing waste.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
All broken sawblades should be collected and
not thrown away as fine particles of gold are
caught in the teeth and can be refined. Also
all old emery paper, burs, bristle brushes,
rubber abrasive wheels, anything you use to
sand, grind, or polish gold needs to be saved
with the polishing waste after they are worn
out.
< <
< < < <> > > > > >
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 <=> <=>
The problem with most failing businesses is not that their owners do not know enough about finance, marketing, management, and operations -- they do not, but those things are easy enough to learn -- but that they spend their time and energy defending what they think they know. My experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business are not so because of what they know but because of their insatiable need to know more.
Michael Gerber
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<=> <=> <=> GERRYs GEMZ <=> <=> <=>
Stone setting tips from Gemz Diamond Setting
http://www.gemzdiamondsetting.com/index.html
by Gerald N. Lewy
Modify Your Tools
Even simple tools that are your own can yield new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even the small tool can make a big difference. Never be complacent with what you buy at a tool store. Modify your basic tools at every possible moment. For each tool you buy, two more are lurking on the horizon!
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Manual of Diamond
Setting by Gerry Lewy
This new book and CD set on diamond setting is
geared to the Hobbyist, Student, Beginner,
Intermediate and Advanced Jeweller/Setter. It
is a compendium of 5 years of writing for Bench
Magazine and has over 613 pictures taken during
the setting process. This Manual sell for
$69.95 US Special Price for all E-Bench Readers
is only $54.95 plus Shipping and Handling.
For more information or to order
E-Mail Gerry Lewy at: gemz@ican.net
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
III John 2
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Membership includes: Topical Discussion
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<=>
<=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR
JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From Charles Lewton-Brian
Modeling On Others With The Same Problems
people who have solved the same kinds of problems you have to solve and see if you can adapt some of their ideas and approaches. This means you ask around, do reading, research to find examples you can use. This saves on mistakes. Your answers may lie in another field than metalsmithing. For instance define the problem exhausting fumes generated from brazing, and then figure out who has the same problem. A number of industries do, from electronics to jewelry production. Approaches used in another field may have application to what you are doing.
For more information on Workshop safety from
Charles Lewton-Brian log onto:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
DESIGNER DAY
March 11, 2006
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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