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<=> <=> <=> <=> E-BENCH <=> <=> <=> <=>
The E-Mail Newsletter for Bench Jewelers
December 2007
Volume 8 Issue 12 circulation
over 5,000
WATCH FOR NEW FORMAT NEXT MONTH
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CALL FOR ENTRIES
The fourth
annual Bench Jewelers Passion Award
Design
Competition will be held in conjunction
with the Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo April
24 – 27
in
photographs of finished jewelry or CAD
renderings are to be submitted over the
Internet. Jewelers may enter one piece per
category in up to three categories in each
Division.
Deadline
for submissions is
http://www.bwsimon.com/DesignContest/
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<=> <=> ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER <=> <=>
E-BENCH is a FREE monthly
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Jewelers and anyone
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daniel@spirerjewelers.com
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
5th Annual
Bench Jewelers Conference & Expo
For
More Information & to Register log onto:
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<=> <=> <=> TIPS FOR JEWELERS <=> <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Who Do
Repairs
From Alan Revere
THE
ADVANTAGES OF NAIL FILES
Here
is the greatest deal for bench jewelers.
Go
out and get a sapphire nail file off the
rack in
the cosmetics section of your
neighborhood supermarket. For around a dollar,
these incredibly handy little files can really
save the day—and shorten long nights at the
bench.
With
a Mohs hardness of 9, these ultra-thin and
flat files cut all materials (except the
hardest gems), and they can be easily modified
by grinding to a desired shape. You need a
small,
thin file to get into a tight slot, or
to clean up a casting, or to true up a gallery?
Just
start with a sapphire nail file and, if it
is too
big, trim it down to meet your needs.
You
can easily reshape it on a regular grinding
wheel,
so long as you keep it wet and cool.
Or
maybe you just cut a ring to size it down,
but now
the ends do not meet flush? No
problem;
just slip a nail file into the seam.
After
a few pulls and pushes, the two faces are
flat and ready to be soldered.
Sapphire
files leave a very interesting,
although somewhat delicate, texture: Just rub
the flat side of the file against a surface in
circular patterns. When you think about it,
that dollar may be one of the best investments
you ever made—and, on top of everything else
you can
even use it on your nails!
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 <=> <=>
To
accomplish great things, we must not only
act,
but also dream. Not only plan, but
believe.
Anatole
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
For over 60 years,
jewelry supplier, has provided quality
products, unsurpassed selection and legendary
service to help professional jewelers succeed.
* Gems & Findings division
offers finished
jewelry, findings and gemstones
* Display & Packaging
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* Tools division offers
equipment and supplies
Call us at 1-800-545-6566 or
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<=> <=> <=> COLORED STONES <=> <=> <=>
Learn all About Handling
Colored Stones
from Gemstone Cutter
GARNET GROUP
When you hear the term
rhodolite, hessonite,
spessartite (or spessartine), almandine,
tsavorite, pyrope, uvarovite, grossular,
andradite or demantoid, think of garnet.
The garnets represent a group
of minerals,
meaning that while the crystalline structure is
all the same or very similar, the actual
elements making up the mineral may differ. For
those of you chemically inclined, the garnets
are represented by a range of minerals that can
be loosely described as iron/magnesium alumino-
silicates, all of which happen to crystallize
in the cubic, or isometric, system.
For the rest of us, just know that
the term
garnet is a handy term used to describe a
number of minerals that crystallize the same
way and have the same general physical and
optical properties. In
practical terms, it
means we should treat them all in a similar
fashion, because regardless of the chemical
details, they have similar handling properties.
All the garnets tend to be
somewhat brittle.
Even though they are quite hard
(6.5 to 7.5
Mohs scale), their brittleness
means they are
fairly easy to chip. They
are also heat
sensitive, meaning no sudden boiling-hot
ultrasonic or dunking of hot pieces in the
pickle. Let the piece you
have worked on cool
before pickling. Steam
cleaning is OUT!
I still can recall the sick
feeling of having a
bench person destroy a beautiful 17 ct. custom
cut fuchsia rhodolite. This was a rare light
colored gem and truly magnificent. The jeweler
placed it under the nozzle of the steamer and
it instantly shattered, gone forever. After
thirty years, I still have not seen its equal
or found the rough to make one like it. Do not
get a nice garnet you can not replace near the
steamer!
You can contact
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
But
one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind
and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal.
Philippians
3: 13
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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
retipping be certain to completely coat
the diamond with boric acid. Diamonds burn
at
a temperature around 1560 degrees Fahrenheit.
This
is near the temperature at which solder
melts. In order to burn stones you need two
things,
heat AND OXYGEN. The glassy coating of
boric acid seals out oxygen allowing you to
heat above this temperature without burning the
diamond.
The
lowest Platinum solder (1000) melts at over
1800 degrees Fahrenheit. PLATINUM
SOLDERS
SHOULD
NEVER BE USED TO RETIP DIRECTLY ON
DIAMONDS.
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
It is
one of the most beautiful compensations
of this
life, that no man can sincerely try to
help another without helping himself.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson
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<=> <=> <=> E-BENCH SPONSOR <=> <=> <=>
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
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United Precious Metal Refining
Simply the Best
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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
PLATINUM - Durability vs. Scratching
One of the most frequently asked questions
about platinum concerns
scratching. It seems
the consumer equates
durability with scratch
resistance and
is then disappointed when the
platinum jewelry scratches and
shows signs of
wear. Let me say that all metal scratches.
From the finest steel to the finest platinum!
There is a major difference between durability
and scratch resistance. Platinum is very
durable. When scratched, the scratch actually
displaces the metal, leaving
ridges on the
edges of the scratch. This is where durability
comes in. Whereas other precious metals, if
scratched, lose metal, and
thus wear down,
platinum does so at a much slower
rate. This
is why finishes on other
precious jewelry wear
off, prongs wear down and
the rings actually
become thinner and may even
wear through with
time. Because many gold products, white or
otherwise, are plated, and
plating is creating
a hard skin, they seem to
have more scratch
resistance than
platinum. But soon the plating
wears off and the material
scratches in daily
wear.
With platinum, this is a different story. Many
pieces from the turn of the
century have
engravings that
look like new, beads that hold
stones appear to be just made
and the overall
signs of wear seem insignificant
on platinum
jewelry. A platinum wedding band will last a
life time.
As platinum scratches, it will develop a
patina-like appearance that will last. This is
the reason why many
designers prefer satin
finishes, brushed and sand-blast
finishes over
the bright polished look.
Polished platinum, especially the iridium
alloys, will display a bright
natural white
color. In spite of daily wear and scratching,
this finish will endure for a
long time.
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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
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Setting, and many
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Buy/Sell Channels, Plus Much
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
If we
did all the things we were capable of
doing we would literally astound ourselves.
Thomas
Edison
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<=> <=> TAKE-IN NOT TAKEN <=> <=>
Tips for Jewelers Taking In
Jewelry at the
Repair Counter.
Proper Take-In Procedures Help Everyone!
Prong retipping is probably the
most under-
recommended repair, and one of the most
important. Whenever you
take-in jewelry with
stones, examine the prongs, and if they are
thin, broken, or missing, recommend retipping
in addition to the other repairs.
When taking-in jewelry for
re-tipping, do not
just write retip prongs. Be specific – state
how many and which ones.
Make a simple sketch of the
jewelry with the
prongs marked that need to be retipped. Draw a
sketch of circles for the stones and a line for
the prongs that need to be retipped. Do not
draw any prongs that do not need work
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Southeastern Findings
Southeastern Findings has been
a leader in the
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are Findings, Diamonds, Wedding Bands, Jewelry
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Call us Today at 1-800-282-8285 or visit us on
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Your Home for Southern Hospitality
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<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
Do not put it down, put it away
Kathy Peel
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<=> <=> WORKSHOP SAFETY FOR JEWELERS <=> <=>
Workshop Safety Tips From
HYGIENE:
Wash Your Hands
We
use our hands so much in the jewelry shop
that they get exposed to all kinds of
chemicals, metals and dusts; quite apart from
the physical stresses on them. It is very
important to develop a hand washing habit to
reduce contamination of yourself (mouth
touching,
eating etc.). Regular hand washing
and washing them thoroughly before leaving as
part of
your shutting down the shop ritual can
help reduce your overall exposure
significantly. Use a mild soap. Many people
also use hand lotions of various kinds after
rinsing.
Some
people use a barrier cream before starting
the day
in the shop. It does however seem to
wear off during the day. There is also some
slight concern that an oily barrier cream can
sometimes form a paste with materials that
actually keeps the skin exposed longer than if
one were not to use one.
For more information on
Workshop safety from
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/safety.htm
((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))
<=> <=> QUOTE WORTH RE-QUOTING <=> <=>
A man is not idle because he is absorbed in
thought. There is a visible labor and there is
an invisible labor.
Victor Hugo
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Bench Jewelers Television Network
A Complete Television Network
Exclusively For
Bench Jewelers Broadcasted Over
the Internet
www.BenchTelevision.com
Tips, Tricks, Tools, Techniques, and
Technology, it is all here. Everything
you need to become
a better Bench Jeweler
Bench Jewelers Television Network is produced
BY Bench Jewelers FOR Bench Jewelers
We Know and Understand Your Needs and Concerns
For details go to:
www.BenchTelevision.com
This innovative educational
initiative provides
jewelers with a comprehensive source of in-
depth information and suppliers with unique
advertising opportunities never before seen
in the jewelry industry.
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Visit often, as we will be
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