trouble shooting..

Just been asked to continue setting some models for a highly regarded company that have for the past couple of years been done by a talented trained goldsmith who makes/sets & finishes their own.

I sent them back stating the stone size being a fraction too small & therefore cannot be done correctly....

I wonder how many products are out there that could be significantly improved by some slight tweaking by listening to someone who "knows a little better" & wants to help?

Bit like all those "Ramsay" type programs on tv these days.

Very difficult to educate & tell someone they are doing things not quite right even though they somehow manage to get away with things for years.

Can`t bring myself to do work unless it is at least within a certain range of correctness & the amount of borderline cases these days is quite unsettling!

Now it's your word against Old John. Be interested in how they respond Chris. Dennis.

Constructive feedback is useful. Problem is, there's so many people who "know better" who don't - and even if they do, there's many with other agendas, including ego or the opportunity to sell courses.

If you can see clearly, understand what has caused a problem and rectify it that helps. But not if you don't know there's a problem to begin with.

At IJL last year I was looking at some setting work by designers who were very pleased with their efforts that I wouldn't be happy with (and that was by eye from a distance).

I don`t think they see any problem since metal is squashed down & the stones stay in.
Hide all that under some high polish.......

Honestly it`ll take 30 seconds to teach a school kid to be able to do just as good job...no drilling or bearing cutting needed.

Seems abit pointless worrying about learning anything these days if you can get away with whatever.

There is an awful lot of fluff about top quality material & highly skilled workers (which is the true part), using the skills taught to produce top quality product? (another matter)...

Well the conclusion is as I expected, that until retail/consumer make complaint then the technicality has no effect from a business point of view...
Obviously fluff & advertising of a household name brand wins for now.

We`ll have to save the knowledge & skill for when it is actually required then.:)

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Originally Posted by ps_bond

Constructive feedback is useful. Problem is, there's so many people who "know better" who don't - and even if they do, there's many with other agendas, including ego or the opportunity to sell courses.

If you can see clearly, understand what has caused a problem and rectify it that helps. But not if you don't know there's a problem to begin with.

At IJL last year I was looking at some setting work by designers who were very pleased with their efforts that I wouldn't be happy with (and that was by eye from a distance).

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See now every time I'm pleased with a stone setting, I'll worry that an expert will look at it and shake their head sadly at me!

Posted twice for some reason...

But Lauren, we all aim to improve all the time. I cringe when i see some of my early knotting for eg

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Originally Posted by pearlescence

But Lauren, we all aim to improve all the time.

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Yes we all do that hopefully.:)
Now, they do make lots of different shapes & sizes of burrs for a purpose..there is zero skill pushing a stone in a hole & squashing metal without using any tools bar a pusher *mostly* .

Must be a difference of opinions between artisans & business types.
All that matters is money.

The best jewellery business people tend to have bench experience.

Well obviously the general public is not interested in a better standard of work, or they would walk away. Dennis.

Unfortunately the public don't generally know any different & alot of retailers are abit clueless too.

Nevermind eh:rolleyes:

I have had many encounters with this lately, it is frustrating. I was just asked to tidy up a ring which had seven out of eight culets ground off, I objected to touching the job and was met with disbelief. I am mostly self taught through trial and error, every job I do, I do to the best of my ability and I am proud of where I am today. I get told I am too fussy but I think if I am not fussy then I will not become who I want to be professionally. My favourite one lately is the "designer" brands with all the micro pave falling out when someone works on it and the glue gets removed. I tell them I'll be happy to remove the rest of the glue and set the stones for $, they are less than receptive. I even had one semi-mount sent to me to set the centre and half the ring was just glued, no beads pushed over the stones at all. 90 stones they forgot to set.

The other one I've been seeing is them leaving grow lines all over the ring instead of cleaning it up.

I've got it
The next designer craze rough cast rings, cast with stones in place and sent to you without all the extra costly steps of finishing, sharp spots, sprues and even flanges if your lucky?!!?!?

Maybe million $$$ idea

Just sell casting & stones in a DIY pack?
Anyway latest update is that another goldsmith completed them but did agree with the fact the stones would be better if slightly bigger.

Possibly a matter of ethics.
Do it right or just take the money...

Also nowadays everyone wants to be able to do abit of everything, which is going to take a lot longer to master than sticking to one craft ( which is basically what you had to choose years ago ).

Chris, just curious, in you profile pic on your website you have a tool on your bench, looks like a ring holder of some sort. Is it a type of GRS.

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Originally Posted by Patstone

Chris, just curious, in you profile pic on your website you have a tool on your bench, looks like a ring holder of some sort. Is it a type of GRS.

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Hi Pat, It is a grs microblock but it`s jura`s version...juratools.com

I`ll just add that the only reason I started using the microblock is because it`s easier to keep the work focused using the microscope...if you still want a benchpin (and can still see), then a benchmate system is better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gemsetterchris

Hi Pat, It is a grs microblock but it`s jura`s version...juratools.com

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As an aside - are you aware the new tools don't quite fit the old setup? Jura changed manufacturer and the new ones are a fractionally different size, although they can be modified to fit with a file.

Heard something about that, however I'm ok with the few bits I have for now.
Luckily they have been well made.

Be nice to have everything he has on offer but keep getting the lotto numbers wrong.

Sadly seen quite a few examples of this in requests for models Chris......:(

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Originally Posted by Tabby66

Sadly seen quite a few examples of this in requests for models Chris......:(

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Models of rings from manfacturers?
They tend to be quite poor examples.

From manufacturers but more so from designers, particularly with no consideration of the changes occurring during casting and for subsequent setting of stones!!