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[Dennis]

Part of your post I have just re-read, says file on the outside to form a knife edge, at the college we were told to file on the inside, before putting the bottom bit on, I found that quite difficult as it always left a ragged edge, especially on small bezels. Just out of interest which size file do you use for fine work like that.

Any small needle file will do, but I keep several cuts so the last one can be very fine. It also helps to polish one edge, so that if you file next to a set cabochon it is less likely to mark it.

Which shape you choose is rather personal, but for this I think the barrette is best. Dennis.

[Patstone]

Hi James
Thank you for the drawings and link to the guildofjewellerydesigner website. My scorper arrived from Cooksons this morning (the same one that you sent me a link to). When you grind the big chunk away as in your drawings above, you have the knife edge underneath I presume, and the thick edge on top.

In the picture of the sharpening stone on the guild of jewellers website, the thick edge is on top with the cut away bit underneath, meaning that it is the thin part that has been ground away, if I understand correctly.

Have I got it all wrong or is there a conflict going on, or perhaps I have got the incorrect scorper to start with. I am quite a practical person but for some reason I cant get my head around this one. Can you tell me why you cut down the edge of the scorper please, and is it the thick edge or the thin edge, and also when using it provided it doesnt go in the bin first, do you use it with the thick edge on top or underneath, and which bit is the sharp bit, the thick side or the thin side.
I am really sorry to be such a nuisance but I really dont understand.
Regards
Pat

[Goldsmith]

Hi Pat,
You are correct in the way you are thinking about grinding the end, have the half round knife end as the cutting point.
I cut the scorpers this way to give a small cutting end that is easier to sharpen and use.
The scorper in the photos is a different shape than the one you have, that scorper is for bright cutting around stone settings and it has a 2mm. wide flat cutting end, the one you have bought has a 0.8mm. wide half round cutting end. Please remember that I have about a hundred different shaped scorpers and gravers as I have done quite a lot of crest carving in the past.
I have sets of half round scorpers up to 4mm. wide and also sets of flat scorpers of all sizes up to 4mm wide. I also have what are called lining tools, these are scorpers with parallel lines cut into the flat cutting face so when used it leaves lines as in cross hatching. I use my half round scorpers for cutting textures under transparent enamels on my flowers like these shown below.
James

[Goldsmith]

Pat,

These are photos of one my small half round scorpers, they show how I grind them for work.
James

[Patstone]

That explains why I couldnt make it out, so the knife edge of the pointy bit is underneath and sharpened across the thickness of the blade, so you end up with a very narrow chisel shape end. I really envy the knowledge you guys have, my 20 hours of evening classes doesn't cut the mustard when you want to know so much and cant find anyone to teach you. The course I went on was very, very basic although at the time I didn't realise but you have to start somewhere. I have learned more from you and Dennis and of course George, and a few others than I did on the course. I suppose its got to cater for all, and I suppose some only wanted to learn how to make bangles etc, but I got hooked by it from the start, and couldnt believe that I could make reasonable stuff that I could wear let alone sell, although that is still in the "pending" stage. George suggested going to the more expensive fairs rather than the little local ones, and hope that you sell more, but my daughter makes jewellery too, (she works for the Donkey Sanctuary full time) so she doesnt have much time to spare, as well as having a horse and dog that has to be catered for. Have a look at our website and tell me what you think, it is still being built by hubby, he also works full time so its also a "pending" thing. We recently changed our name from Nine2Five-Silver basically because it was a mouthful and I always wanted Isca Silver (Isca being the Roman name for Exeter) and it rolls off the tongue easier. www.iscasilver.co.uk Most of the photo's will have to be taken again I think as they seem a bit lifeless. Your opinion would be appreciated, so would anyone else's opinion as you only learn by critisim. Thank you very much once again, Pat

[Patstone]

What a magnificent display of lilies, are they all done in silver? They are really beautiful.

[Goldsmith]

Pat, I am not an expert selling via websites or shows, so I cannot give any useful advice. looking at your website I have a couple of suggestions. On enlarging the photos of rings, to my eye some seem to need further polishing as I can see file marks and blemishes on the silver. Also I wonder how you can make a profit with such low prices, on a £30 ring adding together the cost of silver, the cost of a cab and I assume a ring box, how much is left for labour and profit? The silver ring that I made for my daughter shown in a previous posting was set with a lab grown stone of 10mm. diameter and if I was pricing this ring for sale it would be about £100, as it was totally handmade and unique.

All of my flowers are made from 18ct gold.
James

[Patstone]

Wow 18ct, what sort of size are they generally. I have difficulty letting go of the small things I make because generally I like what make, but you must have a houseful of beautiful things that you have made, I certainly wouldn't want anyone else to have them. Getting on to the remarks you made about the finish of our stuff, I agree some of the things could be better finished, we only started doing jewellery in early 2010, so we haven't been at it long really. It actually looks worse on the blown up photo's, you cant see it with the naked eye, but other than sanding, finishing wasnt really covered on the course, so its trial and error.
I now have a Foredom pendant motor so I can polish them a bit brighter than previously. I know that finishing is really important and I struggle a bit with it, because patience isnt one of my strong points, although I am getting better with age - hahaha. Originally I worked with a hand held magnifier, and some of those photo's are the very early things we made, but now I have a headband one that is very good with interchangeable lenses, I am gradually getting a collection of tools now, thanks to advice from people like you, I have been able to save up to get better ones. I bought some cheap files to start with, I was having a moan about them to my cousin in Oz, and he sent me his old needle files which were his grandmothers, (all Vallorbe) she used to make silver jewellery too apparently.
Pricing is another issue, we havent a clue what to charge, and we have been to craft shows albeit little local ones, and people have gasped at the prices, and said they were far too high, on the website items can be paid by Paypal, but at the end of the day you still have to sell stuff and my opinion is still, that if you have a credit card machine people are far more likely to buy stuff, even at the little places that we go, but my daughter says its too expensive and I have been overruled. I think that if we sold a lot it would probably change her mind but I don't carry vast quantities of cash, and I dont suppose other people do either. The Westcountry isn't a place where people have a lot of money either, I have looked at small craft-type jewellers in the city and they are about the same price as ours, so I can't really go much higher.

[Petal]

Pricing is another issue, we havent a clue what to charge, and we have been to craft shows albeit little local ones, and people have gasped at the prices, and said they were far too high, on the website items can be paid by Paypal, but at the end of the day you still have to sell stuff and my opinion is still, that if you have a credit card machine people are far more likely to buy stuff, even at the little places that we go, but my daughter says its too expensive and I have been overruled. I think that if we sold a lot it would probably change her mind but I don't carry vast quantities of cash, and I dont suppose other people do either. The Westcountry isn't a place where people have a lot of money either, I have looked at small craft-type jewellers in the city and they are about the same price as ours, so I can't really go much higher.

Hi Pat,

Pricing is always a difficult issue. I price my things at x 2 the cost of silver/copper etc, plus my hourly rate. Some people charge upwards of £10 per hour. I tend to charge depending upon how many processes I use to crate the item. If there's soldering etc then I would charge more, if its chainmaille, sawing etc I would probably charge around £10 per hour. You will need to time how long it takes you to make something and work it out from there. Don't compare your jewellery to items in a jewellers; they may well be mass-produced items and will have been bought in cheaply. Its about valuing what you make and having the confidence and belief in selling for a good price. The other thing to consider is where to sell your jewellery. If you compare 'craft' fairs to 'artisan' fairs, there is a huge difference in customer expectation and price. I started selling at church fairs and am now at the stage where I don't do them any more. I would rather wait to get a good amount of quality items and go to a higher end event, but we all have to start somewhere. I also regularly go to my local village, showing items I have made and ask a selection of people for feedback. What do they think of it, what about the price, is it too high/low etc. I have made sales from doing this, as well as very valuable feedback.

hth. xx

[Goldsmith]

Hi Pat,
My flowers are all life size, and I do not have a house full of my work as it all gets sold. I have made over 30 of these types of flower arrangements in vases and I only kept one that my wife wanted.
Here are some of my life size flowers,18ct gold and hard fired enamels,some set with diamonds and coloured stones, most of the vases are carved rock crystal, custom made for me by a lapidary. a few of the vases were hand blown glass.
James