trouble shooting..

[Gemsetterchris]

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!

[Dennis]

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

[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).

[Gemsetterchris]

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)...

[Gemsetterchris]

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.

[ShinyLauren]

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).

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!

[ShinyLauren]

Posted twice for some reason...

[pearlescence]

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

[Gemsetterchris]

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

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.

[Dennis]

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