7 replies to this topic

[vilyin]

Hi all,

I'd like to continue discussing the topic that kind of spawned from one of my previous topics.
What constitutes a perfectly made "custom made" ring?
What is a process of making a perfect/ideal custom made ring?
What is the dependency/link between wax, cast, CAD/CAM, "hand crafted/made", "one piece" vs what else?
What does it actually mean - "hand made"?
What exactly is "casting"?
Why wax -> casting is worse than hand-made? And is it?
Why is a "one/single piece" is better than a laser aligned and than fused casted ring with a separate head(s)/crowns?

Also do you think that the best place for this topic is on this forum or on let's say diamondstalk or may be somewhere else?

Thanks!
Vitaliy

[Feydakin]

The best answer for almost all of your questions is style.. LEt me see if I can answer some of your questions in order..

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What constitutes a perfectly made "custom made" ring?

There is no such thing.. If you really look you can always find something wrong with just about everything.. But, there are people out there that consitantly produce outstanding work time after time and are known for their attention to detail..

Things to look for in well made jewelry include balance and symetry in things like prongs and engraving.. Well polished and finished surfaces with crips edges where appropriate, and smooth curves in others.. Level settings, proportioned design elements, and so much more all contribute to well made custom jewelry..

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What is a process of making a perfect/ideal custom made ring?

It is differnet for every artist.. But the most important element that I think all of us try to emphasise is bringing to life the emotion or vision of the customer..

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What does it actually mean - "hand made"?

It depends on who you ask.. Hand made can be anything that has been touched at some point by human hands to something that is hand fabricated from rough chucks of metal stock.. And everything in between..

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What exactly is "casting"?

Casting is simply the method of melting out a wax model and then pouring, or casting, molten metal into the mold that is created by melting (burning out) the wax..

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Why wax -> casting is worse than hand-made? And is it?

Both methods have their benefits and complications.. Wax casting is faster and allows for interesting tricks like casting diamonds in place (setting them in the wax and then casting the gold around them).. Fabrication tends to give you a more of an old world feel to your jewelry, and con provide for some more durability in your jewelry due to the work hardening that happens as you hammer the metal into shape..

Neither is right or wrong..

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Why is a "one/single piece" is better than a laser aligned and than fused casted ring with a separate head(s)/crowns?

See above.. But I don't know of anyone doing laser alignment and fusing of objects.. Not at the jewelry level anyway..

You'll notice that I skipped a question.. Mostly because it is a huge topic and in the end it comes down to style and trinaing..

Steve

[diamondsbylauren]

Hi Vitaliy,
I suppose any place wold be fine for such detailed discussion.

I manufacture hunders of rings a year, and have actually never asked the question you are- they're quite technical....maybe that's the reason no one besides Steve ( nice answer Steve) have replied.

The technicalities are far less important to me than the finished results.
I know what I expect the ring to look like- and roughly the steps which are gone thru to have that happen- but in any specific case, I allow the craftsmen the freedom to use the best solution.

If I were to start "micro-managing" the result would be the loss of some of our best people

[diamondsbylauren]

I did not mean to imply the questions wee wrong V- just that they're questions I don't ask... I know the general procedure.
Make models of the stones, and cast them, set and polish.


Anyway- my advice would be to look at finshed product and judge.

[Feydakin]

Thanks David..

When I first started out in this business as a designer not too long ago I tried to control everything.. A month later I found myself sitting at a bench and being told that it was time for me to get my hands dirty.. I spent the next two years doing very little design and a lot of bench work..

I don't try to control things any more, well, not a lot anyway

Each artist / bench jeweler has his own style and methods.. What works for one may not work for another.. I've seen huge arguments break out between very talented people about silly things like the "proper" way to bead set..

I can understand the questions that are being asked, but it really sucks when the proper answer boils down to "it depends".. There really is no right or wrong way to do most anything when making jewelry.. Well ok, glueing 1/2 point diamonds into a 60 stone cocktail ring is wrong, but you know what I mean..

Steve -

[vilyin]

Steve, David,

Thank you very much for "taking a shot at" answering my questions....
Believe me, I wasn't trying to "stir things up". I am just trying to understand. Reading through your responses I got a good feeling that you didn't take my questions the wrong way. I hope you understand that these questions is just my attempt to figure out what's right and what's wrong.
I guess it also shows you my level of exposure to a "custom made" jewelry ;-)
And I tend to get analytical - I have mathematics/physics background. I just need to know how things work!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

To address some of your points:
Steve, it's not about control - it's about knowing what's right. I thought that there is a one "best practice/best recepie", and everything else constitutes "cutting the conrners" to some extend in one way or the other........
David, I wasn't thinking about "micro-managing" at all - I hate people who do that myself.

Thank you, both!!!!!!!!
Vitaliy

[ben]

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And I tend to get analytical - I have mathematics/physics background. I just need to know how things work!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

Alas, I tend to have the same "problem"

[Feydakin]

That's what I like so much about making jewelry.. Barring something grossly incompetent, there can be a dozen different ways to do the same thing with the same result.. Something as simple as cutting seats for a round solitaire can have 4 or 5 different ways to be done, all of them "right" depending on the jeweler doing the work.. It's what makes this art and not assembly

And never worry about asking quesitons for fear of it being taken the wrong way.. Most of us are professional enough to always give the asker the benefit of the doubt until you prove to us you are just mean

You math and physics guys are bad, but try making a ring for an engineering student

And yes, I feel like playing with smilies today