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3 Questions

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Hi all,

I’ve been off the list a few weeks due to email address change
(never knew it could be so traumatizing, thanks, Hanuman) and I have
some burning questions. I am already in high-strung Christmas mode,
please bear with me.

I need help setting some “invisible set” square brilliants. I’m in
North Carolina, USA and would prefer to send them to someone closer
rather than farther away, but I’ll send them anywhere so long as I
can get them reset. One is for a stock ring and another is for an
employee who just wants it back by Dec 24, so no Big rush:>). I’m not
sure if they are “tongue and Groove” or set in a grid. If you want to
do this, please let me know. As an aside, I’m ashamed I don’t know
how to do this, but just don’t have the time to learn right now. I
was surprised to find nobody local who can set these stones. Many
local jewelers are afraid to even size or clean these rings.
Opportunity is knocking!

I have a Dazor bench lamp that has developed an annoying… Nay,
MADDENING hum. Is there anything that can be done with this? It’s an
old lamp, but built like a tank.

I am thinking of making the transition from working for others to
working for myself. I’d like to have a little shop by 2010. What
should I be doing in the meantime? I have a line of inexpensive
silver jewelry that I produce “after-hours” and have developed a
small but loyal local following. I have most major tools, 15yrs.
bench experience, almost a GG, and I’m motivated. What I really need
to do (I think) is take business classes at the Tech. Also, I have a
dear husband who thinks he is going to quit his much-hated job and
come work for me. He is a great thinker and full of good ideas, but
is not so good at everyday hard labor… Well, don’t make me injure
his pride further. I am totally open to any and all ideas.

Please email me off list if it’s convenient. I don’t always get to
read the list every single day.

Yours,
Julia Newton

#2

try your local SCORE office…they are retired business
proffesionals who help small businesses no charge…they also usually
offer classes in things such as marketing.

i found them to be somewhat helpful in my quest for my own business.
good luck! it sounds like you are off to a fine start!

-julia

#3 
   was surprised to find nobody local who can set these stones.
Many local jewelers are afraid to even size or clean these rings.
Opportunity is knocking!

Opportunity perhaps, or just as likely, a royal pain in the rear.
not you, of course, just the whole bit about invisible setting. Even
those of use who know how to do it, might not always wish to do it.
I’ve done some of it, but now refuse such work. Just not worth the
trouble that can ensue. The thing with invisible setting is that
even when perfectly done, the amount of metal that is holding the
stones is very very small, and any deformation of that metal, such as
may easily occur if someone tries to size the ring, or just knocks
it around in wear (which causes the stone itself to push the metal
around), can lead to the stones becoming loose or falling out.
Single rows of invisible set stones might be OK, but much to much of
this work features multiple rows, and that stuff can be virtually
impossible to service once it’s damaged. It’s about the only class
of diamond setting which sometimes can only be realistically
tightened (loose stones) via the use of (ugh) super glue. If it’s
really really well done work, problems may not occur, but far too much
of such work that is out there these days just is not done well
enough to last as long as good ewelry should last. In general, I’ve
found that those repair jewelers who are willing to take in invisible
set work for repair, either do it totally at the customers risk with
the understanding that it might come back in unrepairable pieces, or
they are the folks who’re new enough at this work that they don’t
yet realize just how fragile such work sometimes is. Problems with
invisible set stones are far more common than with any other type of
setting work, in my experience, and those problems are a lot harder
to fix, if even possible. Rings often simply cannot be sized, and
if a stone does fall out and become lost, then you’ve got a major
hassle just trying to find an exact replacement, since unlike other
types of work, the replacements do have to be pretty much exactly
sized. And even then, it’s not always even possible to reset a new
stone securely. Even with a laser welder handy… I don’t know about
everyone else, but i sure don’t need that kind of headache, and
generally get somewhat energetic about trying to talk customers out
of buying such work, in favor of other more traditional styles of
setting that are more durable and servicable.

Peter Rowe