At the risk of being obtuse, I am sharing this bit of advice with my
fellow Orchidians as an insight to another option of making money in
the jewelry business without completely compromising ones’ aesthetic
sensibilitties. I am talking about recycling of old jewelry.
Yesterday I sold a pair of errings which I made from a bar pin that
I bought at a garage sale. The Pin was 14k yellow gold and consisted
of four bars of square wire closely aligned, with square segments
mounted with four light blue sapphires. This pin was very
straightforward and didn’t make much of a statement artistically. It
sat in the showcase for about six months. About ten days ago I took
a look at it and decided that it would make a very trendy pair of
art deco earrings.
I cut the pin into two pieces and flared out the square wire ends at
the bottom. Voila ! a"bitchin" pair of art deco earrings. I bought
the bar pin for a buck and a half and I sold the earrings for
$150.00 ! ( They only lasted a week in the showcase ! )
Another thing that I like to do is remove the works from an old
platinum or white gold ladies watch surrounded with melee. Next I
remove the strap lugs on each end and mount a bail. After patching in
the crown stem hole on the side I mount a stone in the void left by
the crystal and works. Very often I use an amethyst, but sometimes I
use lapis lazuli with a diamond in the center… Original work of art
? Hell no, but they sure are beautiful ! Moral: Beauty is where you
find it, but you have to use your imagination !
I am talking about recycling of old jewelry. Yesterday I sold a
pair of errings which I made from a bar pin that I bought at a
garage sale.
Hi Ron;
I had to smile at this one. I do a lot of work for an “estate”
jeweler, who does a huge road-show circuit, and while he’s busy
selling, he’s also swapping with and buying from other dealers. A
lot of the stuff is way beyond repair, and we often come up with all
kinds of “conversions” like you mention. Shorten a cameo bracelet
and make earrings out of the extra links, etc. Earrings are popular,
made out of old broken bar pins, or a single cufflink embelished with
a some trims from a defunk cameo becomes a lavalier. Of course, I
would hope that these hybrids aren’t misrepresented as original and
the customer is informed about the changes. But I’m not the seller
so I can’t be certain.
Loved Ron Mills comments. One of my favorite things is to remake old
or odd jewelry into something nifty. The recycler’s mantra should
include remake along with reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle.
Terrie mentioned buying “scrap” gold and silver at the pawn brokers
that stuff is great for decoration and recombination (Hmmm, isn’t
that like genetic engineering??).
This is not original, but a nice way for someone to enjoy a deceased
loved one’s wedding band. Cut the band in half. Shape each half
into a question mark. Turn one of those shapes over so that you
have mirror images and combine them into a “heart”. Solder the “v”
at the top and the point at the bottom. Add a bale if you want, but
the heart can be freely suspended by a chain through the middle. If
there’s a gemstone (like a diamond on an engagement ring) solder
that inside the heart from the “v”.
By the same token, the wedding band halves can be shaped into a “c”
shape. Solder a post on one end to make open back hoop earrings.
Isn’t this fun! What other ideas are out there for creative
reconstruction??
Judy in Kansas
Judy M. Willingham, R.S.
B.A.E. 237 Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhatttan KS 66506
(785) 532-2936 FAX (785) 532-6944
Judy, One of the things I wish to “recycle” from the pawn shop is a
pair of almost hoop earrings. I was thinking of using the almost
circles as a bezel. Just need to figure out how to close the circle.
Tip from my instructor, I have always made my bezel by wrapping it
around my stone, measuring carefully, cutting, soldering and then
soldering it to the backing. Then fit the stone in and burnishing
the bezel.
When she looked at some I had done previously, she said she knew
exactly how I had done it. She then proceeded to tell me I should
have used a ring mandrel to get a true circle. DUH! I’m certain I am
the only one who did not know that.
She then proceeded to tell me I should have used a ring mandrel to
get a true circle.
And for smaller size bezels, use a bezel mandrel. They come in many
shapes; round, oval, triangle, etc. Most places that sell ring
mandrels also supply these.
She [the instructor] then proceeded to tell me I should have used
a ring mandrel to get a true circle.
terri - ummm, yeah, well, did she by any chance explain exactly what
was wrong with having the bezel conform to the perimeter of the
stone it was to hold? or perhaps you were to make a true circle
bezel & then grind down & repolish the stone so it would fit the
true circle bezel? or were you supposed to make a true circle bezel
for a not-true-circle stone & then find another stone that would fit
the true circle bezel?
terri & people, this is probably why i have done so much better by
teaching myself & therefore having only my own idiosyncratic methods
& practices - not someone else’s in addition.
think people, think! ive
don’t get hung-up on others’ hang-ups - declare your independence.