Dear All,
This topic has passed into the “is it ok to use commercially made
findings in your work” thread, and I think it bears pointing out
that a person can make really cool, original work, and still use a
commercially made bezel.
There is a place for totally hand made jewelry, where every piece of
metal started out as an ingot or other such raw state, and the
creator of the piece made every single solitary part. However, that
is not to say that this is the only kind of jewelry that is original,
or that belongs in high end shows. I have visited an ACC show, and
there were commercially made findings there, incorporated into really
awesome, conceptual jewelry.
As a show participant, a jeweler needs to have original, interesting
concepts, but he/she also needs to make money. How many of us could
support ourselves if we never utilized a pre-made finding? Should we
also only use chains we each made by hand? I have tons of ideas
floating around my head, and I know I will never create them all in
one life time. I’ll be able to create even fewer if I limit myself to
making each bezel by hand, just to say I hand crafted the entire
thing. It is also worth noting that using pre-made findings does not
necessarily mean I do not know how to make them, but that I chose
not to invest my time in that fashion.
I guess the point I’m making is that there are valid reasons behind
using and not using commercial findings. Do what is appropriate for
the piece you are working on. Is it a contest piece? Is it a piece
made from the soul simply because we could not stand to not make it?
Is it a piece you hope to sell and make money on? I do not think we
should snub one’s efforts because of a clasp or bezel that came from
a findings company.
My best to all, whether you use commercial findings or not!
Brenda
Nesheim Fuller Design