I recognize that many on ganoksin believe that a cast item is not
handmade according to the “offical rules”, such as they are.
Understanding that laws or rules can be made specifically to enable
or disenfranchise any particular group, most of us recognize that
just because a regulation exists does not mean that the view it
supports is true (though it may be) or is other than the opinion of
the most influential group of people whose interests are affected by
the law such as it is. The legality of a position is not necessarily
reflective of whether the proposition actually reflects truth or
whether it reflects fallacy of argument, actual falsehood or just
the special desires of a self-interest group. This has always been
the case with human societies. Thus, the interests, opinions and
arguments of one group, suppress those of another group with or
without being clearly superior. The question of whether cast objects
can be considered handmade is perhaps a trivial case of such.
I think that it is difficult to logically or rationally assert that
piece of jewelry I have cast could not be considered handmade if the
following factors are taken into consideration. First, I start with
a bulk slab of wax, which I melt and pour into molds to make sheets,
rods and wires of wax. I then use these pieces of wax to form, with
my hands and appropriate tools, a wax model of the piece of jewelry I
am ultimately intending to make. I then, by hand, form wax sprues,
vents and pouring cups, attach them to the model (at spots I
determine to be appropriate) and invest the wax in a refractory
medium within a casting flask. In my case I make the casting
refractory from scratch according to my own recipe. The flask is
placed in a burnout oven for three hours at approximately 1100 F.
The flask is then, by hand, placed in a centrifuge, which has by
hand been wound up and the detent engaged. To this point, all
operations have been performed by my own hand, using tools at my
direction. All these operations are directly in my control, and I
have a choice to modify any of these operations to vary the
resulting product (sometimes to bad effect). The appropriate metal
is placed in a melting crucible within the centrifuge and melted
with a torch under my control. When I judge that the metal is ready
(another place where are my control and judgment can directly affect
the final product).
I press the detent button, allowing the centrifuge arm to rotate and
sling metal into the mold I have made by hand. At the appropriate
time (in my judgment) the investment mold is broken and the
incipient piece of jewelry is removed. Then, supposing that my
judgment of timing temperature and my control have been adequate,
the metal piece is further processed by hand. Sprues, vents,
feathers and the like are removed using tools such as saws, files,
nippers and the like. The piece is then finished by filing sanding
and polishing, again by hand, and made ready for the setting of
stones, etc.
Where in the above where were processes, tools, timing, temperature,
design and results not in my direct control, initiated and
terminated according to my judgement and operated by my hand? I,
obviously, don’t see it! Even in producing jewelry by forging,
elements are frequently fused or soldered by torch.
Depending upon the technical skill of the technician, the metal, at
the appropriate temperature, goes where it is intended to and does
its job. Or not. Can anyone honestly say that the molten metal does
not, on occasion, go awry, even for the best of us? It certainly
does for me in more cases than I would like to admit. How is this
different from casting except in scale (I admit that this is pushing
a bit far for the argument, but, still…).
Now, just as with hand forming or forging, inexperience, bad
technique, inattention or laziness (in the absence of luck) will
probably lead to a poor product. Further, the casting of preformed
commercial waxes does, to an extent, not meet the handmade
definition. Also, there are some techniques that obviously produce
objects not handmade ( assemblages of preformed beads and
components). Other than that, I stand upon my position and hope that
casters will feel a bit better for the support.
I prefer forging and hand forming because these techniques satisfy
me, personally. It is true that the metal in the cast object differs
in some characteristics such as density and porosity from forged
items. Still, I do not think this is of great consequence to most
cast objects. It is a choice.
At the risk of giving offense, I claim the attitude that cast
objects cannot be considered handmade is a good example of
chauvinism in action. It also seems that the real question being
presented is that of which type of object is superior. As with such
questions asked about religion and race, answer this at your own
peril. I will not touch it.
What I have said above is not intended to be a direct criticism of
any other person but rather a defense of my own point of view. I
wish to continue making unique objects that attract pleased buyers,
cast or forged. I also insist upon honesty in representing my
products. I never call them handmade, but for the most part, I
believe they are. Whatever they are, people seem to be happy with
them.
Gerald Vaughan, Vaughan Studio
PS. A question that bears attention in this arena is how to trust
the purveyors of gemstones in these days of fakes, frauds and
misdirection. I am a fair gemologist but am having problems,
particularly with high end stones. I like bargains but can’t trust
them. In my experience, even non-bargains are risky. I can’t afford
to have all my stones certified and still make adequate profits. Any
ideas? (I could just pay top dollar to Stuller and others that can
be trusted. This rankles, but it may be the only answer)
All that I want to know is whether the stones are “earth mined” or
lab-made. I can judge cut, color, clarity, basic identity and the
like. In the absence of clear evidence that a stone is natural, I
either don’t use it or declare it possibly man-made whether it is or
not (money lost). Are others of you in this position? If so, how do
you deal with it?
GV