What classifies as hand made? In that if I make a ring, mold
it, and start casting it- is it still hand made considering I do
all parts of opperation? OR is it , cast is cast, fabricated,
fabricated? each and every time… If this is the case,
(cast=cast, fabricated=fabricated) how do some of you people
make 10 or so fabricated rings-keeping in mind that you want a
consistant look. Not trying to answer my own question, I’ve
begun working on two or three simmilar rings at once; am I on
the right track?
Hand made is hand made, from beginning to end the piece must be
fabricated by hand. No casting, molding, drawing waxes, buying
premade findings, etc. Nothing can be purchased or cast in
order for it to be considered, and to be stamped, hand made.
The FTC defines “hand-made” as any article made in its entirety
by hand. That includes findings. A wax, even though it may be
hand carved, becomes a casting and can therefore not be called
hand-made. This is the reason why hand-made rope chains usually
have a handmade barrel clasp , instead of the much more secure
lobster claw. It is o.k. to use fabricated sheet and wire to make
things, but the piece must be made totally by hand. Hope that
helps. If anyone has any questions about Platinum, call our
hotline at (714) 760-8882 or use this forum.
Have a platinum day
PLATINUM GUILD INTERNATIONAL
Jurgen J. Maerz
Mgr of Tech. Edu.
Hand-made is fabricated - you know good old cut and solder. As
a person who did fine art shows for 16 years, I can tell you that
if there is any casting involved in a piece or parts of a piece -
you do not qualify.
I don’t do 10 or so fabricated rings the same - or even try for
a consistent look. What my customers are paying for is the fact
that I can’t remember what I did and every piece is an original.
The only hand-made production that is feasible is simple stuff -
like twisted 18g square wire as a surround to a bezel for a
cabochon - maybe set on a split 1/2 round shank. There are one
or two cut-out rings (from sheet) that I do for an 8x22 bezel
that could be produced consistently. Also, of course, any
solitaire faceted stones. I cheat a bit with those and use
Tripps heads - it’s a bummer hand-making heads under about
10x12mm. I always act cool and hope the judges (who are usually
art-oriented) won’t get too interested in my little heads. I
don’t try to production-fabricate at all - it’s boring!
IMHO fabrication is definitely not the route if you want to make
serious money - I should know, I’ve been poor forever.
Nina
Nina - Silver Design, 9122 S. Federal Hwy, Suite 249,
Pt. St. Lucie, FL. 34952 : Toll Free:1-888-460-1800
URL: http://www.nina-sd.com : Email: @Nina
one way to keep a consistant look with multi-fabrication is to
cut out several of a pattern, glue them in a stack with super
glue, and then finish them all to the same size. each piece comes
out almost exact to the others. warm the stack glued together and
the super glue releases. You can also make cutting dies but this
is more advanced and costly. Frank
My understanding is that for an object to be called "hand made"
it must be completly made by hand, using no mechanical process,
like casting. “Hand made” must be 100% made by hand. If a
piece is partly handmade it can be called “hand wrought”. As far
as “hand making” identical pieces, you can make them identical
through carefully making all the elements to the exact same
specs. It works best if they are made at the same time, but for
my purposes by calling a piece “hand made” it is assumed and
expected that each piece will have its own uniqe characteristics
thus making it worth the extra time needed to make it by hand and
not be mass produced.
I make a ring to be donated to an local event every year, a
design I could easily vulcanize and cast as I need it. I hand
make the same design every year while each is the same basic
design, I make each one at the time I need it and each one comes
out truely unique. The thickness of the metal the exact curves
of the design and the size of the stones are all upto how I feel
on that day. And each recipiant recieves a "one of a kind"
piece.
Hand made is hand made, from beginning to end the piece must be
fabricated by hand. No casting, molding, drawing waxes, buying
premade findings, etc. Nothing can be purchased or cast in
order for it to be considered, and to be stamped, hand made.
I take serious issue with your statement that cast goods are not
handmade. I cut all my waxes by hand (rarely make molds and if i
do i issue them as limited and numbered editions) i finish them
by hand and i set the stones by hand. If this is not hand made
because i use electricity to burn out the wax and a centrifuge to
throw the metal ( there is a serious lack of small boys to swing
the molten metal on the end of a thong) then by the same
reasoning whatever you fabricate by melting metal with the same
torch to form an ingot or solder together is not handmade either.
You use an electric motor to polish and if you are able a power
rolling mill to make your sheet and wire stock or you buy it from
a smelter who does this for you. either way by your definition
these goods are not hand made. what this all boils down to is a
discussion as to when and where tecnological labor saving
devices fit in to art and labeling there of. Packaging and
labeling, wonderful marketing tools but they don’t do much work
at the bench. I do and i feel whatever labor saving devices come
down the road that make me more productive and efficient as an
artist and prolific without sacrificing quality or integrity i
will embrace and will defend my right to label my work hand made.
Wow it’s a long way down off this soapbox!!! Frank
I know that I may be beating a dead horse here…but concerning
the “handmade” mark, whatabout when one uses factory extruded
tubing…or a factory made fancy bezel wire…it seems as though
these elements are technically metal stock…but where does one
draw the line?
I take serious issue with your statement that cast goods are not
handmade. I cut all my waxes by hand (rarely make molds and if i
do i issue them as limited and numbered editions) i finish them
by hand and i set the stones by hand.
In the U.S. handmade jewelry is strictly defined by the FTC as
being made 100% by hand. This means that no electricity may be
used at all. No flexshafts to cut seats, no motors for
polishing, ect. I think the law about handmade jewelry was
intended to protect the American Indian jewelry makers. If you
finish them by hand then you must using files, emery, and
buffing sticks. If you set them by hand then you must be cutting
seats with a file or gravers. As to whether the FTC says
anything specificly about casting, I can’t remember. But at the
very least if you burn out in an electric oven I’d guess you
can’t call it handmade. We can all have our “opinions” of what
is handmade, but there is a clear legal standard that applies.
My guess is that 99% of what is called handmade is legally not.
I’ve never heard of the FTC enforcing the rule, but I quess they
could.
Interesting thread on hand made. The same criteria regarding
casting of jewelry applied to pottery - A pot thrown on a
wheel and fired in a kiln would not be handmade.
In the U.S. handmade jewelry is strictly defined by the
FTC as being made 100% by hand. This means that no
electricity may be used at all. No flexshafts to cut seats, no
motors for polishing, ect.
G’day; a farthings worth this time: wot a load of ole cobblers!
Time you Americans got control over your lawmakers! But cheers,
Regarding the hand-made issue … I am with Frank !!
It is the uniqueness that is important … mass made stuff of
any kind by any method (including cheap labor) is not in the
sprite of the “hand-made” concept .
Developing and implementing new methods to make one-of-a-kind
art using whatever technology is in the sprite of the hand-made .
Sorry, I was not able to follow the handmade discussion, so I
might repeat something that somebody already said. But here is an
example that is really bothering me. At any of the handcrafted
wholesale shows, there are more and more “designer” jewelers, who
"make" their jewelry. The reality is that they choose the stones
(I am sure there are a handful of choices) and the jewelry is
made in Bali. Almost all have the same motives, so if you know
Bali jewelry you know what I am talking about. I talked to
several of these people, and they very indignantly refuse that
their jewelry might not be handmade. After all they designed it
(whatever that means) and it was manuhactured in their studios
(in Bali with Bali workers).
Interesting thread on hand made. The same criteria
regarding casting of jewelry applied to pottery - A pot
thrown on a wheel and fired in a kiln would not be
handmade.
Isn’t there a HUGE differnce between a “thrown” pot and one that
is made from mold? Perhaps, that would be a better example?
This is exactly what is putting me out of business. Did fine
art shows for 16 years - and finally couldn’t compete any more.
There are only so many jewelry dollars available at a show and,
if the judges can’t tell the difference, how can you expect the
customer to know.
I have been in my booth next to dealers from Peru and Bali who
can claim their merchandise is hand-made (and it probably is - in
those countries by $1 a day people). They have been making the
same traditional designs for 100’s of years and, with the help
of die striking, can put out a volume I can’t even imagine. I’ve
seen them taking home $2,000-$3,000 from a two-day show, while I
sit there with my $300-$400 paying American bills.
This influx of foreign or third-world hand-made jewelry led me
to enquire from Customs the duties on imports. It turned out (3
or 4 years ago) that there is no duty on finished jewelry - but
there is duty on imported components of jewelry - findings such
as I was reduced to using in order to try to put out enough
volume so I could drop prices and try to compete.
Needless to say, this didn’t work out - I hated it. Creativity
had become the least of my work instead of all of it. So I
stopped doing shows and took my business to the internet. Don’t
know about all you artists out there, but I am not getting rich
this way either.
I receive many offers from other jewellers (sp? USA/Oz) to sell
my hand work wholesale - but how much can I discount $10 an hour
(which was a recent raise from an even lower figure) and still
survive. On my more important pieces - such as one-of-a-kind
necklaces with hand-made chains, I’m afraid to even price them
at that much - since they sometimes take as long as three days
(or more) constant work to execute. Tried to sell any hand-made
chain lately?
It’s difficult to know what to do…
Nina
Nina - Silver Design, 9122 S. Federal Hwy, Suite 249,
Pt. St. Lucie, FL. 34952 : Toll Free:1-888-460-1800
URL: http://www.nina-sd.com : Email: @Nina