Hi Richard,
Thank you for your considered reply and the north American viewpoint.
To widen this discourse, I see it as follows.
Whatever you choose to make, requires a certain skillset.
Whether its in jewellery making, or wooden boat building or even interpreting say, music through stringed, wind or percussive instruments,(Pianoforte) or whatever,
That skill set needs to be,
1stly theoretical, ie study everything what has been done before ,
2nd, the right tools tools to do the task chosen,
3rdly lots and still more years of practice.
4th, a drive to not give up when failure to get the desired result constantly besets the person.
So,
Looking at the frequent posts on this forum from folk like Lorainne and many others, one can see from an experienced eye where their problems lie.
As mentioned in my previous posts, the perspective from here in Europe and particularly the UK is different., most of this forum users are bench jewellers. With the limitations that imposes, much amazing work I must add.
Very few have any industrial jewellery production experience…
Given that scenario im not surprised at the constant problems that folk just shouldnt have in the simplest of tasks.
In my case,I was very fortunate to have a very extensive engineering training in aircraft manufacture and use.
(My parents were fine art collectors in the 1930’s in central Europe, and my father was involved in heavy machine tool production, Hyd presses, rolling mills and extrusion presses)…
Then I had a no of yrs in R&D before deciding the right future for me agedv 34, was to design make and market my own products.
So following the 4 items mentioned above it didnt take long say, 12 months to pull it all together to have marketable products selling direct to the customer.
That was some 50 yrs ago.
I appreciate what folk do with stones, its the traditional jewelley ethos. It was essential that I did something completely different given the established competition, and chose to follow the" wrought" way of making. Tho I can fabricate if I need to, and set stones as well.
One main idea I had in 1968/9 was to explore via the wrought route the art of the torque or cuff, In its historical context. That meant I designed 10 different styles in traditional metals as well as the modern, in jewellery terms the stainless steels and titaniums. With production runs of a minimum of 30 off at one time. I then added finger rings in the same historical theme.
Then put together what ever technology was needed to interpret my ideas. The oddest! is the “Dark Ages” design in 316 s/steel make with TIG .
Our main museum in London for the applied arts, had an exhibition Toward a new iron age, in that iron smiths were forging bowls in iron, I asked myself? can I do that in the bronze metal I was working?
That started another product line. Leading to forging silver up to 8.5lbs in weight and 15in dia, fine pieces.
then in 1987 My aqisition of a complete B’ham 1880’s jewellery workshop. With the minting tools dies , fly presses etc. THAT finally opened the door to real proper production of work that I couldnt do any other way.
Its wonderful to have dreams of making beautiful things BUT it has to fast, efficient , and thus profitable otherwise its just a hobby.
Its still a real buzz to take a piece of metal, and interpret it into the end product, then someone sees it and wants it badly enough to spend part of next months salary on it.
Finally, im also humbled by seeing something I made say 30, 40 yrs ago, my not recognising the person, and they comment it still their favorite piece.
As for making things that are repairable? or indestructible?
It has to be that way for me.
Ted.