rec.crafts.jewelry
H i g h l i g h t s
Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Techniques
December 29, 1997 Issue #9
Highlights Editor:
~ Dr. E Aspler <@Service>
rec.crafts.jewelry newsgroup modarator:
~ Peter Rowe PWRowe@ix.netcom.comFrom: Peter Rowe PWRowe@ix.netcom.com
Attached are a number of recent messages sent to the usenet
newsgroup, rec.crafts.jewelry. This group is a moderated
newsgroup, and as such will be found to be pleasantly free of off
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Peter Rowe
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rec.craft.jewelry
…IN THIS EDITION…
“Drill presses”
~ Abrasha abrasha@abrasha.com
“Mokume-gane”
~ weirdieguy@aol.com (Weirdieguy)
~ regalite2@aol.com (Regalite2)
~ joyreside@aol.com (JoyReside)
~ Brian Adam brian@adam.co.nz
~ weirdieguy@aol.com (Weirdieguy)
“Jade vs. Serpentine”
~ elaine@pipeline.com (Elaine Lieberman)
~ “David R. Clayton” drc@ccnet.com
“Don’t clean the cz’s?”
~ “R. Arney” rarney@elpn.com
// – H-E-L-P --//
Orchid rec.crafts.jewelry Highlights Digest
Drill presses
^^^^^^^^^^^
From: Abrasha abrasha@abrasha.com
Anyone have an opinion on the "Economy Drill Press" offered by RioGrande.
Yes,
Stay away from anything with “economy” as part of it’s product
description. It will be cheap however, which reminds me of what a
couple of friends once (on seperate occasions) said to me.
The first one said: “Cheap wine smells and tastes like cheap
wine” (You can apply this to drill presses also I’m sure.
The second one said: “I can’t afford to buy cheap tools. It’s too
expensive”
Mokume-gane
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: weirdieguy@aol.com (Weirdieguy)
Greetings: Has anyone made soldered mokume-gane? How thin did you
roll out the first slab before cutting it in two? How many layers
to get a nice effect? Thonks, Don Thompson
From: regalite2@aol.com (Regalite2)
The first sheets can be fairly thick , i.e. 5-6 duzium. Being
thick , you wont have to worry about melting them as much. Good
luck, Rob Ringold
From: joyreside@aol.com (JoyReside)
I tried it a couple of times. First I used quarters (silver,
copper, silver) and rolled, then soldered, rolled, etc. Therefore
I didnot have to solder so much. I then tried the other method of
sheet, upon sheet, upon sheet and the soldereing was never
perfect, therefore I have to resolder, etc. It never did sweat
perfectly, therefore, I gave up big time, bought a video, then
realized that fusion of the metals is the only way to go smoothly
and evenly. Good luck trying through. Joy
From: Brian Adam brian@adam.co.nz
Don, that is not mokume. It’s laminated. Please save
‘mokume-gane’ for the real thing.
Rolling lamination? The solder won’t like to move as much as the
other metals, will it? Are you using the eutectic solder? Brian
From: weirdieguy@aol.com (Weirdieguy)
Greetings: Thanks Rob. I stacked four layers of metals. My
Durston mill will only open up that far.I used 18ga.Finished
rolling out 16 layers last night.This batch was sterling and
copper. Will make some things with these, and then try some other
combinations. Don
Jade vs. Serpentine
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: elaine@pipeline.com (Elaine Lieberman)
I sometimes buy carved jade or serpentine pieces to incorporate
into my (macrame) jewelry. I generally assume that I can trust the
source to tell me which it is, but I don’t know how to make the
distinction myself. Can anyone give me some hints on how to tell
the difference?
Also, I know that jadeite is a higher quality than nephrite,
but, again, is there some way that I can tell the difference
myself?
Thanks for any advice. Elaine
From: “David R. Clayton” drc@ccnet.com
Jade (both nephrite and jadeite) is easily differentiated from
serpentine by a hardness test. A pocket knife will easily scratch
serpentine but will not easily scratch jade if at all.
Separating jadeite from nephrite is more difficult. Hardness is
similar and both come in a wide range of colors. Specific gravity
and refractive index is different though. Jadeite has a SG of 3.3
- 3.5 and nephrite is 2.9 - 3.1. Refractive index is about 1.66
for jadeite and about 1.62 for nephrite.
Jadeite is not a “higher quality” than nephrite. Both jadeite and
nephrite come in very high and very low qualities.
Since you are dealing in carvings one should know that Chinese
carvings made before about 1750 were nephrite, not jadeite. Good
Luck, David Clayton
Don’t clean the cz’s?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From: “R. Arney” rarney@elpn.com
I received an e-mail question that reads:
...I just bought a sterling silver ring with two cz's that was made by an artist. The woman at the gallery said I should clean it with Goddard's silver cleaner but don't dip it, use a q-tip and swab it. She also said don't clean the cz's. But I'd like to clean the cz's. Do you have any suggestions?
Aside from the fact that I am not familiar with Goddard’s, and
“silver cleaner’s” in general, I am puzzled by the admonishment
not to clean the cz’s? I can not think of any “good” reason not to
clean them. Please note that “the woman at the gallery said…
don’t dip it, use a q-tip and swab it.” So I do not think my
thoughts of a weak prong mount, or a sloppy bead setting would be
valid, and God forbid the suckers were glued in. Though the
comment that the ring was made by an “artist” does not
preclude the possibility.
If anyone can give a reason why cz’s should not be cleaned,
please do so. Ron A.
End of rec.crafts.jewelry Highlights Digest
// – H-E-L-P – //