Hi
I need to be clearer on my terms, I should have said occasional
cutters perhaps than amateur. And Leonid’s post means I definitely
used the wrong word. But amateur is a colloquialism here in Oz such
as “shoemaker”.
Very interesting where this thread is going.
I guess the best advice it to loupe it before you buy.
I lucked onto a batch of synthetic rubies cut in Thailand the
quality is excellent. The price was good too.
Don’t usually use synthetic stones, but my friends want some
jewellery to celebrate the birth of the first grand daughter.
Called Ruby
Making a range for the family who don’t have thousands to spend on
gems.
Richard
During my foray into teaching diamond setting it has to occurred to
me one thing. That simple idiom is that no one can be self-taught.
How can a person learning a new skill teach themselves all by
themselves. They need a mentor, or plainly put, an instructor. Even
if it is only for 9 days or even a 3 day venue.
I have just finished doing this very same program in the Southern
States last week.
On one occasion we discussed how to bead set 2.5 mm stones 'without’
using the #52 half-round graver. My client noticed that something was
terribly wrong with his bead-setting. So he called upon me to rectify
this ongoing problem.
He was so ‘open-minded’ as he watched how I can use a simple
Onglette #1 ‘gently modified’ bead-raising graver with such ease. He
was amazed at the speed & accuracy and above the absolute ease in
setting these stones. He showed me his photographs, even through a
picture I could see his on going problems.
He even wrote back to me a few days ago how he was pleased and said
the fees of my travelling to his store has already paid off. I re-cut
& re-shaped all of his old gravers and now he has a new skill in his
hands (no pun intended).
Gerry Lewy
no one can be self-taught
So, how did diamond setting get started? Was it a divine revelation
from the god Hephaestus? Or maybe Indra, if you’re Hindu?
Al Balmer
I have to chime in on this one. I am self taught…
Took one class in enameling and at the end the instructor had me
helping teach the class. Show ed him that i could do 3d enameling
which his teacher told him was impossible. so he never tried. I was
too dumb to know better…
Took another in working with platinum. Learned a lot in both… That
is all the formal training I have had. That said I have spent many
hours studying jewelry in museums and in books and am self taught. I
have won the international pearl design competition in Japan and
also received a special award from them. as will as many awards in
the USA.
Have done hundreds of pave’ settings including on concave surfaces
and every other type of setting in the book. Been doing this for
over 40+ years. Retired after 22 years in the trade got board and
went back to making jewelry. Retired again for 18 years and now am
back doing what I love. You if you are talented enough and gifted
enough and want to work hard enough you can do it without a
teacher!! I am proof.
That said I have taught quite a few people what they can adsorb of
what I know. I do have great respect for teachers. Not everyone has
the patience to teach. I spent 6 years teaching jewelry in a prison
in Belize to the inmates. Had a 73% rate of my students not
returning to prison. Average is somewhere around 20%. Some people
need one on one teaching more then others in the end we are all only
Jewelers who love what we are doing and want to learn more.
Make lots of jewelry and pass along what you know to others that
ask.