Welcome to the Gilt Trips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and
gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 carat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join
me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's
tune in on these topics and get golden. Like many treasures we see in our world, there is little
understanding of what came before or during the making of the end product that you see or use.
In this season of podcast episodes, I have covered the origin of diamonds and metals,
the beginnings of major jewelry design houses, and how gems are grouped. Today,
let's find out about the birth, death, and rebirth of our creation with jewels and peer
into my life and love of being a private jeweler since 1995. What exactly is custom jewelry?
How does a project come to fruition? When does a piece need repair work or restoration?
Chapter timestamps are in the show notes. I personally start with the partnership,
whether I am designing a speculative sale called a spec piece, or a client is seeking and finding
me as a maker. Internally or externally, there is desire. To me and my patrons, it begins with
wanting to create, or collaborate, or commission. And that is the spark that helps measure the
arc of the making, as well as the temperature of interest in seeing this through to the end.
Naturally, there has to be an idea, whether it is fully realized, half baked, or a brainstormed
session. Sometimes with a spec piece, I am required to design around a specific gem,
or I'm executing a setting for a jewel at a later date. Often, I'm designing in tandem.
If a client is in a showroom with me, and we need to capture the conversation in images,
that skill is called countersketching, which is drawing on top of the jewelry showcase,
or a nearby desk surface. If I'm alone, I may create a mood board, or composite of elements
and ideas to assist in a crystallized plan or pathway. Lastly, there are artists with advanced
illustration abilities who execute what is called a rendering, a lifelike version of what is about
to be made. This phase needs to communicate clearly what is dreamt up, talked about, and shown in a
picture format less than the degree of full detailing. This can become a process, as most
ideas go through some drafts or revisions. It is much easier with pencil and paper, or on a digital
tablet or monitor, because money and materials are not involved yet. In fact, this step can show
how close of a fit I have to my interpretation of my imagination, or regarding a client, the proximity
or distance in our perspectives of a shared conversation. Once a joint decision is made
regarding a client, the next phase is discussed, such as, allow me a week to get a materials
estimate, or, I expect this range to be x to y dollars, and I confirm that up in three days after
I run some numbers. That said, a client may say, can I have a copy of these drawings? Some makers
say yes, some say no, and some say sure, for a designing fee. I personally didn't charge on the premise
that you would have to have the same exact conversation over with another maker who may not be as
clear or innovative on your possibility. My old employer said no, because the effort and ability
to draw is proprietary, and a colleague charges $500 design sum that will either go towards the
project or be non-refundable should you halt the commission or take the sketches to competition to
create. It's dealer's choice on this one, because it takes years to master designing and drawing.
Per the agreement, it is on the Goldsmith now to estimate the timeline and cost. If it is made in house,
there is more ease around how long it could take. If contractors are being used, or elements of the
process require being supplied or outsourced, often a range is mentioned to buffer and give some leeway.
On that note, it is rare that all of the components to complete the necessary project are under one roof,
meaning it's highly unlikely a maker has just the right alloys, all of the diamonds, the exact gems,
and the wire size or bits on hand. Part of the estimating is getting quotes that will factor
into your own estimate.
Once a formal quote or estimate is created, whether it is proposed as
it's a $5,000 project and four weeks, or more itemized such as materials plus labor plus hours
equals this much and this long, it is shared with the client in a down payment to secure assets
and schedule the run is charged. Now this can be materials charge non-refundable,
and it goes towards metal and jewels, or it can be a percent like 25, 30, or 50 percent.
Some jewelers prefer a labor retainer and are willing to restock elements should the project get
cancelled with or without a surcharge. Now this becomes dimensional and not just conceptual
or contractual as an idea and a relationship. Before computer aided drafting, or CAD technology,
a wax carving was made to impeccably match the final product. A perfect two scale sculpture
of what would be cast in the decided upon metal alloy was now made, or in a different approach,
a maquette, which is a fancy word for mock-up, in sterling wire, should I need to fabricate
or produce this item outside of the casting process and therefore be more of a carpenter
with sheets of metal and wires in the chosen alloys. But more often than not,
we are in a modern relationship to artificial or mechanical tools. Nowadays, if the design has
been made on software and turned into a file, that file is sent to a machine that can 3D print
the modeling made on the computer. While a wax can be carved in one to three hours on average for
the basic engagement ring, and a maquette can be blocked out in two to four hours on an intermediate
design, a cam printout can be up to six hours. The benefit is it can print dozens of files and
does not need to be tended to by the jeweler. Hence, it is a powerful advantage even if a single model
is run because it can be productive elsewhere while the printer is going. And let's say it's
producing 20 files at one time. Labor management is taking care of for me in that key part of the end game.
The next layer is the metalwork. Some jewelers make their own alloy. They will order solid 24 carat
gold grains and the combination of other metals in grain form to create the desired alloy.
For example, if 14 carat white gold is needed for the project, a goldsmith needs the non gold
metals to blend with the pure gold in order to make that. We would order both if we wanted to
make this in house. Otherwise, we order 14 carat white gold already alloyed in grain form. It's like,
do you want a jar of marinara or do you want to hand make your own? It's a time versus money
equation. But you also need to have the skill of alloying. If you're good with timing, a torch,
and math for ratios and fractions into weights, then it is kind of fun to save a few bucks.
If the project is being built by song and soldering shapes for metals, well, you've got to go ahead
and order those. Getting the correct gauges or thicknesses of necessary gold or platinum
is what comes next. Back to the idea of a model. If we are moving forward in the casting process,
it's time to get the wax carving or printed model to the next step. This is called investing,
which makes sense if you learn that that word is being used in regards to creating a plaster mix,
putting that wax model or print out version on a base, fitting a steel heat resistant cylinder
over that base to form a flask, which is a fancy word for the bottom holding the model in place
with a circular sleeve on top to look like an open can. We pour plaster over it, which will dry and
become solid. The point of this is to take an impression of the model because that will melt
out in the oven while the plaster will remain. And therefore we get a little cavity or fossil
imprint where the metal will go soon. Voila! Now there is a negative space where the wax
or model that was printed has melted out of the plaster because it went into the oven.
The flask now goes into the casting machine. It's time to reheat the alloy we made or torch
the remade alloy into a molten liquid state because it will release into the spinning flask,
much like fabric softener dropping into a spinning laundry dryer. The centrifugal force pushes the
metal into the cavity details as it fills that hole of the design. And I personally love this part.
It's high precision, timing, and energy for me. Once the speed slows down, you better believe
that plaster and sleeve are going to be hot from the heated metal. Tongues are needed after the
spinning stops. We clamp the flask and place it in a bucket of water. The temperature difference
blows out the plaster and you can retrieve your casting. So let's move on and discuss the aftermath
called benching, which is the result as a goldsmith, setter, or jeweler.
Now we have a cooled off casting. How was it anchored to the base before the sleeve covered it?
And plaster was poured on top. Well it was attached to a little wax dome for surface area,
for incoming liquid metal, and then a little stem, much like the areas of a funnel and spout,
those attached to the model of the design. So now all of that is solid gold or platinum.
The little stem is called a sprue and removing it from the casting is called despruing. The button
and sprue are eligible for recasting because they're raw and pure. The design now as a casting is ready
to move on for labor. Once again a machine is here to help. This time it's the tumbler.
The casting is ready for pre-polish. It has a skin on it from the metal that touched the texture
of the plaster. So it looks a little like orange peel and this gets put into a washing solution
that has steel beads and bars, much like BBs or buckshot. It pummel the casting so that the surface
gets smoothed down and made into a regular treatment. This part of the process happens overnight
so the hard work is done for us. Then the casting moves on to the prep stage. Here I will use metal
files that are both gross for big reductions and fine for detailed shaping. Perhaps the casting needs
to be hammered up, if it's a ring, to the size on the order since the casting process can cause
shrinkage. Then it's time for sanding. Again a coarse process and on to a finer one. Sometimes
the inner surface where a gem will be set requires buffing and polishing by machine or hand. Why?
Once the jewel is in place thanks to a gem setter, a finisher cannot access those areas.
Now it passes on with the project's gems to the jeweler or setter. Their job is to cut, drill,
and file into the metal to make the place to secure the jewel and either work the gold or platinum
over the gem to clamp it down or raise beads to trap the jewels on their facets.
It requires precision, strong grip, and a keen eye for leveling the angles. Once this is complete,
it's time for the home stretch. And here it goes to the buffing machine. There is a fabric
wheel that spins with a greased compound on it that has a soft grit to it to smooth out all of the
sanding and tool work. Once that is done, the polishing wheel also works with a compound
and elevates the refining of the surface. Once a perfect sheen is achieved, the ring is complete.
Sometimes there are surface treatments such as satin finishing, matte finishing, or sandblasting.
Other times, plating is involved, such as rhodium on the white gold or creating other surface colors
on top of a solid metal. All of this is handled in the finishing.
At last, it's done. And it makes sense to do what we call the QA phase, or quality assurance.
This is usually made up of borrowing magnification to inspect the security of the jewels.
Any tool marks missed by the naked eye, prongs being less symmetrical, or other things of this
judgmental nature that would make or break the wearing of the ring and the standard usage on
the piece by the consumer or client. It either goes back to the finisher or the setter for adjustments
or it is deemed done. After project flourishes are usually engraving. Whether it is surface
patterning on the metal like a tattoo or an inscription inside the ring to commemorate
dates, names, or phrases, this is a specialized art. Engravers are not necessarily versed at other
bench skills. The tools needed to put a design in metal below the surface require gravers,
which are angled instruments that look like a variety of thin to thick scalpels to carve into
the project. Now, what do we do if the project is a ring and it has a technical problem? The easiest
is to change the size. If a size goes up, the bottom is cut and a metal bridge is fused in
place and blended. If the size goes down, the overage is cut and the gap is soldered closed.
A single sizing is just over 2 millimeters, so it is not substantial unless the ring's metal is
overly thick or super wide. The term retip or retipping means a prong or a bead has been compromised
or broken. So metal has to be added and the setting of the stone needs to be recreated. Older rings
that have been exposed to wear and tear have lost metal over the years due to repeated contact. One
good blow against a hard or sharp object can also cause the need for this procedure. Reshanking
means the underside or bottom of the ring has been fatigued or stressed and a sizing seem possibly
split open. And in older rings, it simply gets thinner with wearing. In this instance, a section
of metal is matched, bridged, and blended into place to continue the life of the piece.
One of my favorite types of repair is a full restoration, such as, let's say I'm at an
estate sale. I come across a setting where the head or the metal area for the center gem is missing
because somebody chopped out the jewel instead of gently removing to preserve the work. Maybe the
shank or bottom of the ring is fatigued, busted, or worn thin. Perhaps the engraving is faded from
time or a few gems are missing. In cases like this, it is fun to do restoration work, which could
incorporate all of the repair work mentioned above and beyond if I take it in a new versus traditional
direction. And now we can discuss the rebirth of a ring. If it has been gutted, or the style is
terribly dated, and the new idea is in the same alloy, then it can be melted down and poured into
the space of that new model for a design. I've done this with many projects. Yellow gold is the
most forgiving as far as blemishes in recycling, and platinum is the least. Bubbles in metal can
show up as porosity or pitting. And this doesn't cancel the casting in every case. It can mean
more bench work and finessing. Let's say the client isn't interested in recreating,
or your spec piece didn't sell in a certain period of time. It becomes a matter of removing the
gems from the existing item and deciding the casting or fabrication should go off to the refiner.
For a small percentage of a total amount of dollars, they will heat the alloy up, remove the non-gold or
non-platinum metals at certain temperatures, until eventually they have the pure element once again.
You receive a payout on the valuable portion, and the remainder is sold as recycled metal
to jewelers again to alloy and cast, creating a never-ending life cycle in metal as starting,
completing, and renewing.
Thank you for listening and learning with me. I would love you to share this project with people
finding rare beauty in today's world and throughout our times. Until the next episode,
keep your own story sparkling.