Hi, do u think earrings look good on boys? do u think it's better when boys have both their ears pierced instead of one?

Hi all, The butterfly instruction is finally finished and ready to share at: http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/Kid_Art_Project/Kid_art_bead_project/november2005_bead_project.html Enjoy!

Hello, hope you jewelry craftsmen don't mind an outsider for a bit. I'm looking to have a pendant built that will be a recognizable version of a real horse. Probably about 1" on the longest side, cast in platinumif possible. I intend to take a favorite photo of this horse and use that pose to...

Many people call themselves "Jewellers". In my view a "Jeweller" is just someone who sells jewellery of any type. A seller or threaded of beads may be a jeweller on the basis that they sell beads which is a type of jewellery. however, the real craftsman with the real skill is the Goldsmith who...

I recently came across some 40 year old gold chain that had been in a box for many years. The problem is all of the soldered joints have become very weak. The joints look good but the slightest force will open them up. What could have caused this and is there a straightforward repair without ...

I inherited it so i dont know what it is. it is definitely mostly gold. how much do you need for it to be worthwhile to get refined? pictures: http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9750/0001297qn6.jpg http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2104/0001294dk9.jpg

Are there any special precautions I should take when melting and re-using scrap silver ready for the rolling mill and draw plate? I intend to use clean offcuts, and some old work that has not sold. Regards -Kendall

Hey folks, I have a project now where I have loads of sterling castings. I need to grind the sprues down and it's pretty laborious. I arrange the pieces in a pitch bowl so my hand doesn't get tired and have a fairly ergonomic set-up so my neck doesn't get sore any more, but I keep thinking...

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced loupe? I'm a quilter and can't read the sizes on sewing machine needles anymore. That and to be able to read marks inside some rings I have is all I want the loupe for, so it doesn't have to be expensive and as fine as you folks probably need. I've...

my 18k red gold casting (lost wax) are allmost allways has defects,its very fragile and slightly crisp ,im casting an 18k yellow green and white gold,and im using a vibrating-vacuum machine and an electric centrifuge for my casts.most of the time without any particular problems,except to rarely a...

As has often been mentioned here before jewellery doesn't seem to sell well on ebay. Has anyone any ideas why? My own experience is that jewellery is bought mainly by women, and that they like to handle the item before buying. -- William Black

If at first you don't succeed, try about 12 more times. I finally got the mold to fill and a usable casting by feeding metal from opposite sides of the lip. My last attempt was to invert the mold and fill at the lip. It came very close to working except at the side opposite the fill point. It...

A friend gave me an ad for a ring that seems like an interesting design that I would like to try but the only view is the plan view and there is no clue what it looks life from other angles. It looks like a horseshoe with the stone pinched between the ends. The table is slightly below the top of...

Hi all, I have a used Foredom and the foot pedal does not work well. I've had problems before with my glass grinder foot pedal, maybe I have a heavy foot. Is there anything I should try or do I need to order a new pedal? Thanks, -- Connie

For those of you reading messages on rec.crafts.jewelry on the Google news service, please be aware that Google's interface can cause some confusion. Google, in addition to offering access to the current newsgroup messages, also offers access to the historical archives of this group. ...

Hi, what do you guys think? Is swarovski crystal beaded, bracelet, rings, or animals still popular in the market? If not, what is going to be popular in the future?

hi when people use the phrase "gem quality" to describe gemstones, preferably diamonds in this case, what exactly does that mean - in regards to clarity? SI2+ is gem quality? VS2+ is gem quality? I3+ is gem quality? please explain, thanks!

I was told of a watch/jewelry repairman who was asked to tighten a screw on a pair of eyeglasses and was subsequently sued for medical malpractice or practicing medicine without a license or some such and driven out of business. Is there any truth to the story? It's what my store's owner uses as...

Hi everyone, My name is Vincenzo Taormina I am a Jewelry artist specialized in Stainless Steel Modern Jewelry. It is a pleasure meeting all of you! If you would like to exchange info or suggestions, please feel free to ask. Have a great day

I am going to have a jeweller custom make a 14k gold signet ring for me soon. The gold he'll be using will be supplied by me in the form of either one or two 1/4 oz., 24 karat solid gold Kuggerand coins. Of course what he'll do is make a wax model, weight it, and then tell me how much 24 K gold...