I ran across this group by accident a while back and have bee lurking ever since. I find it absolutely fascinating. I enjoy jewelry and have bought a good bit over the years, mostly estate pieces or unusual items I have come across. I have learned a bit but am not really knowledgeable. On two...

Hi, I recently bought a sterling silver ring, which is properly stamped as ..925, and there's no other part of the ring that's not silver.. and on the band and around the face of it that surround the stone, are starting to develop little stains that are the color of a very light penny. This...

Greetings: I am looking for an alternative to Colorit for enameling silver jewellery. Could anbody help me out please Regards

Hello, I need some help. My wife makes simple beach glass jewelry I do the drilling and she makes some nice stuff with pre-made sterling rings/chain/etc. from online stores. She is determined to step up some creativity and have me solder some simple sterling items. This is what she wants:...

So, I take my tin pattern, make two sand molds, put a couple hundred grams of silver and 7.5% copper in the crucible, fire up the furnace and 2.5 hours later, it is about half melted and I pour it any way. When it cools, I open the molds and find a little button in each. It just froze up when it...

Immediately before midnight on the next full moon take the ring to the middle of the local park and bury it no less than the length of your forearm deep under a Yew tree. Then walk away and never look back. -- Don Thompson ~~~~~~~~

My jeweled silver cup project has resolved itself down to two pieces. In both cases, the cups were purchased on Ebay and the stones cut by me. The first project was a silver wine glass with 4 oval synthetic cabachon rubies around the cup and 4 round ones around the base. They are set in Easyset...

When I cast sterling, I get this heavy copper oxide on top of the buttons and the ingot of left over metal. Should this be removed before reusing? Like grinding most of it off. js -- PHOTO OF THE WEEK: http://schmidling.netfirms.com/pow.htm Astronomy, Beer, Cheese, Gems, Sausage,...

Hi Everyone, I'm a goldsmith at the beginning of my way (just finished design studies). During my studies, I welded with soldering sheets and wires, silver & gold. I've heard there's another way of doing this-by using soldering paste. I'd like to know in what cases you use it and what are the...

http://www.ice.com/customer/product_detail.jsp?product=56552254 Is this a women's ring or a men's ring? I ordered this assuming it was a women's ring and I am a female, and liked it anyway. But, it's WAY thick for my fingers. Anyone got a clue? Not that it matters, I like it anyway, but just...

I have bought some earrings to re-sale and was told the stone in them is called a Gyrosol. I was later told they are Gyrosol quartz. Yet another supplier with what looked like the same earrings said they are an opalescent glass (this to me sounds like the most likely). Does anyone know if...

Hello, I am not sure if this is the right place to post this or not, but I really have no other idea where to turn with this question. I purchased a silver bracelet from www.bluenile.com for Valentine's Day of 2003 (the order was made in January, 2003). The item was approximately $40 in price...

I hope this not off topic, but I feel there's more chance of someone in = this group knowing what this is than elsewhere. By way of obeisance/defense may I say that I have recently done a website for a = real jeweler and gemologist and it was a pleasure :) I am a serious collector and student of...

I've searched old messages on this group and others, but haven't found an answer to my question, so here goes. I've never worked with cutting gold before, but have an idea for a piece of jewelry. If I were to get a diamond wire saw (.3mm or .6mm thick blades), what temper of gold should I...

I wanted to create very light hollow metal ornaments that could float by the buoyancy of the air inside. I wanted to use metal because some parts of the object would need to withstand an ambient temperature of about 100-150 degrees celsius. I figured a good thickness for the metal would be about...

Dear All, I am wondering why the jewelers that I have been to at least 4, are recommending with engagement rings that white gold is better than platinum. It is very clear that plantinum is the superior metal on the websites and newsgroups ( durable, last longer, no need for replating). But...

Can anyone tell me what these markings on a bracelet I own mean. 417 G S Thanks

Hi everyone, I have been trying to list my website in dmoz under the category Shopping: Jewelry: Supplies. I submitted three times with three months gap between each submission, but to no avail. I am pretty sure I did not violate any dmoz rule. No mirror sites. No inappropraite contents. No...

Is it true that in the ancient method for refining silver over an open flame, that the stopping point was approximately when the refiner could see their reflection in the silver? Also is it critical to not get the silver too hot or it can be damaged? Thus necessitating that the refiner pay clos...

I sort of barfed up my first chain by pulling it through a too small hole in my draw plate. It is kinky, uneaven and not as pretty as it was. I am trying to open it up again and make it nice but not sure I am getting anywhere. For my next effort, I would like some opinions before I start another...