Getting started.

I hope I've joined the right group, me being a complete cyber-klutz.
I'd like to ask if anyone can tell me how my wife and I can get
started on creating polished stone jewellery. We wouldn't be doing
it commercially, just for our own amusement and for presents for our
family and friends. I know we'd need a polishing-machine - what sort
and where do we get one? And what about findings - are there good,
cheap suppliers in the UK? Thanks for your help.

"Cornflake" wrote in message
news
I hope I've joined the right group, me being a complete cyber-klutz.
I'd like to ask if anyone can tell me how my wife and I can get
started on creating polished stone jewellery. We wouldn't be doing
it commercially, just for our own amusement and for presents for our
family and friends. I know we'd need a polishing-machine - what sort
and where do we get one? And what about findings - are there good,
cheap suppliers in the UK? Thanks for your help.


It does rather depend on what level you want to go down to.

You can start with some casting grain silver and a handful of stones and
several thousand pounds worth of machinery or you can buy polished and cut
stones and complete settings and a soldering outfit, some solder and a
polishing machine and a mop and off you go...

The more of the process you do yourself the more unique your jewellery is.

There's very little in the way of simple settings you can't make with sheet
metal, a jeweller's saw, some decent files and a soldering set.

The difficulty is making it look nice. getting a decent finish takes time
and is an acquired technique.

Buying finished settings, from someone like TH Findings in Birmingham is an
easy, but reasonably pricy, solution.

Stones are another matter entirely.

Most jewellers buy theirs from one of the big Far Eastern wholesalers but
there are a number of trade suppliers.

Where to start...

The Cooksons Precious Metals catalogue has just about everything in it that
a jeweller needs. Their stuff tends to be slightly more expensive than most
other outlets but they'll have stuff in stock and will put it in the post
for you today.

I don't mean the teeny tiny catalogue they publish but the great big heavy
five pound (both weight and cost) job.

Anyway, they're at http://www.cooksongold.com/
and TH Findings are at http://www.thfindings.com/ and, to be honest, the
paper catalogues are better than the web based stuff...

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

On Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:49:51 -0700, Cornflake
discovered a keyboard and, for our
edification and amusement, submitted

I hope I've joined the right group, me being a complete cyber-klutz.
I'd like to ask if anyone can tell me how my wife and I can get
started on creating polished stone jewellery. We wouldn't be doing
it commercially, just for our own amusement and for presents for our
family and friends. I know we'd need a polishing-machine - what sort
and where do we get one? And what about findings - are there good,
cheap suppliers in the UK? Thanks for your help.

I think your best option is to find a local amateur rock/gem/lapidary
club in your area. Join and learn about the craft; clubs usually have
machines (and lessons) for the membership.
Failing that, I would suggest you start out with a rock tumbler before
putting out a lot more cash for a vertical or horizontal grinding
machine. Better (and more expensive) equipment can wait until you
acquire confidence in your abilities.
A last word of warning: prepare to become addicted!
Blessed be, for sure...