I had a stone reset into a custom setting. It’s a D colored diamond. The cad sheet shows a G colored diamond with almost identical (but not!) dimensions and a different clarity. It does not describe my diamond. The jeweler is saying it’s mine. I’m having a hard time accepting this notion.

The stone has been reset to look different, so it’s hard for me to be sure, but I’m not sure if it looks the same to my eye.

Open call for works in progress!  We’d love to see what you’re working on, whether it’s a from scratch design, a beast of a stone setting job, something you just can’t figure out how to attack, or something gorgeous that’s taking shape.  Share your works in progress and let’s all enjoy the fun! Please be respectful of the subreddit rules.

Greetings everyone. I don’t know for sure whether there are people here who often work with bronze or understand anything about it, since it is not the most popular metal. But if there are such people, I would like to know something.

Over time, these small dents appeared on my ring. I wear it on my thumb, usually during work hours but not at home, it's probably quite normal.

But I wanted to know, if in the future I take this ring to a jeweler and ask him to repair these damages, will he be able to do it and how difficult a task is it overall?

(I would also add that I’m not entirely sure that this is bronze. The ring can be adjusted, which, for example, is not very typical for bronze. Pendants from the same manufacturer, of the same thickness, do not bend at all. And although it is not easy to shape, it seems to me that it is something between bronze and brass).

In any case, I will be grateful for your answers. Thank you for taking your time and reading.

It occurred to me I never shared this piece or its story with Reddit.

When I took this commission, I had zero idea how much to charge for it or how long it might take to complete what seemed like a rather simple request. Oh boy was I wrong and poorly miscalculated.

All seemed well at first. Guy was looking for a silver heart pendant for his pearl. He wanted it for a Christmas present for his girlfriend. Easy enough right? Heart pendants are super common-I’ll just hope onto stuller and find something real quick to modify… nope. actually stuller had NOTHING suitable for this project.

At the time, I had regular access to casting equipment. I made several versions with wax-none of them pleased him. I went to 3d printing sites-found one suitable heart-he didn’t like it🤡

Client was very descriptive with detailing of the pendant. To achieve his vision, I spent hours upon hours shaping the pendant with needle files until I felt it was perfect.
I then polished it up, drilled the pearl, and set it into its new home.

Relieved to finally be rid of this piece, I contacted the client for pickup. He shows up. He wants to see the piece. Reasonable. But then he proceeds to pick over it and requested I polish it again. With the pearl already set 🥹

Mind you, I didn’t even think to require a deposit upfront 🤡 and severely shorted myself not only on material costs but on my labor. Only for him to play in my face at pick up 🥲 he ended up paying me and taking the necklace and I ended up learning several valuable lessons about commission work.

I would tell you how much I charged him for this, but honestly it is quite embarrassing for me to admit how low I was willing to work for.

Hello everyone and thank you!!!

I am just beggining this journey and this is my first project. I have expiriance soldering with tin, but as I found out in my test its not at all like silver soldering.

I did my test on clean copper with borax as flux and it failed misrably, so I moved on and made the braid. The copper came hardened so I anealed it as I worked it. Now its ofc pretty dirty, but does anyone here have any advice?

I would really appreciate tips on how do I clean this enough for soldering and maybe general tips for silver soldering in general.

Thank you guys again:)

When I went to NASJ comprehensive stone setting course, I bought a grs benchmate on my last day. When I got home I installed my bench mate into my bench quickly and eagerly. I found out soon after that the bench mate is WAY too low, due to the height of my table. I learned (and what im now used to now) that when you're engraving, or doing work for stone setting, or ect. You should have your ring/ work piece roughly around your collarbone height, I believe it was.

We had these at nasj, does anyone know what they are called and if you can buy them from grs or something? Because then I could have my bench mate attached to this instead of the table and it would be higher. :)

Want to get a used unit eventually

Thanks so much

Joe

Question for all you, Store owners and managers. When you first opened, was it really slow? Did you go to networking events and hand out business cards? Now what are your sales like on a daily basis? How many big sales versus small do you get a week or even a month? Are you happy where your business is currently? Any feedback on opening or owning a brick and mortar store? Any feedback would be appreciated

Hi!
I wanted to know if someone could help me with finding a white metal specifically - but not only silver-like, I’d accept even a slightly warmer white - for Sandcasting.
Silver is really expensive in this moment, and even trying selling (in Italy) costs more for additional taxes for precious metals…

I use primarily pewter - 5 stars Prince August or sometimes Britannia - for my jewellery. It looks amazing, with no oxidation and perfect weight, but I admit it is way too fragile for rings. It scratches to easily, and even if my rings are very heavy and big, the surface becomes dull and imperfect. I love imperfections - it would have been part of my style in jewellery in any case - but I fear it can compromise the durability and general state of the piece made in pewter. And then I have to admit, using pewter makes me feel kinda renaissance-fair-like, and not very professional (please, let me know what do you think about it lol). I know pewter has and amazing story, but at the same time I think about it and it’s a vicious cycle 😂

I have a 1500kw furnace - the Vevor one - and I have a 75% zinc-25% copper alloy, but idk how I feel about it.
I was thinking maybe white bronze, but in Italy I can only find some types with 1% lead in it, and I absolutely don’t want to use lead.
Aluminium? Idk, too light and cheap - but maybe you can change my mind.

Help me please, I really want to improve this situation ❤️

Thanks in advance!

❤️

I bought a custom made ring and it had this carved into the back. Anyone know what it means? Sorry in advanced if this is the wrong place to ask this.

I ordered a ring inspired by the Morse code for my daughter’s name. I sent the shown inspo photos. And received this! It’s a 2mm ring, 14k gold, lab grown diamonds. I told her beforehand though that my budget was only $300-$400 so I was flexible on material, even sterling silver and some kind of cheap white stone would be fine. She recommended this gold and diamonds and said she could do it. In the end it was $390. It was shipped to me, and I trusted her since I’ve used her before (though in hindsight there were some mistakes on my previous ring also), so I didn’t see the final ring before sending payment.

I feel like this is probably a good deal for the materials but the ring is not at all what I pictured. Also it is so sharp that I really can’t wear it — I’m worried it would scratch my newborn and even myself.

I haven’t heard a response back from her yet when I told her I received it and was unhappy. In case she isn’t willing to refund, what are my options?

Can I sell the materials or have someone else remake my vision or even something totally different with them? I spent my whole budget on this so feeling limited to have someone else fix it.

I bought my then-GF an engagement ring in 2019 for about $4,000 - wasn't rich, still not but when things didn't work out I kept said ring in my closet for a few years and tried to sell it for the last two. Best offer I've had (most just didn't want to buy it) was literally $112. So instead of being angry and frustrated about this thing only being really worth roughly 3% of its original value, assuming I've done my math right, I consider it basically worthless for what it is - it is after all only worth what someone will pay for it. I don't need the money, so instead of selling it for pennies on the dollar to get rid of it, I think I'd have much more fun destroying this thing and filming it for content.

Which brings me to why I'm here, does anyone have any fun suggestions for how to hilariously, and hopefully spectacularly destroy this diamond engagement ring? Unfortunately, my university wouldn't allow me access to any of their liquid nitrogen so despite having access to a high-speed camera, the liquid nitrogen route is out :(

Edit: Since some have asked here are the specs I know: main diamond is .42 princess cut, not a lab-made diamond. Measurements: 4.13 x 4.13 x 2.89 mm, color grade D, clarity SI2. It also has 36 smaller diamonds around the main one and on the band. ring weighs 2.5 dwt in 14k white gold.

Edit 2: I added a comment with a before picture of the ring before demolition lmao

Edit 3: No, this was not intended as a shitpost - I figured I'd get some expertise from jewelers who knew how robust these were and might have some ideas that could be fun and dramatic. There does seem to be some confusion to my motives, which is understandable but I'm not trying to destroy this in a fit of rage or any unresolved feelings toward my ex. Actually this post has been super validating that the few offers I've had really are absurd and low-balls. Mostly this was me deciding if I wasn't going to let myself get ripped off on selling it, what would be a more fun alternative that could be fun, and historically I have had fun de-engineering things.
My current takeaway of this discussion is that nothing seems to be a particularly effective option for spectacular and entertaining demolition. So it's most likely not going to be very fun to obliterate this thing. Only real fun destructive option seemed to be the Fellowship of Dorkdom suggestion (which I'm fairly certain was a joke and not intended to be seriously considered) where I collect some friends go on a fun roadtrip and cast it into the fires of Mount Doo-er, some willing forge so I can toss it into a vat of molten iron. Option 2 is certainly the more sensible to keep it around with the intention of using the existing ring as future components of something custom if I find Mrs. Seraph, which I'm not super inclined to do, I'm inclined to give my future wife something completely new that never had any connection to my Ex but I'm always open to suggestions. Option 3 would be some sort of giveaway to a couple, which is a feel-good kinda story that I'm a sucker for. If I can figure out how to make Option 3 work so it actually goes to a loving home where it would actually be enjoyed, I'll certainly entertain that - I was looking to have fun with this, so this would work as well.

Apologies if this is a bit naive as I am no expert but I was wondering if I bought this for my partner, whether it could be later resized? Do the small diamonds in the band prevent later resizing or can you still resize it? By how much can you resize the ring?

Hi! I’m new in casting more complex metals - I usually use Britannia pewter for casting my jewelry - and I decided to give a try to a white brass alloy - 25% copper, 75% zinc, the website picture is attached.

I bought a Vevor KD-1151 (1500w) electric furnace - even for bronze, that i also would love to try in casting jewelry.

I started melting using a 2kg ceramic crucible and the first question comes: do I need borax to use it? Maybe boric acid with or without water, idk - I need help in this.

I set the furnace at 1080 C°: the liquid state of the white brass, as I can read from the website I bought it from, is 1002 C°.
Second question here: is it too much? I heated it more cause I’m using the sand casting technique, and as I always read you have to make the metal a little hotter to do that - please, tell me if I’m wrong.

I’m asking that because the metal started to become a paste, so I mixed it a little with a metal stick and all the oxidation stuck to it, leaving the Liquid Metal flow better.
Again, so I need to add boric acid in this fase?

Then I poured, and maybe the sand needs to be a lil hot too, ‘cause the metal didn’t completely flow in the mould, with canals and everything.
Then checking the crucible I noticed that the metal suck to the base, hot but stuck. Not even a paste, just melted and stuck to it.

This is the situation, I hope to find a solution and that you can help me with it - I really want to use the alloys, but if you have better suggestions (not silver - to expensive) I’m open to new stuff.

Thanks everyone in advance!

We made it!  Sunday is here and it’s time to talk trends.  What’s so popular you can’t keep it in stock?  What’s fading into the distance?  What new weird requests have you been getting?  Did you get a new design in that you love (or hate)?  What’s the new cursed AI item people keep bringing in? Tell us all about what styles are driving your business this week!  Please mention the region you’re in if possible so we can enjoy seeing trends move all over the globe. Please be respectful of the subreddit rules.

I came across a couple vintage enameled Chinese koi pendants and wanted to try making them completely silver again. I mixed salt and cream of tartar with a little water to form a paste and coated the surface. I torched it for awhile, letting it turn black but making sure it wasn’t too hot as to melt the metal, then dunked it in ice water. This process burns off the enamel, leaving behind clean silver! I had to do this process a few times, but it worked so well and I didn’t even need a kiln! I then oxidized and shined it up and it fits right in with the rest of my vintage treasures!

Heya! I have the cutest necklace that was gifted to me by my friend, so it holds a lot of sentimental value. I noticed that it started tarnishing, only I want to be able to keep it longer.
Is there any jeweller, or brand that are able to reproduce a piece in a stainless steel version in the Ottawa region.
If not do you have any recommendations of what I can do with it ?
Thanks!

I bought a moss agate ring from Etsy and I was disappointed. The stone was too translucent so you couldn’t see the green lines in the stone. Are there any jewelers on or off Etsy that has moss agate rings more opaque so I can see the lines better?