One of the annoying tasks that I had to do every 3 months as a self-employed bench jeweler was inventory so that I could accurately submit my quarterly taxes.
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“Conscientious Practice” is when we practice movements in a deliberate way, repeatedly. By conscious, repeated practice, we internalize the movements and they become second nature. This is what we strive for as jewelers because we want to not be able to think about most of what we do so we can concentrate on the design of what we are making or repairing. By always taking practicing, a little every day, even for a few minutes we become better jewelers and better people. This can also be called deliberate practice. It ties into making sure your practice is teaching you and…
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I taught an online class about safety in the jewelry shop awhile ago and I learned that many people do not have a dedicated work area. Part of safety in the shop is having the right tools to do the work and a place to use those tools. So I am going to let you in on a project that I am doing. I am going to make a series of online learning opportunities combining my blog with YouTube videos. This will be 20 videos and blog posts centered around processes and techniques. Learning the “How and why” of jewelry…
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I thought I would share with you how I make my own small chisels. This is a good way to show that sometimes your tools can be handmade much less expensively than buying them. Many times you will need a chisel for whatever reason. If you work with historical processes, chisels were used to cut metal before the jewelers’ saw was invented. I am also attaching the picture I made showing the angles on my chisels. I edited this to make more sense outside of the conversation I was having. ============= I do a lot of work in the same…
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I have heard for years complaints about “Why isn’t there a national aglet day?”. Well. Let’s get started on fixing that. First, make sure you go to Facebook and like the following page. Aglets, Aiglets, and Lace Tags. Also make sure to join the group Aglets, Aiglets, and Lace Tags Community.
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Not only is it important to store your jewelry materials in such a way that they are protected, but it is also important to store your tools safely as well. and this includes your consumable items. I am going to share an inexpensive, but valuable way to save labor due to needing to repolish items. The reason I do it this way is due to having a bad experience a few years ago. I had just finished sanding a raising hammer face with 1000 grit paper and had just wiped it down with a clean cloth, and started with 1200…
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I have been asked many times for advice about becoming a professional jeweler. So here are my musings, thoughts, and opinions on how to become a professional jeweler. This might ramble a bit but I feel this all ties together.
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The following is what I feel best describes the phrase "well documented". "well documented" means a record in written, photographic, or other forms that is supported thoroughly with sufficient relevant documentation to enable understanding of the facts and the reasons for those determinations. This documentation should include all source data, clearly detailed methodologies, calculations, results, and all criteria be explained plainly.
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Well. It finally happened as everything comes full circle. I was doing some random searches about lace tags and found a blog that was showing ^the correct way to make them^ and they referenced my 2017 paper on the subject.
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I have been seeing this ring image being shared around on the Internet and FaceBook recently and as a professional jeweler who studies historical jewelry manufacturing processes this item raises some red flags for me.