Publish Year: 2019 Title: Book Review: Symphony of Jewels: Anna Hu Opus 2 Abstract: By Janet Zapata with Sarah Davis, hardcover, 192 pp., illus., publ. by Vendome Press, New York, 2019, US$75.00.

Seven years after Symphony of Jewels: Anna Hu Opus 1, New York–based jewelry designer Anna Hu is back with Opus 2. This collection of 100 of her designs from 2013 to 2018 is the second of ten planned Opuses that are a tribute to her idol, Beethoven. The Taiwanese-born designer calls her creations symphonies—she draws much of her inspiration from music. The daughter of a gem dealer, Hu was a cellist from ages 13 to 20, when an injury ended her musical career and she turned to jewelry design. She studied at GIA, the Parsons School of Design, Columbia University, and the Fashion Institute of Technology, and worked at Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston, before founding Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie in 2007.
The years since Opus 1 have seen Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie grow in prominence. Hu now has boutiques in Shanghai and Taipei. In 2013, at Christie’s Hong Kong, her Orpheus jadeite ring broke the world record for a Chinese contemporary jewelry artist, with a final bid of $2.59 million, more than three times the high pre-sale estimate. At Christie’s Geneva that year, her Cote d’Azur brooch garnered the highest per-carat price for a Burmese sapphire ($78,400). In September 2017 she exhibited at La Biennale Paris for the first time, showing pieces from Opus 1. And in May 2018, Hu was the first modern Asian jewelry designer to not only exhibit at the State Historical Museum of Moscow but also have a piece in its permanent collection (her China Red Magpie Brooch, a version of Opus 1’s Blue Formosan Magpie Brooch).
Opus 2 begins with a foreword by François Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe and Asia. Curiel remarks on Hu’s transformations: from cellist to jewelry designer at the time of an internship at Christie’s, to successful designer with her own brand and multiple awards. He notes the evolution of her design from “bold and confident” in its first decade to one of “sophisticated aesthetics” and “contemporary elegance” in the second. “Her music never stops,” he writes.
The introduction, by jewelry historian Janet Zapata and jewelry expert Sarah Davis, describes the themes and symbolism of Hu’s jewelry: Chinese and Western art, music, and culture; water and sea life; the universe; and butterflies inspired by music and goddesses. (Hu has created one butterfly jewel annually since 2008; her last name means “butterfly.”) They note that the influence of music is evident in the sense of movement in her designs. Hu sees the jewelry that arises from her creation process like a phoenix rising from ashes, Zapata and Davis write, which to her symbolizes the creative fire of women.
In the preface, Hu describes her fascination with gemstones as a child—and a startling dream at ten years old in which a D-Flawless diamond was implanted in her heart, which inspired her to make jewelry to “bring happiness to people and brighten their souls.” Her jewels are not decorative objects, she says, but modern art with cultural relevance to both East and West.
Opus 2 is divided into five chapters: Ballerina Faeries, Chinese Inspiration, Duet and Trio, Contemporary Art, and Butterfly. Each one begins with an overview of the influences and inspirations for the jewelry within, with commentary on select pieces, along with a photo of a featured piece and several small photos of the craftsmanship process. The majority of the book consists of full-page photographs of Hu’s brooches, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and cuff links. The impression of movement is enhanced within the photos by shadows, reflections of light, mirror images of the jewels, and larger-than-life flowers and butterfly wings. Illustrations are used sparingly. The chapters close with details of each piece’s gemstones and metals, inspirations, and symbolism, along with its Chinese name; technique is only lightly touched upon.
Hu’s designs are exquisitely intricate. A 5.145 ct conch pearl “egg” rests in a nest of rose gold wire in the Red Magpie Brooch (the third in the series that began in Opus 1). The tiny diamond briolettes of the Enchanted Orchid Earrings move when worn, creating sound and reflections of light. A ribbon of diamond and white gold interweaves with petals of diamond and rose gold to create the effect of a flower in the Pétales de’Amour rings. The selection of gemstones is exceptional. Highlights include fancy-color sapphire and diamond, Golconda diamond, Kashmir sapphire, Burmese ruby, jadeite, Colombian emerald, Sri Lankan and Burmese star sapphire, tsavorite, Paraíba tourmaline, black and fire opals, pearls, and a 33.65 ct cat’s-eye alexandrite.
The index, while useful for its thumbnail-sized photos, lists only the page of each piece’s main photo rather than all pages where it appears. A second minor criticism also involves page numbers: they are absent except for on pages with substantial text. For example, page 63 shows the Pétales d’Amour Trio and directs the reader to pages 92–93 for more, but only one page in between is numbered, so the reader has to turn backward from page 98 or count the pages. This choice was likely intended to avoid detracting from the artistry of the full-page photographs—each one already has the piece’s name and number—but a better choice would have been to give the piece number rather than page number on page 63 and others like it.
Jewelry designers will enjoy Symphony of Jewels: Anna Hu Opus 2 for its extraordinary designs and modern East-meets-West aesthetic. Gemologists will appreciate the stunning gemstones. But the book is more than a study of beautiful jewelry. It also offers substance on the themes of her creations, from Greek mythology to Chinese culture and the Art Deco era. The reader could spend many hours with this book and find a new appreciation for the art, nature, and culture that are Hu’s muses. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Exhibition Review: Illuminations, from Earth to Jewel Abstract: Figure 1. Jessie brooch. Yellow gold, pink and yellow sapphire, diamond, and peridot. Photo courtesy of Paula Crevoshay.

For more than 33 years, American jewelry artist Paula Crevoshay has been known her ability to mix unusual and rare gemstones into impressive and colorful jewels as brooches, earrings and cocktail rings. She is known in the jewelry industry as the “Queen of Color” because of her work. This fall, the Museum of Mineralogy at the ParisTech School of Mines exhibited Illuminations, from Earth to Jewel, where select pieces of Crevoshay’s impressive contemporary jewelry was displayed alongside the museum’s specimen collection. The exhibition offers a dazzling tribute to nature, Crevoshay’s favorite source of inspiration. It highlights gems rarely used by French jewelers, such as apatite, chrysocolla, spinel, and atypical garnets.

A former painter, Crevoshay approaches each piece like a painting, combining techniques and choosing gems to create shades than our eyes will perceive as striking in her bugs, leaves, and landscapes. Five display cases invite the visitor to admire a selection of thirty-two jewels, culled from private collections. These include orchid-inspired pieces, marine animals, and abstract creations. It’s difficult for this reviewer to select favorite pieces from the show. Two impressive flower brooches, Jessie and Maia’s Gift are notable for their colorful contrasts. The mix of pink and yellow sapphires with peridots in the former (figure 1) and tsavorite garnets, pink and yellow sapphires, and diamonds in the latter (figure 2) make these two pieces stand out. These mix of bright, pure color mixtures are far from traditional, but they ultimately work. The result is bold and joyful. And Crevoshay shows her audience how important and innovative it is to make unexpected choices outside of diamonds and the classic “Big Three” of sapphire, ruby, and emerald, as in her Tsaritsa earrings (figure 3). These feature azurite-malachite cabochons as center stones accentuated by tsavorites.

Figure 2. Maia’s Gift brooch. Yellow gold, tsavorite garnet, pink and yellow sapphire, and
diamond. Photo courtesy of Paula Crevoshay.

Figure 3. Tsaritsa earrings. Yellow gold, opal, tsavorite garnet, and azurite/malachite.
Photo courtesy of Paula Crevoshay.
By providing two rough specimens from the collection per piece, the conservation team of the Museum allows the public to gain a better comprehension of the relationship between mining, cutting, and setting. It’s the perfect place to see how crystallized minerals or gemstones and imagine how gem cutters will give sparkle to the final stones.

Crevoshay’s next vision is to translate into jewelry the origins of the gems used, in order to create beautiful masterpieces that will reflect the gems found in these locations. It’s possible that the bracelet Rainbow over Montana (figure 4) is from this new chapter. This piece enhances all the range of colors found in Montana sapphires, from a strong blue to a greenish grey, along with different shades of pink. From perfectly transparent stones to material with visible milky inclusions, these unusual stones indicate that a wonderful journey yet awaits us.

Figure 4. Rainbow over Montana bracelet. Yellow gold and sapphires from Montana. Photo courtesy of Paula Crevoshay.
Illuminations, from Earth to Jewel runs at the Museum of Mineralogy at the ParisTech School of Mines until Wednesday, February 1, 2017. General admission is 6€. Students and seniors are 3€, and children under 12 are free. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 1:30 to 6:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:30pm and 2 to 5pm; it is closed on Sunday and Monday. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2018 Title: Exhibition Review: Cartier: The Exhibition Abstract: Figure 1. Once belonging to Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor, this necklace was originally created in 1951 and was altered in 1953. The necklace, measuring 37.5 cm in length, comprises Burmese rubies, diamonds, platinum, and gold. Photo by Vincent Wulveryck, courtesy of the Cartier Collection, © Cartier.

According to Simeran Maxwell, curator of international art at Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia, “decorative arts have long been relegated to the bottom of the art history pyramid.” They were aware, however, that the installation of Cartier: The Exhibition “would really excite audiences.” This is the first time ever that such a collection of the world’s most exclusive jewels has been made available for public viewing. The exhibition takes the visitor through fashion trends that reflect socioeconomic changes during the 1900s: the coming together of Old World aristocracy and the nouveau riche of the New World. The exhibition traces how the changing world of fashion is complemented by the timeless beauty of fine jewelry (figure 1). More than 300 items from Maison Cartier items spanning 70 years—from the turn of the 20th century through the 1970s—reflect the changes in both fashion and clientele.

For three years, NGA’s team worked collaboratively with Cartier and external agencies to deliver this exhibition, whichdisplays items from the Cartier Collection and several private collectors, as well as international organizations. Sections include “Defining Moments: 20th Century Icons,” “Royal Style: King of Jewellers and Jeweller of Kings,”’ “New Silhouettes: Art Deco and the Jazz Age,” “Exotic Fantasies: Eastern Inspiration,” and “Masculine Luxury: Effortless Style.” One area is devoted to the design house’s celebrity clientele (figure 2), highlighting Cartier’s talent for reflecting their clients’ personalities while creating memories and exotic stories.

Figure 2. Cartier: The Exhibition includes displays on royalty and other famous clients of Cartier.
 Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Australia.
As the popularity of theater and film grew through the 1900s, so did the demand for fine jewelry by the stars of those mediums. One such star was Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931), an internationally famous opera diva and one of Cartier’s best clients. In one year, Melba visited Cartier 25 times during May, her birthday month (S. Maxwell, pers. comm., 2018). The NGA exhibition includes two pieces by Cartier that belonged to Melba: the diamond and pearl devant de corsage (or stomacher) seen in figure 3, and a gem-set evening clutch, both on public display for the first time.

Figure 3. Dame Nellie Melba’s platinum, diamonds, and pearl devant de corsage (1902) has been converted into a necklace. From a private collection; photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Australia.
By the 1920s, Cartier was the leader in Art Deco Jewelry, with their sumptuous “Tutti Frutti” pieces conceived during that time. The jewelry house was also inspired by the treasures of Tutankhamen’s tomb—discovered in 1922—and incorporated references to ancient Egypt into their work. Cartier purchased Egyptian artifacts from Parisian dealers and worked them into contemporary pieces, often using diamonds, onyx, coral, and platinum settings. One piece contains a wonderful antique Egyptian lapis lazuli scarab (figure 4, top). Also on display was a design sketch of a similar piece (figure 4, bottom).

Figure 4. Top: A lapis lazuli scarab belt buckle (1926) features gold, platinum, Egyptian faience, diamonds, sapphires, and enamel. The piece measures 3.8 × 12.8 × 2.1 cm. Photo by Marian Gérard, courtesy of the Cartier Collection, © Cartier. Bottom: A design of a similar scarab belt buckle, also from 1926. Photo © Cartier.
The Great Depression of the 1930s and the World War II period are reflected in more subdued jewelry; the pieces from this era contrast greatly with the exuberance reflected in post-WWII pieces. A perfect example of this is the amethyst and turquoise bib necklace (figure 5) created for and owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. Other jewels owned by royalty are also on display. Among them are the Halo Tiara (figure 6, left), lent to Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, by Queen Elizabeth II of England for her 2012 wedding, and the engagement ring (figure 6, right) given to Grace Kelly by Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Figure 5. Wallis Simpson’s 1947 custom-created bib necklace features gold, platinum, diamonds, amethysts, and turquoises. Photo by Vincent Wulveryck, courtesy of the Cartier Collection, © Cartier.

Figure 6. Left: The 1936 platinum and diamond Halo Tiara, measuring 3 × 18 cm, was worn by Catherine Middleton during her 2012 wedding to Prince William. The tiara was lent to the exhibition by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Photo courtesy of the Royal Collection Trust. Right: The platinum and diamond ring given to American actress Grace Kelly by Prince Rainier III of Monaco on their engagement in 1956. Photo by Vincent Wulveryck, © Princely Palace of Monaco.
Of special interest to the gemologist are the gemstones on display. Over the years, some of the most important and exciting gemstones have been brought to Cartier for use in jewelry, while other gorgeous pieces have used smaller, less notable gem materials. These gems are brought to life and beautifully incorporated in exquisite items, such as a Greyhound vanity case (figure 7, left), through Cartier’s design and attention to fine detail. An excellent example is the 1934 Cartier Paris jadeite necklace (figure 7, right) once owned by American socialite Barbara Hutton. To the gemologist, this is one of the most beautiful items on display, featuring 27 imperial jadeite beads along with a Burmese ruby and diamond clasp. The beads were crafted by Cartier and range from 15.4 to 19.2 mm in diameter. The piece’s simplicity and color contrast are divine. To see it in real life is an unforgettable experience.The necklace is a recent acquisition for the Cartier Collection, with the earliest written record of it in the Cartier archives in 1933. The precise origin of the jadeite necklace is impossible to determine.

Figure 7. Left: The 1920 Greyhound vanity case (9.5 × 7.7 × 2 cm) is a custom piece created from platinum, pink gold, onyx, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, citrine, and amethysts. Photo by Marian Gérard, courtesy of the Pierre Cartier Foundation, © Cartier. Right: Barbara Hutton’s 51.5 cm necklace (1934) is crafted of platinum, gold, jadeite, diamonds, and rubies. Photo by Marian Gérard, courtesy of the Cartier Collection, © Cartier.
Another fine gem on display is the 478 ct faceted blue sapphire, measuring 49 × 39 × 25 mm, that once belonged to Queen Marie of Romania (figure 8). Believed to have a Sri Lankan origin, the sapphire was first recorded by Cartier in 1913 and in 1921 was bought by King Ferdinand for his wife. Around 1947, the gemstone became the property of Harry Winston.

Figure 8. Platinum and diamonds complement a 478 ct sapphire—once belonging to Queen Marie of Romania—in this 1913 pendant. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Qatar.
Of the many diamonds in the exhibition, among the most impressive is the Williamson Pink. The 58 ct rough was found on the surface at the Williamson diamond mine in Mwadui, Tanzania, in 1947. John Williamson, then owner of the mine, presented it to the future Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift. The stone was later recut to a 23.60 ct brilliant and set by Cartier at the heart of a flower brooch (figure 9). This piece is regularly worn by the Queen and said to be one of her favorites.

Figure 9. The Williamson Pink diamond brooch (1953) features platinum, diamonds, and pink diamond. The flower-shaped brooch, measuring 10 × 5.5 cm, was a wedding gift to then Princess Elizabeth of England in 1947. The brooch was lent to the exhibition by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Photo courtesy of the Royal Collection Trust.
Historical materials from Maison Cartier are also on display. These include Louis Cartier’s Book of Ideas, detailing his travels and purchases; original design drawings (themselves works of art); and plaster casts of jewelry produced throughout the years. Also shown are the benches of the craftsmen who made the pieces. Often little thought is given to those who crafted the jewelry, so this dedicated space acknowledges the jewelers and designers who made Cartier the jewelry house it is today.

While the chance to view Cartier: The Exhibitionis a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you can also immerse yourself in the world of Cartier with a captivating virtual reality experience—featuring actress María Félix’s glittering yellow diamond and emerald crocodile necklace—at https://nga.gov.au/cartier/. This will give those who cannot attend a taste of the wonder and fascination of Cartier.

Cartier: The Exhibition is on exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra until July 22, 2018. Tickets are AUS$27 for adults, AUS$25 for students, and AUS$20 for NGA members; children 16 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The NGA is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The reviewers would like to thank Simeran Maxwell of the National Gallery of Australia for her insights. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Super Bowl Rings: A Gallery of NFL Championship Rings Abstract: Photo courtesy NFL

                      The Super Bowl is the most popular sporting event in the United States – almost 110 million Americans watched the New England Patriots win a thrilling last-second victory against the Seattle Seahawks in February 2015. So it’s not surprising that the Super Bowl ring is a matter of serious interest.
Super Bowl Rings Through the Years
As the game has grown in popularity, the rings have become fancier: more diamonds and gemstones, more complex designs, and a lot more “wow” factor. Consider the first ring made in 1966 that sported a single one-carat diamond.

The New England Patriots, winners of Super Bowl XLIV, celebrated their victory with a Super Bowl ring that broke all records. Some 205 diamonds weighing 4.85 carats glittered in the NFL championship dazzler (the Patriot’s 2003 Super Bowl ring had 104 diamonds; the 2004 Super Bowl ring had 124 diamonds). Team owner Robert Kraft said he wanted this ring to outdo ones his earlier teams had received, and team officials proclaimed it was the “largest ring ever made.”

A bit more about the Patriot’s XLIV Super Bowl ring: Four marquise-cut diamonds on the ring’s table symbolize the Lombardi Trophy (the team has won four Super Bowls). Some 44 pavé-set round diamonds frame the team’s logo. The phrase “Do Your Job” is engraved on the side, along with the final score of the game (28 - 24).

Jostens, a leading designer and producer of championship rings, has created 32 of the 49 Super Bowl rings, all four of the Patriots’ Super Bowl rings, and dozens of football championship rings. GIA asked Chris Poitras, director, sports marketing and development, to share how Super Bowl rings are designed.
Super Bowl Rings Gallery

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Poitras explained that leaders of the winning team collaborate with Jostens’ master jewelers to design and produce custom championship rings for players and members of their organization.

Poitras described the process: “Our goal is to collaborate with the team. The thing that takes the most time when it comes to creating the rings is designing a piece that tells the story of the team, their great win, and the special season. Depending on their design, it can take anywhere from weeks to months to manufacture the rings from start to finish.”

Jostens uses CAD and rapid prototyping to design the rings. In addition, each ring goes through a lost wax process (a wax model of the ring is made, encased in material, the model burned away, and molten metal poured into the cavity), casting, finishing and polishing, and finally, stone-setting, where diamonds and other stones are hand set.

The New Orleans Saints won its first Super Bowl in 2010. The team’s colors are black and gold, and so is the championship ring. Photo courtesy Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. has created seven Super Bowl rings, and works with team leaders so that they reflect the championship season and the spirit and history of the franchise. For example, engraved inside the New York Giants ring in 2012 are the words “Finish” and “All In”– two inspirational phrases that rallied the team for the season.

The 2008 New York Giants got to the Super Bowl by winning eleven games on the road – a fact emblazoned on the side of the ring. The victory was the team’s third Super Bowl win. Photo courtesy Tiffany & Co.
Fun Facts About Super Bowl Rings

The NFL gives each team an allowance of $5,000 for 150 rings. Teams typically spend far more than the allotted money.
Lawrence Taylor’s 1991 Super Bowl Ring sold at auction in May 2011 for $230,401 – but most Super Bowl rings sell for far less. Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston’s ring from Super Bowl II sold for $50,788 in 2011.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders were such bitter rivals in the 1970s that the competition extended to their rings. The Raiders Super Bowl XI ring had 27 diamonds; the Steelers one-upped them by putting 30 diamonds in their Super Bowl XIII rings. The Raiders retaliated by putting 33 diamonds in their Super Bowl XV rings (see below).

Photo courtesy NFL
The average male professional sports player’s ring size is 12 or 13. For comparison, the average male non-professional athlete’s ring size is 10½. The largest size Super Bowl Ring ever produced was size 25 for William “Refrigerator” Perry, who played for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. To put it in perspective, a half-dollar coin (30.61mm dia.) could pass through Perry’s ring.
Lore of the Super Bowl Rings
Since Super Bowl rings are the stuff of legend, some incredible stories come with them. John Schmitt, the starting center for the New York Jets, lost his Super Bowl III ring in 1971, while surfing about a quarter mile off Hawaii’s shore. Schmitt grabbed a pair of flippers and a snorkel and dove for three hours, stopping when he was too exhausted to continue.

Photo courtesy Brenda K. Reichel
Some two decades later, Waikiki lifeguard John Ernstberg found the ring. Thinking it was a trinket, he stored it in a box. When Ernstberg passed away, Samuel and Cindy Saffrey (Ernstberg’s great niece) discovered the ring and took it to appraiser Brenda K. Reichel, GIA GG. Reichel saw it had a trademark by LG Balfour (a ring maker), 42 grams of gold and diamonds, as well as a score and a jersey number.

With permission from the Saffreys, Reichel started hunting down the owner. Three days later, she and the Saffrey’s called John Schmitt. Reichel recounts the conversation:

John asked if the Saffreys wanted any money. I told him they only wanted to give him back his ring. John broke down into tears. All of us were deeply moved. As for the ring, if I hadn’t attended GIA, I wouldn’t have known the diamonds were real.

Super Bowl rings have even sparked international incidents. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, ended up with Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s 4.94-carat Super Bowl ring during a visiting business delegation in 2005. In June 2013, Kraft said Putin “just put it in his pocket.” Putin said he “didn’t remember Kraft or the ring,” but has now promised a replacement. Kraft’s ring, valued at $25,000, remains in the Kremlin’s library. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2018 Title: Book Review: Rings Abstract: By Rachel Church, 160 pp., illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, London, UK, 2017, US$24.95.

Rings by Rachel Church is a well-curated overview of ring history based on the jewelry collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Though short, the book is packed with information.
Six chapters move through time from the Middle Ages, when jewelers were unsung and unremembered craftsmen, to the present, when individual jewelers are known and the work of name designers is sought after and collected.
Church writes, “to study rings is to study a miniature history of art and design.” However, each chapter outlines the successively shorter time periods it has taken for culture and society and jewelry design to change. The rings in each section reflect shifts in wedding and betrothal practices, religious beliefs and superstitions, memorial practices, and fashion. Rings denoting particular affiliations—with the church, royalty, and political loyalties—show how sources of power have shifted over centuries.
Chapter One: 1200–1500 explores rings during the Middle Ages, when gifts of rings affirmed the power and status of the giver and rewarded the loyalty and services of the recipient. Rings set with fine gemstones were the prerogative of the clergy, royalty, and the aristocracy. Incised or engraved gems from the ancient world as well as intaglios from the time of the Romans were also revered and set into rings.
As a gift of love, a ring was one of the types of gifts a woman was allowed to properly receive from a lover. Rings could provide talismanic protection when, as they commonly were, engraved with prayers or invocations against illness, accident and evil.
This was the time that magical lore and many beliefs about gemstones came into common knowledge, the result of translating the works of ancient lapidaries. However, not only precious gemstones, but homely materials became valued for their prophylactic properties. Witness the image of a spectacular ring with heavy engraved shank that is set with heart-shaped wolf’s tooth to protect against toothache and inscribed with an invocation against storms. A toadstone, actually the fossilized tooth of a prehistoric fish, was worn as an amulet against spider bites and other venoms.
Chapter Two: 1500–1700 shows that, during the Renaissance, rings were still used for personal protection and prayers but became more decorative and showy, with highly carved and enameled bezels and shoulders. Multi-part, interlocking “gimmel” rings became more prevalent and were sometimes used as wedding rings—the separate but joined rings reflecting the state of marriage. “Posy”—from poesie or poetry—rings also date from this time. These gifts of love, betrothal, and marriage were engraved with short romantic lines. They were so popular that for the unimaginative there were even compendiums of phrases from which to choose one’s verse.
The growing importance of secular, more material society was reflected in the increased presence of signet rings—plain or gemstone set—engraved with a family crest or merchant’s symbol. Extraordinary gold rings, such as the one set with an exceptional emerald and diamonds that is believed to have been given by King James II to his chaplain, were still used to cement loyalty between royalty and those who served them well.
During the Middle Ages, memento mori rings were intended to remind the wearer of the brevity of life with their macabre skulls and other symbols of deaths. However, during the Renaissance, there was a subtle shift away from emphasis on one’s own mortality to the memorialization of someone else’s passing. The rings were usually inscribed with the name of the deceased and their date of death, and they could be very simple or beautifully enameled remembrances. Simple rings were often given to mourners.
The introduction of the new rose cut caused many women to have their diamonds recut and reset into fashionable designs often derived from flowers. Enameled designs might be based on the work of French floral artists. Center stones might be surrounded by smaller stones imitating the petals of a flower.
Chapter Three: 1700–1820 covers the period defined by Rococo and Neoclassical design. During this time, the fashion for floral-based rings grew and became more complex. There was a passion for giardinetti, or “little garden” rings created by setting colored stones into intricate patterns forming baskets and vases of flowers. Diamond rings became a necessary accessory for any gentleman.
Memorial rings, as bequests to friends and gifts to mourners, became so popular that they were a staple of jewelers who “advertised their ability to make mourning rings neatly and expeditiously.” Large mourning rings would often exhibit painted miniatures, hair under crystal, and enameled images. Not only friends and family were memorialized, but political leaders and military heroes, too, were commemorated. Church has included an image of the illustrated memorial ring made in remembrance of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).
As society became increasingly secularized, rings symbolizing an affiliation with political party rather than with royalty or aristocracy or church proliferated. Membership in clubs, social, and fraternal organizations, such as the freemasons, was also marked with the wearing of rings that incorporated their emblems.
One interesting societal and legal change impacted the importance of the ring in marriage. Before the mid-1700s, the “lawful basis for a marriage was simply the exchange of vows in the present tense by the two parties, and a wedding could take place at any time of day.” Often the legitimacy of a marriage was determined by the gift of the ring. However, this could result in the kidnapping of a woman—particularly an heiress—who was forced into an unwanted marriage, and perhaps had a ring forced on her legitimizing the union. The Marriage Act of 1753, however, required that weddings take place in an Anglican church, during the day, and only after the publication of the banns. This meant that while rings were still part of the service, the real proof of the marriage lay in the church register and in the testimony of witnesses.
Chapter 4: 1820–1900 describes changes brought about by the Romantic movement, when artists looked to the past as idealized eras. Design ideas from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were reinterpreted, as well as those from the Rococo and Neoclassical periods. In rings, loving sentiments were spelled out with gemstones, with each letter of a word represented by the first letter of the name of the stone. For those with a longer message to deliver, there was enamel. The book shows a particularly delightful gold ring with small doors that open to reveal sections of a message much like the “She loves me, she loves me not” of a plucked circle of daisy petals. In this case, each door hides “I love you a little/a lot/ passionately/not at all.” A subtler message of eternal love was delivered by an emerald ring in the shape of a snake, given by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria on their engagement.
“Romantic” though this period was, it was also practical. Although the value in a wedding ring is primarily in its sentiment, in 1855, Parliament required that all wedding rings bear hallmarks.
Chapter 5: 1900–1950, raises the curtain on the twentieth century and the dawn of the “Me” and “Look at Me” generations. Gone are rings of power, magic, affiliation, and mourning. The demand for fashion rings, started in the previous century, outstripped just about all other roles except for wedding and engagement. It is during this time that the major jewelry houses emerged.
The Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements led this explosion of design that emphasized originality above almost all else. These designs were often characterized by the use of “semi- precious” stones such as opals, moonstones, and unusual stones such as amber, jadeite, and chalcedony. Art Deco in particular incorporated modern materials such as plastics.
The use of less expensive materials became pronounced as the Great Depression took hold everywhere, and the trend was to “create an atmosphere of luxury with inexpensive materials that everyone can afford.” But with the return of luxury after World War II, gemstones took center stage as never before as film and stage stars began to wear large faceted gemstones such as citrines, aquamarines, and star stones both on the screen and off.
Chapter 6: 1950–Present brings the reader speeding into the art and studio jewelry world, as jewelry makers began to emphasize metalwork in their designs. Large rings, either unset or set with gemstones took over the hand. They began to look more like small sculptures than jewelry. Designers used unusual combinations of gemstones and materials. One image that demonstrates this dramatically is Bernhard Schobinger’s “Uhrfragment.” The ring is made from “braided metal wire” and a jeweled watch movement that looks as if it has been heated with a torch and burned. The rough, blackened textures contrast sharply with the single, luminous round pearl set in the center. This is not a ring anyone would have seen in any previous age.
Individual designers stepped out and became as well known as the celebrities they dressed. Galleries exhibiting studio jewelry opened their doors. The value in a ring might still be intrinsic to the materials used—gold and precious gemstones—but more often the value became attached to the art involved or to the designer’s name. Color, once provided by gemstones and enamel, began to be replaced with acrylics. In short, the only rule in the twentieth century was that just about anything goes.
Such a reference depends on the number, choice, and quality of the images, as well as the pieces selected. In Rings, the quality of both is exceptionally high. Hand-engraved pieces from 800 years ago look as if they were done yesterday. Full-page images allow examination of the smallest detail. In addition, there are paintings and photos of how rings have been worn and by whom in each era. There are also fascinating pages from old design books and jewelers’ ledgers that record finished drawings of pieces next to a coded breakdown of the labor and material costs.
The Notes section is fascinating, showing how far afield the study of jewelry can take you, with references to Old Bailey Proceedings, the study of wills, and personal histories as well as titles such as Mistress, Maids and Men: Baronial Life in the Thirteenth Century and At Home in Renaissance Italy. There is an interview with Dame Edith Sitwell. Even Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and John Donne’s poetry serve as sources. In addition, there is a glossary, suggestions for further reading, a brief history of the V&A’s collection, and a short list of other major collections featuring rings.
Rings is an excellent resource for antiques researchers or anyone interested in the story of jewelry in human history. As such, it is a wonderful companion to Cycles of Life: Rings from the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Jeweled Splendors of the Art Deco Era: The Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection Abstract: By Sarah Davis, hardcover, 256 pp., illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, New York, 2017, US$75.00

Jeweled Splendors of the Art Deco Era showcases the art and craft of jewelers, enamelists, lapidaries, and designers. It features 116 Art Deco masterworks, primarily cigarette cases, compacts and lipstick containers, and timepieces. Produced as a catalog for the April–August 2017 exhibition of the same name at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, Jeweled Splendors is a book for any art collector or connoisseur of the jeweler’s art.

The works pictured are breathtaking in their craftsmanship, their ingenuity, and their astonishing use of color. Many exhibit perfectly smooth and glossy enameled surfaces. These are accented with either colored gemstones or platinum set with diamonds. Other surfaces are inlaid with hardstones and mother–of-pearl in painterly images. Some boxes are cut from a single block of agate or marble. The colors are bold yet harmonious. The term “feast for the eyes” is often overdone yet fitting here. Each image is clear and crisp, as if you could touch the object. The one thing missing is any way to experience the satisfying weight these gold objects must have in the hand.

The glorious items and the lush photography make it almost easy to overlook the three essays interwoven with the images, which are compact histories of Art Deco in general and the place of these objects in that history. The essays might also be overlooked because of the delicacy of the typeface chosen. Although this was probably a deliberate choice, made to allow the images to take center stage, the fineness of the type makes it difficult to read in low light. If there’s any complaint about the book, it is this.

The catalog text, written by Sarah Davis, an editor for the American Society of Jewelry Historians, is separate from the exhibit pieces. This is a welcome effort to avoid distracting readers from the beauty of the works. Yet the text is close at hand, placed at the end of each essay. Each entry is illustrated with a small color image—a pleasure for anyone who has tried to track down pieces at the back of a book by chasing catalog numbers. While Doug Rosa’s 348 magnificent photographs show each piece in exquisite detail and color, and make the book virtually impossible to put down, the three essays by three different curators are fascinating reading.

“East and West: Oriental Exoticism in the Decorative Arts,” by Evelyne Possémé of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris provides a brief history of the European “discovery” of art from the Middle East, India, China, and Japan and how it affected European decorative arts, inspiring designers to first copy and then merge artistic elements from a number of cultures. Chinese motifs and carvings were combined with Islamic garden design and graphic decoration. Japanese inro influenced the shape and style of the vanities that held women’s cosmetics and cigarettes in the Jazz Age. And enameled surfaces echoed the lacquer work of China and Japan. “European artists continued to feast on differences and discoveries, creating an art that constantly renewed and original,” writes Possémé. Eventually the elements of many cultures were refined and combined to such an extent that the style became a new one altogether: Art Deco.

“Feminine Elegance: Jeweled Accessories for the Modern Woman,” by Stephen Harrison at the Cleveland Museum of Art, examines the societal changes after World War I that contributed to demand for the kinds of objects featured in the exhibit. Mass-produced cigarettes became widely available, and cigarette companies promoted them as a sign of sophistication. Women, newly emancipated with their short, sleek fashions and bobbed hair, began frequenting jazz clubs with partners, and there they acquired the smoking habit. In fact, writes Harrison, women quickly became “the mainstay of a burgeoning tobacco industry.” They needed convenient cases, like men, to store and carry their cigarettes. But they also needed vanities to keep their makeup close by for freshening up. Cigarette cases became “artistic symbols of status, wealth and privilege” that embodied “taste, independence, and the means to achieve both.”

For designers, metalsmiths, enamelists, and jewelers, these containers provided much larger creative canvases than could be found in small jewelry pieces, and they pulled out all the stops in using those canvases to showcase “their finest techniques in jewelry setting, composition, artistic design, and mechanical innovation,” writes Harrison.

“Jeweled Innovation: Design and Manufacture in Art Deco Masterpieces,” by Sarah D. Coffin at Cooper Hewitt is a wonderful examination of the use of color, and how the unique mechanisms for opening these objects lent their own mystique and desirability. As the great jewelry houses realized the demand for these accessories, they began to carry them in their showrooms. And they began to compete aggressively for the business of the ultra-wealthy. This meant commissioning works by the finest box makers, or even partnering with or annexing them. The best artists often worked for several of the jewelry houses, frequently signing their work. Coffin relates the greens of enamel and stones such as aventurine to the relatively new creation of public gardens in Paris, and its symbolism of growth, and freshness. Black enamel, as used in these objects, was no longer the color of mourning, but paralleled the “little black dress” worn by women as they “stepped out” in the evenings; it also provided an excellent backdrop to the platinum and diamonds that decorated the works. But as a sign of modernity, and as a result of the competition for novelty between houses, intricate mechanisms were engineered for these pieces. They might be jeweled or hidden in clever ways. Compartments opened or slid from recesses. Lids opened at the push of a button, allowing them to be opened with one hand. (Many a movie from this era shows a sophisticated man opening a case with one hand to offer a cigarette.) Cases opened like envelopes, or drawers. Catches wrapped the edges or pierced lids. It was during this period, too, that Cartier introduced its Mystery clocks, and these are represented in the collection along with pendant watches concealed in elegant necklaces.

Jeweled Splendors of the Art Deco Era also includes an introduction by Princess Catherine Aga Khan, who received these beautiful gifts from Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, and Pierre Rainero, the image and heritage director of Cartier, the firm that created many of these objects. The understated and exquisite book design is by Judith Hudson.

This is a book to return to again and again, a book to treasure. It is a deeply satisfying opportunity to examine, close up, a noteworthy collection. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: The Classic Goldsmith Abstract: By Mark Maxwell, softcover, 122 pp., illus., publ. by Maxwell Press, Oceanside, CA, 2015, US$29.95.

Benchie… Do you know that term? Well, this is a great little book, by a benchie, for benchies. That doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate it if you aren’t one, but it’s really geared to that demographic. By the way, benchie is an affectionate name for bench jewelers: the folks who take bits and pieces of precious metals and some gemstones and work their magic to create the wonderful delights of ornamentation we call jewelry. They’re also the ones who will take in a treasured jewelry heirloom that has seen better days, and they’ll either breathe life back into it or transform it into something completely new.

	What this book is not: It is not quick and easy, comprehensive, exhaustive, encyclopedic, the beginner’s guide to anything, or a coffee table edition. So how can I call it a great little book? It’s a bit like the old-time baseball player with the high batting average whose motto was, “Hit ’em where they ain’t.” There are numerous books about jewelry that fit into the above categories, but the field is much more open for a book full of projects for intermediate to advanced jewelers, and this is where it shines.

	The book is a collection of projects that were originally published by Mark Maxwell in MJSA Journal’s “At the Bench” column over a period of years. As a trade publication published by Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America, it is clearly aimed at insiders. This collection is not a simple reprint, though. This well-illustrated, self-published effort (available through Amazon.com) has expanded upon those articles and added more in-depth instructions and insights.

	Organized into seven chapters of increasing complexity, from sawing and filing to metal inlay and even CAD, it is a guide to instruct you through a range of projects, and also a nudge to go beyond the project at hand. Thinking ahead, planning the work, and precision and accuracy are repeatedly emphasized, so that finished projects will show to their best advantage and function correctly. The assumption here is that as a bench jeweler, you already know how to use your tools, and these projects will broaden your horizons and stretch your abilities. There are no magical skills required, but you must set your standards high to succeed with these projects. There are also optional workflow suggestions, depending on the availability of some advanced tools such as a laser welder.

	Some projects end up as finished jewelry—rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and so forth—while others are exquisitely contrived components such as latches, clasps and hinged mechanisms. Being able to fabricate specialized components such as these is another skill that sets apart a master goldsmith.

	The only thing that would be disappointing would be to see a pristine copy of this book. Don’t get me wrong: I love and collect books of all stripes, but this book is meant to be used. It needs to have smudged margins, some gold and silver filings wedged in the spine, and even a few dog-eared pages. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: New Rings: 500+ Designs Abstract: By Nicolas Estrada, paperback, 272 pp., illus., publ. by Thames & Hudson, London, 2016, $34.95.

	Contemporary art meets handcrafted fashion in Nicolas Estrada’s second edition of New Rings. With the feel of an exhibition catalog, every page of this fascinating book features an arrangement of rings—each example shown is a miniature sculpture. Some are ready-to-wear, and—from the finger to the top of the bureau—all are ready to make a statement.

	For this new edition, Estrada has added new works by Jina Seo, Elvira Golombosi, Polly Horwich, Nancy Newberg, Drilling Lab, Cinnamon Lee, Helen Britton, Cristina Zani, Jorge Castañon and many more pioneering jewelers and designers. Estrada has removed Joanne Haywood’s “Emblems of Alliance” and reorganized the essay selection. Marjorie Simon’s essay has been replaced by a new introduction by Carles Codina Armengol. Estrada has also updated his own work, added his own bio to the index of artists, and included an acknowledgments page at the end.

	While much has changed with this second edition, much also remains the same. The compendium begins with four essays, each illuminating a different point of view about the symbolism of ring wearing. The heart of the book lies in the 233 pages of ring images, divided into five sections: Individuality, Expression, Rebellion, Commitment, and Connection. Each chapter is marked with a hand symbol highlighted by a dot on one finger, as if to indicate the Individuality section relates to the thumb, Expression the pointer finger, and so on. This is where the book could benefit from fuller illumination about each chapter. While the rings speak for themselves in many ways, it would be wonderful to hear more about Estrada’s thought process. For example, how does the pinky finger—and perhaps the pinky ring—relate to the subject of connection? Are the rings in the fifth chapter all pinky rings? While the meaning behind the curation of each section may not be quite so literal, it would be wonderful to hear more about how Estrada selected pieces for each section. Surely he has stories to share about what some or most of these pieces represent.

	Born in Medellin, Colombia, Estrada moved to Barcelona, Spain to work in marketing, but instead turned his attention to jewelry making. He cites his transition to making and admiring contemporary, radical, innovative, and conceptual jewelry stems from a need to free himself from the violence he experienced in his native city. He says he regards these works as both therapy and social critique.

	In addition to New Rings, Estrada also has equally intriguing compendiums of New Earrings (Thames & Hudson, 2013) and New Necklaces (Promopress, 2016). With the selections he gathers and curates in each of his books, it’s easy to recognize a diverse mix of emotions ranging from anguish and rebellion to elation and excitement. It would be so gratifying to hear more of his thoughts from these pages, to hear his voice, to learn more about how his experiences have led him to love or hate these pieces.

	Nevertheless, it’s also easy to see how such transparency may also muffle the mystery that makes Estrada the kind of author-curator he is. And while his experience would be fascinating to read, he doesn’t need to make such a strong appearance here to make a statement. The reader can still be drawn in by the images of the rings rather than the symbolic meanings of the chapters or the author’s point of view. She will pour over the pages, getting lost in her own translation of the dark details of Dauvit Alexander’s Four Cocktail Rings of the Apocalypse, the solid sensuality of Yuyen Chang’s Orifice Rings, the movement of Michael Berger’s Kinetic Rings, the included frog in Mi-Mi Moscow’s rings, and the functional aspects of Tithi Kutchamuch’s Vase Garden. Without a need for explanation, there’s a ring for everyone to admire or abhor within these pages. Herein lies the brilliance of this intersection of art, design, craftsmanship, and fashion. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design Abstract: By Stellene Volandes with a foreword by Carolina Herrera, hardcover, 255 pp., illus., publ. by Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 2016, $85.00.

Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design by Stellene Volandes is a large-format visual feast of jewelry design. Jeweler showcases the work of 17 jewelry designers from around the world: Hemmerle (Munich), Elena Votsi (Athens), Mark Davis (Brooklyn), Nicholas Varney (New York), Wallace Chan (New York), James de Givenchy (New York), Giampiero Bodino (Milan), Judy Geib (Williamsburg, Virginia), Suzanne Syz (Geneva), Bhagat (Mumbai), Sevan Biçakçi (Istanbul), Lydia Courteille (Paris), Muriel Grateau (Paris), Luz Camino (Madrid), Antonia Miletto (Venice), Marie-Helene de Taillac (New York), and Lauren Adriana (London). There is also a foreword by Carolina Herrera, an introduction, and an index of photos by designer.

Jeweler is a very personal selection by Volandes, editor-in-chief at Town & Country magazine, who appears to prefer large, bold work. Yet the drama of the pieces and their impeccable craftsmanship are their only commonalities, as techniques and materials range across the board. There is Miletto’s quiet use of exotic woods, Davis’s repurposing of Bakelite, Biçakçi’s astonishing “inverse intaglio” gemstone carving, Syz’s playful use of enamel and titanium, Bodino’s use of traditional techniques in non-traditional presentations, and the breathtaking setting work of Varney and Chan. All the works feature vividly colored gemstones and enamels, except those by Grateau, who favors black and white. Every piece in Jeweler is a work of art best worn alone with the classic black dress (or black shirt, in the case of Syz’s cufflinks).

	The text touches lightly on each designer’s history and the manufacturing techniques used. There are some lovely passages, such as Volandes’s description of Chan’s “Wallace Cut”: “Equal doses workmanship and wizardry, it was created through endless hours of imagination that turned into years of experimentation.” However, the author’s personal journey is front and center as she discovers the work of each designer, visits their ateliers, and discusses the work at a jazz club or fine restaurant. She recreates for readers her experience of the lush environments in which these pieces are exhibited, often by appointment only.

	It’s impossible to write about Jeweler without mentioning its striking use of typography. Each section opens with one piece, the designer’s name, and a descriptive tagline—such as “The Modern Dynasty” (Hemmerle), “Olympian Talent” (Votsi), or “The Myth Maker” (Courteille)—in a font size so large it bleeds off the page. A quote from the text is spread over the next two pages with another featured piece of jewelry. Finally, opposite the first page text, the initial capital of the designer’s last name is enlarged so much that it is virtually abstract; a third piece of jewelry is wound around, set on, or stacked against the columns and shapes of the letter form. Each of these uses of type reinforces the idea that these designers are giants in their field, larger than life, their work almost too large for the pages. This is further emphasized by the enormous image sizes, often one per 9 × 13-inch page, or one piece spread over two pages.

	Although the name of the book design firm (NR2154) and its principals are credited, the photographer, without whom this book could not have been created, is not. There is also a disappointing lack of acknowledgment of the makers of many of these pieces. Though readers may infer that all the designers were hands-on, it appears that many of them—who may have come from other design or jewelry-related fields—do not have bench training; Volandes mentions when a designer (such as Judy Geib) was trained in jewelry manufacturing. Many of the designers produce drawings that are works of art in themselves (the Varney drawing of a hooded falcon is almost indistinguishable from the final piece next to it), and there is no question about the brilliance of the design concepts. However, the production of these often incredibly complex pieces is the work of talented cutters, setters, wax carvers, fabricators, and polishers. It’s a shame that there is so little recognition of these skilled hands from either the designers or Volandes.

Jeweler is not a book to keep on a shelf. It is meant to be displayed, opened, paged through, admired, and shared, which makes the lack of a dust jacket seem a questionable design decision. The rich, deep blue cloth cover of Jeweler is embellished with gold lettering, which seems almost monochromatic in contrast to the blaze of colors inside. However, over time and through handling, the lettering may wear away, and the magnet-like texture of the binding will collect dust, stains, and pet hair, eventually creating a shopworn appearance at sharp odds with the work inside.

	Overall, Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design is a joy to behold. As a beautiful object of design in itself, it is a book for collectors of art, design, and jewelry or, really, anyone who appreciates beautiful things. In Jeweler, jewelry makers and designers will find insight into the often rarified world of ultra-high-end international jewelry design and plenty of inspiration for years to come. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Wallace Chan: Dream Light Water Abstract: By Juliet Weir De La Rochefoucauld and Wallace Chan, 380 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Rizzoli, New York, 2016, US$280.00.

	With the September 2015 release of “A Heritage in Bloom,” the world’s most expensive diamond necklace, Chinese jewelry designer Wallace Chan returned to center stage. The exquisite necklace showcases the 104.27 ct D-color, internally flawless Cullinan Heritage diamond, together with 23 D–IF stones cut from the same rough, pink diamonds, white diamonds of different sizes, mutton-fat nephrite jade, and green jadeite. The piece is considered a milestone for Chow Tai Fook, the world’s largest jewelry retailer; it also symbolizes a new height of his design career, a path outlined in the recently released Wallace Chan: Dream Light Water. Written by Juliet Weir de La Rochefoucauld and Chan himself, the book takes readers on a colorful tour of the designer’s master works over the past 42 years. Through the 86 pieces selected, one reaches a better understanding of Chan’s life and design philosophy.

	Following the title of the book, the authors start with dreams and the theme of butterflies. Zhuan Zi, founder of the Taoist philosophy, had a dream of being transformed into a butterfly. When he woke up, he realized it was a dream yet wondered whether it was him becoming a butterfly or the other way around. While every entry in the book of Zhuangzi has a philosophical point, this has been one of the most widely cited. The story also carries the essential spirit of Taoism, which is simply that all objects in nature are just different forms of one single entity. Unlike Confucianism, Taoism treasures the pursuit of freedom, which was valued by many scholars throughout history and is becoming more popular today. By adopting butterflies as the theme in many of his jewelry pieces, Chan is attempting to free himself and the wearer from the complications of the internal and external world. The butterfly is also one of the themes best suited to colored gems.

	Originally a carver, Chan has devoted most of his energies to the application of carving to jewelry manufacture. In working with transparent colored gems, he is dedicated to better displaying the interaction between light, gem, and viewer. Over the years, he continued perfecting his manufacturing skills and innovated many patented techniques, with the “Wallace Cut” as the best example. This special cut perfectly combines the medieval cameo with intaglio carving to generate a three-dimensional trompe l’oeil effect. As Chan has said, he lives and breathes light. This is vividly illustrated by many master works in this book. The cover features the pendant of his “Now and Always” necklace. The center stone is a piece of aquamarine fashioned as a Wallace Cut. A single Goddess’s face was carved on the back of the stone in intaglio, and the likeness was reflected by the different facets of the stone to create this “goddess with a thousand faces” effect.

	Chan notes at the end of the book that when he works, his creativity flows out of him like water. With its gentle strength, flexibility, and eternal tenacity, flowing water is the highest standard of human behavior in Chinese culture. Fitting in with other people, the environment, and nature is the best way to live. With this in mind, Chan broke the barrier between East and West, between old and new. Through hard work and manufacturing expertise, he invented techniques to set colored gems into jade and create a lit-from-within effect. “Plum Flowers in Snow,” “Tender Is My Skin,” and “A Heritage in Bloom” are the best examples.

	The book is artistically designed, featuring jewelry pieces shown with different angles and special effects to elaborate the details. Looking at these images, it is like gradually zooming in and unveiling the secrets hidden by the designer. Today, Wallace Chan remains completely involved in every step of jewelry making in his business. He believes that while the innovation of manufacture techniques and skills comes from diligent research, continuous experimentation, and daily practice, a humble mind and tenacity are the keys to his stature as a leading jewelry designer. As he puts in the book: “Creativity starts with emptiness and the unknown.”

	Overall, Wallace Chan: Dream Light Water is a very engaging experience, as well as a rich source of inspiration for professional jewelry designers and collectors. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Graff Abstract: By Suzy Menkes, Vivienne Becker, Maria Doulton, Joanna Hardy, Nina Hald, Nicholas Foulkes, and Joanne Harris, 270 pp., Rizzoli International Publishing, New York, 2015, $95.00.

	London-based jeweler Graff Diamonds was founded in 1960. Since that time, Graff has become an internationally known and important purveyor of large diamonds of historical renown. With stores around the globe, the Graff name has become synonymous with opulence and rarity in jewelry circles. Graff Diamonds has been awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade multiple times, and Graff himself was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2013. This luxurious, large-format book pays homage to the jewelry house in eight lavish chapters.

	Chapter I, titled “Beginnings,” chronicles Laurence Graff’s humble origins. Born into a working-class family on London’s East End, Graff left school at age 15 to become an apprentice in a jewelry shop. After a scant three months, he was let go because he would “never make the grade.” Undeterred, Graff went on to found his own business, which continues to grow through hard work and solid ethics – values he credits to his mother. According to Mr. Graff, his mother continued to “check up” on him until she died at age 98, reminding him to always be “honest in his dealings with other people.”

	Chapter II, called “Image,” shows the building of the Graff brand though reprints of many of their famous ads through the decades. The ads are visually stunning, and graphically bold. Of particular interest in this chapter are ads from the famous “Military Campaign” of the 80s and the “Green Campaign” of the 90s.

	The authors recount the mineral aspects of diamond in chapter III, called “Miracles.” Here, diamond formation and origin is explained for the reader in the most generalized way, with photos showing the mining and sorting of rough crystals. There is also an outline of Graff’s vertically-integrated business, which starts at the mine and moves the diamond through cutting and finally to the creation of the jewelry that shows the stone at its best advantage.

	The uniqueness of the Graff brand is vividly portrayed in chapters IV–VI. “Rarity” features fascinating discussions on some of the famous diamonds that Graff has owned. These include the Graff Pink, the Letseng Star, the Wittelsbach-Graff, and the Lesotho Promise. Chapters V and VI, “Artistry,” and “Craft,” respectively, depict the work of Graff atelier. Pieces of magnificent jewelry are shown moving from watercolor designs on paper through to the finished piece.

	Chapter VII, called “Time,” showcases Graff’s gem-encrusted, horological masterpieces including the Graff Hallucination. The Hallucination is set with more than 110 carats of colored diamonds and is thought to be the most valuable watch ever created. Graff first started producing watches in 2008. The first of these were inspired by cut diamonds and as such, the watch bezels echo the facets of a round brilliant-cut gem. The style has since become a Graff signature, but they have also produced some exceedingly valuable and rare watches using different designs, such as the previously mentioned Hallucination. Finally, chapter VIII is called “Temptation.” In this chapter, author Joanne Harris recalls her first experience buying a Graff diamond with her husband, relating the magical experience and how the diamond, worn in a necklace, continues to symbolize the life she shares with her husband.

	The volume is highlighted throughout with outstanding color photos, but unlike many books in this style, a unique insert is included. It shows, in full color and at actual size, a chronological overview, of over 100 significant colorless and fancy-colored diamonds purchased by Graff between 1974 and 2015. This underscores the impressive variety and very large number of important diamonds handled by this one firm.

	Graff is highly recommended, not only for lovers of diamonds and stunning jewelry, but for those interested in the successful story of a “self-made” man. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Wartski: The First Hundred and Fifty Years Abstract: By Geoffrey Munn, hardcover, 288 pp., illus., publ. by Antique Collectors’ Club Ltd., Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, 2015, US$125.00.

	Family-owned businesses are the backbone of the gem and jewelry industry. This is true for both small-scale companies and internationally known brands. One British-based family firm founded in the nineteenth century is the focus of Wartski: The First Hundred and Fifty Years, a commemoration of the company’s landmark anniversary. Since 1865, Wartski has specialized in Russian royal court art, fine jewelry, and silversmithing, building a world-class clientele (including the British royal family and numerous celebrities) along the way. Built on the efforts and dedication of the four generations from two families and its passionate employees, Wartski is still very active in the fine jewelry trade.

	Author Geoffrey Munn has worked for Wartski for over 40 years, since the age of 19. Today, he is the company’s managing director and official historian, a certified antiques expert, a BBC television show presenter, and a successful writer, as well as a renowned expert on Faberge metalwork and jewelry. A great storyteller, Munn brilliantly connects the most spectacular artworks with the human story of this unique business on each page of this book.  While readers will be immediately attracted by the exquisite photos and illustrations (particularly of the fine metalwork, jewelry, and celebrity patrons), Munn emphasizes at the start that this is a book to elaborate on the history of the business rather than the amazing artworks it collected and sold.

	The preface and the first two chapters are riveting, digging deep into the origins, growth, and all the challenges and successes of Wartski. The story of how founder Morris Wartski, the great-grandfather of the current business owner, had a life changing opportunity and opened the family’s first ever business in Bangor, North Wales reads like a movie script. Through hard work, integrity, expertise, and outstanding salesmanship, they successfully conquered all the difficulties met in the past century and half. Present jewelry businesses may have different challenges to face, but how this firm survived some of the critical periods in history might shed light on today’s practices. For instance, during the 1950s auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s stepped into the jewelry business, and Wartski felt the pressure of their presence. By sticking to their specialties like the Russian Fabergé eggs, jewelry and other art pieces, Wartski further strengthened its expertise on special collections and not only survived , but thrived.

	Wartski first gained attention from the British royal family due to their spectacular collection of Russian royal court jewels and artwork, especially those made by Carl Fabergé, including the 13 famous imperial Fabergé eggs. The second generation of Wartski jewelers were among the first to purchase these treasures from aristocrats after the Russian Revolution and from the Soviet government when it needed money to facilitate the new country. These painstaking purchases built a solid base for this brand, and attracted the British royal family members, whom Wartski has served as jewelers ever since. Today, Wartski has a royal appointment as jeweler to both Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales.

	The following chapters elaborate upon the diligent work done by the family to collect the world’s finest jewelry and metalwork (such as the Egyptian crown jewels) and the clients who visited and supported Wartski over the years, including former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, author Ian Fleming, and the current Duke and Duchess of Cambridge The important clients of Wartski will attract a lot of readers even they are not in the industry. The enthusiasm of collecting and the future of the business are also explored.  All content was extremely well illustrated with eye-catching photos of well-known jewelry and precious metalwork, along with images of pieces never seen before.

	Though Munn has chosen to focus on the company’s history, one intriguing story involving a specific piece focuses on the lost imperial Fabergé Easter egg. Named “Nécessaire,” the egg was commissioned by Alexander III of Russia in 1889. It was set with diamonds, ruby cabochons, emeralds, a large colored diamond, and a sapphire cabochon, and the interior showed a little box mounted with 13 diamonds. The last showing of this piece occurred at Wartski in June of 1952. An anonymous buyer purchased it from the store; since then, the whereabouts of this treasure are lost. Munn’s exploration of Nécessaire’s whereabouts, based on a black and white photo taken during its last show at Wartski, will be fascinating to many readers.

	What distinguishes this book from most others is the depth of the knowledge and the insights Munn delivered to the readers. His fantastic storytelling skill adds charm to this book and made it an enjoyable experience for jewelry professional and enthusiasts alike. Readers get to know behind-the-scene stories and appreciate the diligent work jewelers and collectors do before they present these breathtaking pieces of art to the public.

	Overall, Wartski: The First Hundred and Fifty Years is fascinating in many different ways; it is well worth reading and will be a great addition to any jewelry book collection. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #19: Quickly, Accurately Saw Around a Sharp Corner Abstract: Saw around a sharp corner

Sawing is an essential skill for a bench jeweler. This article will show you a technique that will increase your sawing speed and accuracy when you need to make sharp corner cuts – and reduce your likelihood of breaking delicate saw blades.

First, be sure to observe all sawing basics. Make sure the blade is properly held in the saw frame and that it is lubricated.

In order to create a sharp corner, you can make a saw cut into the corner, then remove the saw blade and cut into the corner from another direction.

	This illustration shows how the saw blade cuts around a sharp corner.
It is possible to make a crisp 90-degree corner without backtracking, however. The material you are sawing should be supported firmly on a flat and level bench pin that has a cutout for piercing. Be sure the saw blade is perpendicular to the work surface while you are cutting. If the blade is tilted left, right, forward or backward, it will distort the cut and likely break the blade.

Saw along your line as you approach the corner. When you reach the corner, stop the forward movement of the blade, but keep moving it up and down. Next, change the direction of the cut by either turning the saw frame or moving the object. It is important to keep the saw blade moving up and down as you change direction. The teeth of the saw blade, which are slightly offset, will cut the metal away as the blade is turning, allowing you to saw right around the corner without breaking the blade.

	You can create a sharp corner by making the turn a short distance from it, then returning to touch it up.
With practice, you can make sharp corners of all angles. For corners less than 90 degrees, make your turn a short distance from the corner. This will leave the corner slightly rounded, but you can just come back and make the corner crisp with a few quick saw cuts. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #18: How To Modify a Wooden Ring Clamp Abstract: Modify a Wooden Ring Clamp

One persistent daily challenge a bench jeweler faces is trying to figure out the best way to hold onto tiny, delicate objects while performing mechanical operations such as sawing, filing or burring bearings for stone setting.

There are dozens of tools available for this purpose, some centuries old and some that are modern, sophisticated and often quite expensive. An alternative is to make a simple modification to a wooden ring clamp—which holds rings and other jewelry items—that turns it into a useful, multi-function holder.

The ring clamp is usually braced against the bench pin as you work. Trouble can develop if the clamp slips while you are applying pressure. When you push downward on the ring with a prong pusher, for example, the clamp can slip out of place—even slightly—and cause a sudden movement that results in a chipped stone, damaged prong or injury to your finger or hand.

	The inset shows the original shape of the ring clamp. Grinding a groove to modify it will help brace the clamp more securely and give you a greater range of motion as you work.
If you grind a channel in the ring clamp, however, you can lock it in place with the bench pin. This provides more stable support for the work in progress and enhances your accuracy and safety.

	The groove in the ring clamp locks it into place against the bench pin for safety and stability as you work.
An 80 grit ½” x ½” abrasive band and mandrel (drum arbor) works well for this modification. Draw a reference line on the ring clamp about 10mm from the end. Use the abrasive band to create a two-millimeter indentation around the ring clamp. Test the groove against your bench pin(s) and make adjustments as necessary so the clamp locks in place.

This simple modification will make your tool more stable and reduce the chance of damaged jewelry or injury. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #16: How to Modify a Goldsmith Hammer Abstract: Modify a goldsmith's hammer

Jewelers and metalsmiths have had to make their own tools throughout the ages to accomplish different tasks at the jeweler’s bench. One tool a jeweler can’t do without is a hammer. Today, many styles of hammers, made in a variety of shapes and materials, are available to the jeweler.

The hammer used here as an example of how to make modifications is used for riveting, shaping, forming and working on rings for sizing. The hammer has one round/slightly contoured end (called the pean) one chisel-shaped end and a hardwood handle.

Two modifications that are crucial to a jeweler will be made to:

		The handle, which is key to maximizing its effectiveness at achieving its specific task

		The round/slightly contoured face and the chisel-shaped heads

A hammer handle that is too long will not be balanced, and can cause fatigue. If it is too short, it reduces the amount of force you can apply with the hammer. The length of the handle can be modified to fit your hand by measuring from the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinky, with your hand spread out. Alter the length of the handle, by cutting it down, to help you apply the maximum force to the object.

Next, you can modify the hammer heads by contouring and polishing them. Make a stack of paper on your work surface and place abrasive paper on top. Move the hammer in a circular motion over the paper to shape it. The stack provides a cushion so you can more easily modify the head. Work with sheets graduating grits of abrasive paper, from coarse to fine.

	You will achieve the maximum potential of your goldsmith hammer by modifying the round
	(top) and chiseled (bottom) heads. Polish with tripoli and rouge on a hard felt buff. This will
	give the surface of the round head a slightly convex shape, reduce the sharp outside edges,
	and leave a polished surface with minimal tool marks. If you don’t polish the head, the
	surface marks will transfer to the metal you are working on when struck.

You should apply the same modification to the chiseled end of the hammer head. Instead of a circular motion, however, use a back and forth motion that follows that end’s contours. The goal is to put a convex surface on the end face and to round over all edges and corners so they don’t leave deep, hard-edged marks in the metal you work on. Use the same materials and set up you used to finish and polish the hammer’s round face.

These two modifications will help you achieve the maximum potential of your goldsmith hammer.

	This goldsmith hammer is being used to tighten a hinge pin. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #15: Modify Your Prong Pushers to Make Them More Versatile Abstract: Modify prong pushers

Many stone setters would agree that one of the most challenging aspects of prong setting is getting the prongs down tight on the stone. It’s easy to take this process for granted. If it’s done well, you might never notice. But doing it poorly can result in damaged or lost gemstones, or prongs that snag clothing and feel rough or sharp to the wearer.

A variety of pliers or other tools can be used to push prongs down onto the stone once the bearings have been prepared. This article will focus on prong pushers, which consist of a piece of brass or steel fitted into a wooden handle.

Most common are the flat prong pusher and the grooved prong pusher. While these tools can be used “as is,” a few modifications will make them more versatile.

 Experienced stone setters will customize the face shapes and textures of their prong pushers.
Experienced stone setters often make their own prong pushers from used gravers, files or other tools. These are good options that allow them to reuse worn-out tools and customize the prong pusher for their particular needs, including creating different sizes so they can easily work on larger or smaller prongs and hard-to-reach areas.

	Use a cylinder burr to make a grooved prong pusher.
Many stone setters will also modify the prong pusher’s basic shape, preferring a rectangular face over a square face, which tends to block the view during the setting process. You can use a table-top bench grinder to make these modifications. Just make sure you dip the tools in water frequently as you are grinding to prevent overheating.

Many jewelers also prefer a textured face on their prong pushers. While this may cause minor tool marks on the prong as it is being tightened, the prong tips are often filed down anyway. The advantage of the textured surface is that it keeps the tool from slipping and possibly chipping the stone.

There are many ways to achieve this textured surface, but one is to simply sand across the face of the tool with a relatively coarse (220 or 320 grit) sandpaper.

The modification helps you feel the tool drop into place on the prong, allowing faster and more accurate work.
Another useful modification is to put a groove in the face of the prong pusher to keep it from slipping while you push down the prong. This modification is easily made with a small cylinder bur. By extending the groove across only three-quarters of the face of the tool, you can also put a “stop” in the groove. This is a great trick for working with smaller prongs because it helps you feel the tool drop into place on the prong, allowing faster and more accurate work. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #14: How to Handle the Flexshaft and Handpiece Abstract: Flexshaft and handpiece

 Here are a few observations that can make your equipment last longer and prevent possible injury.

The flexible shaft machine, commonly called a “flexshaft,” is a combination of a motor, handpiece and the flexible shaft that connects the two. The machine is usually operated by a foot pedal. Because jewelers often use more than one handpiece during the workday, the procedure of connecting a handpiece to the flexible shaft is a common operation, but is often done incorrectly.

	The handpiece (A) fits onto the end of the flexshaft (B), but must be properly aligned.
The end of the flexible shaft is a “keyed tip” that rotates when the foot pedal is depressed. When connecting the shaft to a handpiece, it is essential to fit this keyed tip into the slot inside the cover of the handpiece. Since the slot is inside the handpiece, it is difficult to see.

	The rotating keyed tip portion of the flexible shaft (A) fits and slides into the locking mechanism of the flex shaft handle (B).
If the flexshaft tip is pushed into the handpiece without aligning the key to the slot, there is potential for equipment damage and personal injury:

		Sometimes the key will rotate and drop into the slot when the pedal is depressed, but this will eventually wear down the key.

		The shaft can also bend the connector inside the handpiece, causing it to jam and the handpiece to violently jerk if the pedal is depressed quickly. This can cause injury or damage the flexshaft or handpiece.

	If not inserted properly, the keyed tip will wear down and eventually fail.
To make sure the key and slot are properly aligned, some jewelers will look down inside the handpiece to find the orientation of the slot, then turn the handpiece as needed so the key drops in. This works, but here is a fast and simple way to make the connection:

		Slightly depress the foot pedal so the shaft is turning slowly, then insert the shaft into the handpiece and gently push.

		You will feel the key drop into the slot and can see that the connection is correct when the handpiece begins to move (rotate or hammer, depending on the handpiece).

		Now you know the key and slot are properly aligned and it is safe to snap the shaft the rest of the way into the handpiece. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #13: Ergonomics for Bench Pin Modifications Abstract: Bench pin modifications

Ergonomics is the safe and effective relationship between a worker and the work environment. For the bench jeweler who spends hours working with a bench pin, it is important to make it work efficiently and effectively for you. There are many modifications you can make to ensure this.

People prefer different bench pins, namely a flat piercing pin vs. an angled working pin. Some modifications can be used with either type, while others work better with a specific style of bench pin.

To modify a working bench pin, start with a standard wedge-shaped bench pin, measuring 133 x 59 millimeters. These are available at most jewelry tool suppliers. With the angled side facing up, draw a 15-mm-long line, 13 mm in from the left edge. Make a mark 61 mm back from the front right edge and draw an angled line from that point to the end of the first line. The wood on the right side of the lines is cut away to leave the basic shape of the working bench pin. The 15 mm line is cut with a perpendicular cut. The angled line is cut at 45 degrees, tilting away from the front top, leaving a slanted surface. Holding items against that edge makes filing easier.

Whichever type of bench pin you use, the best place to start is with a piece of sandpaper. Simply smoothing the surface of the wood and gently rounding corners will make a difference you’ll feel immediately as your hands come in contact with the bench pin.

To help the bench pin hold a ring clamp securely, sand interlocking grooves with a 25 mm sanding band in the bench pin and the ring clamp. Sand the bench pin at the intersection of the first two cuts, leaving a semicircular arc with vertical sides. On the ring clamp, measure down 10 mm from each end and draw a line around the body. Sand a groove in the ring clamp following this line to create a lip at the end that will catch on the bench pin and hold it steady when in use. Sand the ring clamp groove until it mates nicely with the arc on the bench pin.

	A ring-cutting fixture at the end of the bench pin is invaluable and easy to make.
A ring-cutting fixture at the end of the bench pin is invaluable. To create one, file an 8-mm-wide groove in an arc around the squared end of the pin, 5 mm from the front edge. A ring shank will slip over this 5-mm-wide lip and be secured straight and square while you cut it for size. Next, use a No. 2 blade to cut a straight vertical slot into the end of the bench pin. Your saw will follow this slot when you cut ring shanks. You can also file a relief notch at the top center of the lip of the ring-cutting fixture with the narrow edge of a flat hand file centered on the saw cut. This will open up sight lines so the area you are cutting will not be obscured behind the lip of the fixture. This modification increases the accuracy of the cut and the efficiency of the operation while reducing the possibility of slipping, broken blades and injury.

	Holding a ring during the sawing operation with this modification makes it more secure.
	It also increases the accuracy of the cut and the efficiency of the operation, while reducing
	the possibility of slipping, breaking blades and suffering an injury.
You can also prevent rings from sliding on the bench pin while filing the insides of shanks by making a set of three grooves. Use a ball bur to cut the grooves—2 mm, 6 mm and 10 mm wide—in the top of the bench pin, just behind the angled diagonal cut. Each groove should be 12 mm long and aligned with the diagonal cut, side by side, parallel with the angled top edge. They should be 1-2 mm deep with at least 5 mm between them. This modification enables the jeweler to file flat inside ring contours.

A stone-holding tray can also be incorporated into the flat top of the bench pin. Mark a 12 x 22 mm rectangle and use a ball bur to carve out a shallow depression to hold the stones.

A similar feature can be added to the right side of the bench pin to hold cutting lubricant. Mark a 10 x 10 mm square and use a ball bur to carve a shallow depression, just like the one in the stone tray. Melt the cutting lubricant into the depression with a soft flame. Slightly overfill the cavity, and when it cools you can quickly wipe the cutting lubricant from your saw blades, burs and twist drills.

The more you specialize your tasks at the bench, the more specialized your modifications will become. Left-handed bench jewelers can simply mirror the locations and orientations of most of these modifications. As you continue to work, keep in mind that a few minutes with a file, bur and square- or straight-edge tool can make a significant difference in how well your bench pin works for you. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #12: How to Make Spiral-Cut Rubber Molds Abstract: Spiral-cut rubber molds

Master models used in mass jewelry manufacturing range from simple one-part pieces to intricate multiple-part forms. Rubber molds made from these master models are the key to reproducing consistent replicas of the original in wax form for casting. Cutting a rubber mold is a master craft in itself.

A rubber mold is heat-formed around the metal master. When it’s cured, the mold must be cut to remove the model and ensure two critical outcomes: the successful injection of molten wax to completely fill the mold cavity and the release of the resulting wax replica without distortion or breakage.  Cutting a rubber mold for a plain half-round band is a fairly simple task, but cutting one for a ring with a gallery or basket setting poses certain challenges.

In this installment we present a mold cutting technique called a spiral cut, which is designed to facilitate the successful release of a cage-like wax model from a mold.

After making initial cuts and creating your mold locks, cut along the sprue, the sides of the model, the finger hole and the gallery wires. Finally, cut across flat and parallel to the top plane of the setting to expose the top of the gallery wires. Release the master.

Draw a spiral with a ballpoint pen on the top flat section of the rubber, inside the gallery wires.

Push a scalpel blade straight down into the rubber. Carefully guide the blade along the spiral. Do not force it. The blade should remain perpendicular to the top surface while cutting, and the spiral cut should be the same depth all around.

	Push a scalpel blade straight down into the rubber. Carefully guide the blade along the spiral. While cutting, the blade should remain perpendicular to the top surface and the spiral cut should be the same depth all around.
Next, you will cut the base of the spiral at the depth of the cut. The objective is to release the outer spiral but leave the center core attached. Use caution as you guide the blade.

	Cut the base of the spiral at the depth of the cut. The objective is to release the outer spiral, but leave the center core attached.
The spiral cut allows the mass of rubber within the gallery cage to uncoil and release from the center outward. With the simultaneous stretching and thinning of the rubber as it’s being pulled, the mold is essentially “poured” out of the cavity through the small opening. The result is a wax model with no distortion or breakage and a rubber mold that becomes a most valuable asset in the production process.

	The spiral cut allows the mass of rubber within the gallery cage to uncoil and release from the center outward. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #11: Turn an Old Brush into a Whip Burnisher Abstract: Transform an old brush

A worn-out bristle brush can easily be recycled into a useful tool called a whip burnisher or rotary hammer to improve or even eliminate minor imperfections and surface porosity in castings and other metal surfaces.

You’ll need the following supplies, which are available at most jewelry shops, to make a whip burnisher:

		worn-out bristle brush wheel

		flex-shaft and handpiece

		bench grinder with a coarse grit wheel and a medium grit wheel (such as a cratex wheel)

		jeweler’s saw

		sanding sticks – 320, 400 and 600 grit

		polishing machine with tripoli and rouge buffing wheels

The first step is to use the jeweler’s saw to cut off the worn-out bristle brush. This will leave just the shaft of the former brush wheel -- a piece of mild “soft” steel about an inch and a half long. This type of steel works well because it’s not hardened or tempered. It’s strong, but you can still bend it easily without breaking it.

Use the coarse grinding wheel on the bench grinder to round the end steel piece. Remove coarse grinding marks with the medium wheel, then insert the steel into the flexshaft handpiece and spin it against 320, 400 and then 600 grit sandpaper sticks to make a smooth, rounded end. Finally, polish the rounded end with tripoli and rouge.

The last step is to make a slight bend about 6-7 mm from the end you have rounded and polished. The further you bend the stock, the more aggressive the burnisher will be when you use it. You can adjust the tool to suit your preferences.

To use the whip burnisher, insert it in the flexshaft handpiece and spin it at medium speed. Bring a metal surface against the spinning end, and it will hammer the surface and smooth out imperfections, such as porosity. A touch of burr lubricant will improve the performance of the whip burnisher.

Lightly sand the surface of your piece with 400 and 600 grit sandpaper after burnishing it, then polish as usual.

	This is what your final whip burnisher will look like. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #10: Use Vector Tightening to Overcome Metal Memory in Prongs Abstract: Vector tightening

Gemstones that become loose can cause damage to both the gem and the setting. A regular inspection of jewelry can catch this problem in its early stages, before too much damage is done. Vector tightening prong-set stones is a quick, safe, and effective way to secure gemstones.

We will use a four-prong head with a round brilliant-cut stone as an example. If you try to tighten the stone by simply pushing the prongs in toward the center of the stone -- seemingly the most direct way -- it probably won’t be secure. That’s because the “memory” of the metal in the prong will cause it to spring back to its original position, and the stone will still be loose. In vector tightening, you move the prongs in two different directions (vectors) to overcome the metal memory.  The prongs end up closer to the center of the stone, and are able to hold it tightly. You can use flat or chain-nose pliers to vector tighten, but parallel-jaw pliers work best.

Imagine the setting in a fixed position to help you better visualize the procedure; however, at the bench you would turn the setting around to get the best leverage. This way, the prongs being adjusted won’t get mixed up.

First, gently squeeze the two prongs on the right side (upper and lower right) toward each other. Next, do the same thing with the prongs on the left side. As you squeeze the prongs toward each other, they will “slide” around the contour of the stone. Don’t squeeze too hard -- just reduce the distance between the side prongs by roughly one-third.

At this point, the space between the top two prongs and the bottom two prongs should appear too large, and the space between the two prongs on the right and left sides should appear too small.

Next, squeeze the top two prongs (upper left and upper right) toward each other so they end up with what looks like the original spacing. Repeat with the bottom prongs. The gemstone is now tight, with the prongs evenly spaced around it.

The movement of the prongs in two directions, first toward the sides and then toward the top and bottom, provides tension in the prongs so they are somewhat spring-loaded and hold on to the gemstone securely. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Bench Tip #9: Use the Touchstone Method for Testing Purity in Karat Gold Abstract: Touchstone method

There are a few scientific methods for precisely determining karat gold purity, some destructive (fire assay) and others nondestructive (X-ray fluorescence). Both methods require costly equipment, special procedures and a well-lit and ventilated area. A simpler method for determining gold purity in jewelry is the “touchstone” testing process, an age-old technique that is relatively nondestructive to jewelry and offers quick results.

Use with care: Touchstone testing incorporates the use of acids, so pay close attention to safety.  Careful procedures are a must.

Touchstone testing is based on the fact that 24k gold resists all but the strongest acids. The purer the gold, the stronger the acid required to dissolve it. Measured strengths of nitric acid are used to test for 14k and lower. Aqua regia, a mixture of one part nitric acid and three parts hydrochloric acid, is used to test higher karat purity through the process of comparison and elimination.

To conduct touchstone testing, you’ll need an acid testing kit (available through jewelry tool suppliers), a well-ventilated area, two glass beakers, water, baking soda, protective gloves, 320-grit abrasive paper, safety goggles, and paper towels.

Your testing kit includes a set of testing needles. Each needle has a karat gold sample on its tip and the karat value stamped on the side. Use yellow gold needles for testing yellow gold, and white gold needles for testing white gold.

	Each known test sample is labeled on the needle. Rub the known samples onto the stone and label each on the testing stone.
Begin by checking the gold jewelry piece for other stampings (e.g., quality marks or manufacturer’s marks) and make note of characteristics such as heft, color and reflectivity. If you suspect the item may not be gold, use an engraving tool and make a small notch in an unobtrusive place on the jewelry to expose fresh metal. Next, put on protective gloves and place a drop of acid from the 18k gold testing bottle over the small notch. A highly effervescent green reaction indicates base metal, and no further testing is required.

If there is little or no reaction, the piece is likely karat gold, and the next test is for purity. Follow these steps:
• Rub the jewelry of unknown karat purity gently back and forth on the testing stone to leave a thin, but clearly visible, metal sample. Use care to take this sample from a place not clearly visible on the jewelry and away from solder joints.
• With a testing needle, draw a question mark on the touchstone that represents the unknown metal.
• Start with the 14k testing needle and rub a layer next to the unknown. Label it “14.”
• Repeat this process, making a layer and then labeling with the 18k, 22k, and 10k testing needles. Now choose the bottle labeled for testing 10k and lightly swipe the applicator across all the samples.
• After approximately 20 to 40 seconds, place the touchstone in a mixture of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid in one beaker, then rinse in water in the other beaker.
• Blot the touchstone with paper towels and observe. The 10k sample has dissolved, but the unknown metal is still visible. This confirms the unknown metal is finer than 10k.
• Next, choose the bottle labeled for testing 14k and swipe it across the samples just below the first test.
• Allow enough time for the acid to react and neutralize, then rinse and blot the touchstone and observe. The acid has dissolved both the 10k and 14k samples. The unknown metal is therefore 14-karat or slightly higher.

	Analyze the test results to determine the karatage.
Always prepare the touchstone for its next use by cleaning it thoroughly. Remove the metal from the stone’s surface by placing it facedown on a piece of 320-grit abrasive paper on a flat surface. Apply moderate pressure and sand it in a circular motion until sample layers are no longer visible. Neutralize, rinse and blot dry before replacing in the kit. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for the proper care, storage and handling of acids @topic:8